2020

• October 29, 2020 -  EPA highlighted 89 federal enforcement actions completed over the last year to protect the public, especially young children, from exposure to lead in paint.  The cases highlighted in this summary involved alleged noncompliance with at least one of the following Agency’s lead-based paint requirements: the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule; the  TSCA Lead-based Paint Activities Rule; and the Lead Disclosure Rule (LDR) under Section 1018 of the Residential Lead-based Paint Hazard Reduction Act. Read the press release. More information.

• October 21, 2020 - EPA released Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy!,  a curriculum to help tribes and all communities protect children from potential lead exposure. EPA collaborated with the National Tribal Toxics Council and the National EPA-Tribal Science Council to develop the curriculum to include relevant tribal scenarios and cultural information to increase awareness and education in Indian country. As a result, the curriculum was developed in partnership with over 200 tribal representatives from approximately 80 different tribal governments and tribal organizations. The Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! curriculum is a series of four modules which include lesson plans, worksheets, key messages, presentation slides, and kids activity sheets that community leaders and other instructors can use to improve public awareness of the dangers associated with lead exposure and promote preventative actions. Read the press release. View and download the curriculum.  

• June 29, 2020 - EPA issued a memorandum on a termination addendum to the COVID-19 temporary enforcement policy. EPA has selected August 31, 2020, as the termination date for the temporary enforcement policy.

• June 17, 2020 - EPA is proposing to reduce the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors and window sills after lead removal activities to protect children from the harmful effects of lead exposure. The agency's proposal would lower the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors and window sills after lead removal activities from 40 micrograms (µg) of lead in dust per square foot (ft2) to 10 µg/ft2 for floor dust and from 250 µg/ft2 to 100 µg/ft2 for window sill dust. This action is an important step to reduce exposure to lead sources and directly supports the December 2018 Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts. EPA is accepting public comments on this proposal for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0063. Read the proposed rule to strengthen the dust-lead clearance levels. 

• May 8, 2020 – EPA released a COVID-19 policy statement regarding EPA’s lead-based paint program. The COVID-19 public health emergency is affecting the certification process for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead-based Paint Activities (Abatement) Program and the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program. This policy statement applies only to individuals certified by the U.S. EPA under the Abatement Program and the RRP Program, not those certified by an authorized State, tribe or territory. Authorized States, tribes and territories may take a different approach under their own authorities. Already certified individuals operating under the U.S. EPA administered programs may be unable to take in-person third-party exams or complete the in-person hands on activities required as part of the certification or recertification process because most exam and training providers are closed due to the public health emergency.  Although performing regulated activities without complete or proper certification is a violation of EPA’s lead-based paint regulations, U.S. EPA’s enforcement memorandum of March 26, 2020 (Temporary COVID-19 Enforcement Policy), provides that EPA may exercise its enforcement discretion with regard to such violations if your interim certification or certification expired on or after March 13, 2020 and it was not possible to complete your certification or recertification process solely due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. If you continue to perform regulated activities, we recommend that you follow the terms of the Temporary COVID-19 Enforcement Policy. You should review the Temporary COVID-19 Enforcement Policy in its entirety and pay particular attention to the following:

  • Make every effort to comply with your environmental compliance obligations;
  • Document the cause and circumstances of the noncompliance; and
  • Complete the third-party exam or refresher training course as expeditiously as possible when it is practicable to take in-person third-party exams for certification or complete the in-person hands on activities for recertification.

Allowing individuals whose interim certification or certification expired on or after March 13, 2020 due to the COVID-19 public health emergency to continue to participate in the EPA Abatement and RRP Programs during this public health emergency will contribute to the public health goal of protecting children and others from lead paint hazards.

2019

• June 21, 2019 – EPA announced new, tighter standards for lead in dust on floors and window sills to protect children from the harmful effects of lead exposure. The final rule lowers the dust-lead hazard standards from 40 µg/ft² and 250 µg/ft² to 10 µg/ft² and 100 µg/ft² on floors and window sills, respectively. EPA is also finalizing its proposal to make no change to the current definition of lead-based paint because there is insufficient information to support such a change at this time. Read the press release. View the final rule.

• April 1, 2019 - EPA released the Implementation Status Report for EPA Actions under the December 2018 Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts (Status Report). The Status Report describes EPA activities that are being conducted in support of the Lead Action Plan. Through the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, EPA continues to work with its federal partners to improve coordinated activities and implement objectives of the Lead Action Plan. Read the press release. View the status report.

2018

• December 19, 2018 – EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan unveiled the Trump Administration’s Federal Lead Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts (Lead Action Plan). Developed through cross-governmental collaboration of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, which includes 17 federal departments and offices, the Lead Action Plan is a blueprint for reducing lead exposure and associated harms by working with a range of stakeholders, including states, tribes and local communities, along with businesses, property owners and parents. Read the press release. Read the Lead Action Plan.

• October 22, 2018 – EPA released “Protecting Children from Lead Exposures” to highlight some of the ongoing programs being worked on across the various program and regional offices. The Agency continues to aggressively address lead issues across America, working with communities and partners to further identify and eliminate lead exposure, especially for children who are most vulnerable to lead poisoning.

• June 22, 2018 – EPA is proposing to change the dust-lead hazard standards from 40 µg/ft² and 250 µg/ft² to 10 µg/ft² and 100 µg/ft² on floors and window sills, respectively. EPA is proposing no changes to the current definition of lead-based paint because the Agency currently lacks sufficient information to support such a change. Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, EPA will accept comments on the proposal for 45 days in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0166. Read the press release. View the proposed rule.

• February 5, 2018 – EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt formally invited members of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children to participate in a Principals Meeting to discuss next steps in developing a federal strategy to reduce childhood lead exposure and eliminate associated health impacts. The meeting was held on February 15, 2018, from 2-3 pm in Washington, D.C. Read the press release. View the letter inviting cabinet secretaries and other principals to a meeting on next steps in developing a federal strategy to reduce childhood lead exposure.

Newsroom Archive 2010 - 2017