A bill that would strengthen protections for children against lead poisoning passed a Senate health committee Wednesday.
Hundreds more children in Georgia would have their homes investigated for lead under proposed rules in House Bill 1355, sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome).
The legislation, passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, would lower the level of lead in children’s blood that would trigger state regulatory action, which includes testing, warning letters and required correction of the problem.
The new poisoning level threshold would be 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, a guideline established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s much lower than Georgia’s current 10 micrograms, a standard that experts say leaves many children at risk.
Chris Rustin, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said after the vote that the agency estimates more than 4,600 children would fall into the new investigation category, as compared to 585 cases under the current standard that were investigated in 2019. The agency aims “to protect as many children as possible,” Rustin said.
There is no safe level of lead exposure for children, the Atlanta-based CDC says.
The lead protection bill stems from a legislative study committee that recommended changes last year. It also carries funding of $1.8 million for more state lead inspectors and equipment.
Rustin said that the agency would be able to hire 18 more lead inspection staffers statewide, bolstering a current workforce of seven.
The focus of the bill is “the impact of lead on children’s lives,’’ Dempsey told GHN after the vote.
Lead poisoning can come from several sources, including water, paint, house dust, soil, even certain toys and imported candies.
Even at low levels, lead can damage children’s brains, lowering intelligence and weakening their powers of self-control and concentration, researchers have found. At higher levels, lead can affect growth, and it can replace iron in the blood, leading to anemia and fatigue.
Atlanta has seen high-profile lead contamination situations recently.
The EPA is removing lead from the soil of dozens of properties in the English Avenue neighborhood of west Atlanta. The agency last week put the area on its Superfund National Priorities List for cleanup.
And soil near a metal processing facility in south Atlanta showed elevated levels of lead and other metals.
Voices for Georgia’s Children, an advocacy group, praised the lead safety legislation.
“We know that children, especially those under the age of 6, are particularly at risk for lead poisoning, which can have long-term and in some ways permanent repercussions, including speech and language problems, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder, and even nerve damage,’’ said Polly McKinney, advocacy director for Voices.
Andy Miller is editor of Georgia Health News.
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