Pittsburgh expanded regulations to address lead exposure

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WESA – This week, Pittsburgh City Council will be considering a proposal for the development of a plan to further address lead contamination and poisoning.

Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, executive director of Women for a Healthy Environment, says it’s important to remember lead exposure causes lasting damages, and there are no safe levels of lead.

She says this law would take a comprehensive approach to lead safety, approaching the issue from the four pillars, which are common sources of lead poisoning: Paint, dust, soil, and water.

“We know that this is also an environmental justice issue of which we have to take quick action. So what we need to do is think about how to prevent lead exposure from all the sources across the city and stop that in its tracks before children are harmed,” she says.

The legislation would require routine inspections of rental homes that were built prior to 1978, and additionally, it would require that private and city demolitions have a lead-safe plan for the work.

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