BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy is criticizing a Trump administration proposal to cut federal programs aimed at limiting children’s exposure to lead paint.
The Democrat this week wrote a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt expressing his opposition to proposed cuts to the Lead Risk Reduction Program and the proposed elimination of lead-based paint program grants.
Lead-based paint has been outlawed in the United States for 30 years, but many homes are still not lead-free.
The Lead Risk Reduction Program trains renovators working in older buildings with lead paint to uphold federal safety standards.
The lead-based paint program grants help states and tribes offset the costs of their own lead risk reduction programs.
Elevated blood lead levels in children are linked to brain damage, learning disabilities and behavioral issues.
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