The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it will provide $26 million to states and territories to prevent children from being exposed to lead.
Georgia will receive about $1.15 million to focus on addressing lead in schools and child care facilities. The effort is part of the Biden administration’s goal to replace all lead pipes and remediate lead paint within 10 years.
“The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said Bruno Pigott, the agency’s acting assistant administrator, in a news release from the White House.
Funds will come from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, which will provide grants that will support educating communities about potential occurrences and health effects of lead and testing for lead in schools and child care facilities. Funds can also support developing action plans for reducing lead and communicating findings.
Georgia is among the states receiving the most funds, behind only California, Texas and New York.
Lead can severely harm the mental and physical development of children, slowing their learning and damaging the brain, EPA officials say. Lead can also contribute to problems for adults, such as cancer, decreased kidney function, heart disease and increased blood pressure.
Federal grants have provided $150 million since 2019 to test for and remove lead in the places where many children spend much of their time.
“Regular testing is critical,” Emilie Simons, White House deputy press secretary, said in a phone interview, adding that the operators of some schools and facilities may have no idea that their buildings have lead pipes.
“We expect that with the testing, folks will have peace of mind if they don’t detect lead,” Simons said. In places where they do find lead, “there will be funding for replacing those pipes as needed.”
The 2023 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has dedicated $15 billion to removing lead from drinking water in support of the Biden administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. The plan encourages government at every level to support replacing lead pipes and remediating lead paint.
Georgia received $2.4 million in 2023 for lead control in schools and day cares, and the Georgia Legislature in 2022 passed the Childhood Lead Exposure Control Act, which is aimed at bolstering protections for Georgia children who may be exposed to lead. The state also invested $1.8 million to allow for more homes to be inspected and treated for lead.
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