;The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that it is extending the period for public comment on a draft of its plan to address and reduce lead exposure in vulnerable communities.
The agency announced on Feb. 8 that it has updated a lead-contamination plan originally released last October and is moving the deadline for public comment to March 16.
EPA officials said the agency is seeking feedback on the updated draft of its lead strategy, especially from underserved communities that are often hardest hit by exposure to lead in municipal drinking water supplies.
"We know that overburdened populations are often disproportionately impacted by adverse health impacts from exposure to lead," Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in the announcement. "To help address these health disparities, we need engagement at all levels."
The changes to the Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities were necessary after passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the EPA states. The BIL provides investments to address and mitigate lead exposure, including replacing lead pipes and providing for water tests in schools and childcare programs, the announcement states.
The announcement reports the updated lead strategy outlines three approaches the agency can utilize to reduce and mitigate lead contamination and exposure in overburdened communities. The strategies, according to the announcement, are: reduce lead exposures locally with a focus on communities with disparities and promote environmental justice; reduce lead exposures nationally through protective standards, analytical tools, and outreach; and reduce lead exposures with a “whole of EPA” and “whole of government” approach, the announcement.
Details on the strategic approaches are available on the EPA website.
In order to allow the public to provide verbal input on the draft lead strategy, EPA is hosting virtual comment sessions via Zoom in its 10 geographic regional offices, the announcement states. The agency will use the feedback received to determine if additional changes should be considered or incorporated into the lead strategy before it is finalized.
"Underserved and overburdened communities are often disproportionately exposed to lead, which can cause life-long negative effects," Carlton Waterhouse, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, said in the announcement.
"Today, we are inviting all communities exposed to lead and other stakeholders to share their perspectives so that EPA can ensure that our Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities is as comprehensive as possible," Waterhouse said.
Written comments can be submitted through the regulations.gov website, the announcement reports.
