EPA GIVES LEAD
PAINT REGULATIONS A WHITEWASH

 
The Environmental Protection Agency is
quietly sacrificing the health of kids in order to save businesses a few
bucks. Exposure to lead paint, usually through home renovations, threatens
the health of 1.4 million children every year. In 2000, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention estimated almost half a million children had dangerous
levels of lead in their blood; minority kids were disproportionately affected.
Safety regulations were supposed to be in place by this year. The EPA, however,
secretly decided to delay completing the regulations; instead, they want to make
standards voluntary. Why? The EPA says it's worried about how much complying
with regulations would cost businesses. Even if the agency is more concerned
with cash than the health of children, that argument doesn't wash. Complying
with the regulations would cost industries between $1.7 billion to $3.1 billion
a year; a separate agency estimate shows implementing lead-paint regulations
would provide health benefits from $2.7 billion to $4.2 billion
annually.

(Source)