EPA proposes upping lead testing at schools in rule overhaul
Posted October 10, 2019 3:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a major overhaul of rules on lead contamination in drinking water, including tightening testing requirements at the nation’s schools and day care centres.
But critics say another change would give utilities decades more to fully replace lead pipes in water systems with high lead.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Thursday announced the proposed changes to controls on lead contamination in drinking water systems.
The EPA called it the biggest rule overhaul since the 1990s for lead water pipes, which can leach toxins into water and poison children. The changes would follow lead crises in Flint, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; and elsewhere.
Proposals include requiring water suppliers to test for lead at schools and day care centres.
Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press
