Virtual Public Listening Sessions on EPA's draft Lead Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0762
R1 Listening Session 
Date: March 8, 2022
Start Time: 6:00 PM ET 
Record of Public Comments
(To view a recording of the listening session, please visit: https://youtu.be/2CvYb5x5vtQ)

37:47
[Pamela Howland, Old Window Workshop] *Pamela Howland: Well thank you I really appreciate this opportunity to share some of my observations around disparate health effects of urban renewal, specifically in in cities, especially in the northeast.
38:10
*Pamela Howland: I have been restoring old windows for many years and teaching women from a very economically depressed neighborhood to learn the skills of restoring windows, and of course, we believe and follow the CRP procedures as well as the hazardous waste procedures
38:41
*Pamela Howland: that are required in dealing with toxic wastes.
38:46
*Pamela Howland: We can do it safely.
38:50
*Pamela Howland: We can deal with lead paint and also with asbestos, which is often include contained in caulk around window glazing.
39:01
*Pamela Howland: The thing that I want to talk about is how whole communities can can be empowered to contain lead in their own buildings, but also to restrict the the ambient air contamination of the activity involved in any kind of urban renewal project, any kind
39:28
*Pamela Howland: of community revitalization project that involves the practice of demolition.
39:36
*Pamela Howland: We have--
39:38
*Pamela Howland: we have noticed many houses in our neighborhoods, being demolished with mechanically with one large piece of machinery, a big dumpster and one person standing behind a fire hydrant hose to keep, and that is considered lead abatement, and also asbestos abatement.
40:04
*Pamela Howland: It is nearly ineffective as you can see when you're walking by a project that's being a house that's being demolished, or a commercial building that's being demolished, that the, the effort to contain or to dampen that dust is minimal.
40:03
*Pamela Howland: So.
40:29
*Pamela Howland: So I would like in my last 20 seconds to just emphasize that I will be writing comments, identifying each section of the action plan but I would urge that you, that the draft plan include emphasis on demolition and deconstruction of buildings, rather than
40:51
*Pamela Howland: mechanical demolition.
40:54
*Pamela Howland: Thank you.
41:16
[Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University] *Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: Thank you.
41:17
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: Good evening out as much appreciation for this opportunity to comment on the draft strategy.
41:24
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: I would like to introduce myself and then make a specific suggestion for a strategy.
41:30
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: I am a research assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University, I research air quality and health impacts of transportation emissions specifically those originating from airports and I worked at near commercial
41:45
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: and general aviation airports.
41:47
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: I draw upon that direct research experience and other scientific findings in my comments today that pertain to Goal 1, Objective D, in particular the bullet point, 'reduce lead from piston engine aircraft' under Approach Three. Conversion of AV gas, the only
42:04
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: leaded fuels still in use in U.S. and consumed by piston aircraft contributes nearly half of the airborne lead in the country,
42:13
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: although unleaded fuel alternatives already exist.
42:17
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: The communities and vicinity of GAAs experience these impacts disproportionately.
42:24
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: I want to bring to your attention, a very recent good, and perhaps even a successful example of a mitigation strategy from Region 9, but just as applicable in Region 1.
42:36
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: In 2017 the city of Santa Monica and FAA entered into a landmark consent decree to close the airport by 2028.
42:45
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: But they also reduce the runways operation land by 1500 feet, primarily to restrict larger jet aircraft operations. Me and my colleagues made measurements for air quality before the runway was shortened, while the runway was shut down for shortening, and post--
43:03
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: the runway operations resumed on a shortened runway--
43:04
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: operations resumed on a shortened runway. After the runway was shortened, largely due to enhance dispersion resulting from this increased distance to the newly shortened runway,
43:16
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: airborne -- airborne lead concentrations at a home just a block away from the airport were approximately 75% reduced, even though there was little to no change in piston engine activity. Shortening the runway provided a wider buffer, where there was previously
43:33
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: none or little, and it's that is a very common situation around GAAs where residents can be in very close proximity to runways. At airports where shortening is not a viable option, relocation of piston airplane operations, away from the runway edge,
43:50
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: closest to downwind communities could be just as effective. Existing unleaded fuel alternatives should be developed and promoted widely, but until that happens, changes in operations and practices at airports should be leveraged as a mitigation strategy.
44:07
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: This will require whole of government approach, and I'm very encouraged to see that mentioned in the draft strategy. I hope specific measures would be specified by EPA to address airborne lead disparities near general aviation aircraft.
44:22
*Neelakshi Hudda, Tufts University: Thank you.
44:50
[Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center] *Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: Yes. So hello everyone my name is Rakia Islam, I am the Deputy Director at the Refugee Dream Center.
44:57
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: We are a community-based organization based in Providence, Rhode Island. And this is home -- Rhode Island is home to a large number of refugees and refugee children are actually disproportionately affected by lead poisoning. The Rhode Island-- Rhode Island
45:14
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: Department of Health reports said they're 4.3 times more likely to be affected by lead compared to other groups.
45:22
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So the Refugee Dream Center is an organization that was founded by refugees and serves primarily refugees. And from that foundation we do public health, education, and at the root of public health issues really education and addressing the social determinants
45:41
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: of health.
45:42
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So an approach --the approaches that we take are doing preventative health education, doing home visits. One of the reasons that the center was founded, founded on which was back in 2015 was because we were noticing that a lot of refugees when they arrived
45:59
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: to the State, their place oftentimes is really crowded and crowded households. And also, in homes with presence of lead.
46:07
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So we really were born as an advocacy agency for that for that issue.
46:12
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So one thing that I would encourage is just reaching out to smaller community organizations.
46:19
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: That's one of the most effective ways to reach minority groups and historically disenfranchised groups, and also keeping in mind that you know we recently just received, we, we actually continue to receive refugees from Afghanistan, from other countries
46:36
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: Congo, Haiti, Somalia, and as we are seeing right now with Ukraine, we may be receiving more refugees to the country.
46:47
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So with this in mind, I think, appropriate action needs to be taken to engage community organizations and reaching these communities who know the community, and can step in to provide preventative health because prevention, I believe is the best intervention.
47:08
*Rakia Islam, Refugee Dream Center: So, so that that's really what I would leave you with, and we're also very -- on behalf of the organization, I'd like to say we're very grateful to the EPA for funding us over the years to do this work so thank you very much for that.
47:52
[Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District NO 1] *Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: I'm an operator for a small water system, we have 100 curb stops.
47:59
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: And I typed my comments that I wanted to get recorded in the chat.
48:05
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: But I also wanted to add some things.
48:08
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: I like the idea of being able to measure with the lead test, which houses I have to work at because I have no records of what they had for pipes, other than the ones I've actually been able to see.
48:19
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: So, that's in my comments that I typed in.
48:22
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: And if the test shows I need to replace it can I add replacing galvanized lines with the funding might be available, rather than just lead lines.
48:35
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: Those are my primary comments as a small water system. I will emphasize putting water districts and fire districts and along with communities, we often don't get included unless somebody remembers that we're actually water systems.
48:51
*Andy Johnson, South Burlington Fire District: Thank you.
49:25
[Gary Keller, Citizens Against Gillespie Expansion and Low Flying Aircraft] *Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: Thank you, Jean. I will also be talking about leaded general aviation fuel.
49:31
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: Currently there are about 20,000 general aviation airports in the U.S. All of these airports cater to planes still using leaded aviation fuel.
49:42
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: A recent study by Dr. Sammy Zahran at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, California has proven not only that children who live near these airports have elevated blood, blood levels, some of them higher than those found in the Flint water crisis, but
49:58
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: also that the 2008 EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead at .15 micrograms per cubic meter is still way too high. The childhood lead poisoning prevention branch of the California Department of Public Health has warned that children
50:16
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: should not play or spend time near general aviation airports. Why isn't the EPA warning all parents with children who live near these airports?
50:26
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: It is estimated that 16 million people, including about 3 million children live within a kilometer of those airports. How many attend school or at daycare centers near these airports?
50:38
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: Many or most of these children come from poor economic backgrounds.
50:43
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: It doesn't really matter if a person breathes in, swallows, or absorbs lead particles, the health effects are the same.
50:52
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: However, the body absorbs higher levels of lead when it is breathed in. Each year general aviation aircraft are responsible for 1 million pounds of lead emissions across U.S. On an average, general aviation aircraft makeup 70% of all new airborne lead
51:11
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: emissions in the U.S., each year.
51:14
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: Region number 1, puts out 34,243 pounds, or 17 tons of it every year. The Federal Aviation Administration, the lead federal entity for these issues, is simply not equipped to meaningfully address the environmental justice and health equity challenges
51:35
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: of emissions. The 2021 National Academy of Sciences study on AV gas is woefully short of giving real recommendations for fixing the problems.
51:46
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: The research proposal by the aviation industry to work eight more years on finding a miracle fuel will mean 8 million more pounds of lead on our children.
51:56
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: We do not need any more testing, we already have compelling results of elevated blood lead levels in children.
52:04
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: I was watching in the early 1970s when the Clean Air Act and the EPA help take away lead from automobile fuel. I am still watching 50 years later, and there's still leaded fuel being used.
52:17
*Gary Keller, CAGE L.F.A: Please put the P back into the EPA and put a stop to this continuous poisoning of our children, finish the job your Agency started. Thank you.
53:48
[Jennifer Pederson, Mass Water Works Association] *Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Thank you very much. Good evening. My name is Jennifer Pederson. I'm the executive director of Massachusetts Water Works Association. We are a nonprofit member -- membership organization representing public water systems across Massachusetts.
54:00
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: I appreciate this opportunity to comment on EPA draft-- draft lead strategy. Our members are responsible for protecting public health by providing drinking water quality that meets Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
54:13
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Mass Water Works has worked closely with EPA Region 1's drinking water team to achieve the goals set by the Safe Drinking Water Act, including finding ways to reduce lead in drinking water.
54:24
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: I'd like to congratulate Regional Administrator Cash on his recent appointment. And we look forward to working with him in this new role.
54:31
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Tonight, I'd like to focus my remarks on Objective B: Reducing lead in drinking water. We support efforts to keep the focus on getting the lead out and at looking at this from a whole of government approach. Mass Water Works believes there needs to be realistic
54:45
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: timelines to achieve these goals. EPA needs to give states flexibility to work with utilities to accomplish the goal of removing lead service lines. Full lead service line removal is often contingent upon the homeowner undertaking removal of their portion
55:00
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: of the service line. This work can be expensive, and many homeowners simply cannot afford it.
55:05
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: The new funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL will help utilities and homeowners fund lead service line replacement, but please know that the funding authorized is a down payment to address the problem, the funding will not cover all
55:19
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: the needs across the nation, and that needs to be recognized. More money will need to be devoted to this issue. We would encourage EPA to align the timeframes with compliance on lead service line inventories and lead service line removal, to the timelines
55:34
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: for the BIL funding. As EPA looks to address lead and drinking water, EPA must work to reduce unnecessary administrative burden and reduce redundant reporting requirements. Our utilities have many, many regulatory obligations and we need to make this
55:50
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: as streamlined as possible. We also believe EPA must reduce confusion with the new rule trigger levels that are different from action levels create confusion for the public.
56:00
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Well, we certainly support transparency and timely notification of elevated levels, EPA needs to provide more time for utilities to make that notification, and to provide informed messaging to customers.
56:13
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: While we are certainly cognizant of lead's harmful impacts and the need for people to be quickly informed, the current time frames are unrealistic and will only lead to inadvertent violation and non compliance.
56:26
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Finally, EPA has committed to making improvements to the Lead and Copper Rule, while continuing to move some aspects of the rule forward. This is creating confusion for water systems regarding the deadlines for action.
56:37
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: EPA must provide guidance and they must do so soon. As I said, our water systems must comply with many regulations and they increasingly have less resources to accomplish all the regulatory mandates.
56:48
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: We need training and technical assistance to help our water systems do what their sole work is-- which is to provide safe drinking water. Thank you for the opportunity to comment tonight and we look forward to working with EPA as they look at the revised
57:04
*Jennifer Pederson, Massachusetts Water Works Association: Lead and Copper Rule, and implement the portions that are moving forward now, and making improvements to them in the future. Thank you.
58:43
[Cynthia Walter, NH Safe Water Alliance] *Cynthia Walter: I am a retired professor with 35 years of experience with a focus on pollution science. I'm not speaking for the New Hampshire Safe Water Alliance, but I am a member, and a science advisor for citizen groups in my former homes in southwest Pennsylvania,
58:59
*Cynthia Walter: and the Chicago, Northwest Indiana area.
59:02
*Cynthia Walter: People in all these three areas suffer from lead pollution and environmental injustice. I applaud your desire to reduce lead exposure and recommend three specifics. One:
59:14
*Cynthia Walter: Expand efforts in places like East Chicago and Northwest Indiana. The EPA draft highlighted East Chicago for its creative community efforts, but you imply that the job is done in '21.
59:28
*Cynthia Walter: I think that job there has just begun. Soil lead for many re -- for many people there still remains untested and unremediated. Now cities like Hammond, Indiana are funding piecemeal projects, because as city leaders stated, "EPA work there was finished".
59:47
*Cynthia Walter: Second: Air laced with lead still poisons East Chicago residents living near Arc Mattel's ancient lead battery smelters, even though, best available technology would capture lead.
60:04
*Cynthia Walter: The EPA should require VAT and reduce lead limits for air permits. Item 2: To reduce lead exposure for renters. Over 120 million Americans are renters. By, and you can do this by updating Title 10 landlord responsibilities.
60:25
*Cynthia Walter: First, you could require landlords to test exposed paint for lead in all properties built before '78.
60:33
*Cynthia Walter: Right now, the current disclosure form under Title 10 allows landlords to check a box, stating they "have no knowledge of lead based paint or hazards", they're off the hook.
60:46
*Cynthia Walter: Instead, landlords can use new low cost tests, and new products that seal old exposed paint.
60:55
*Cynthia Walter: Second, you can require landlords to test water for lead and other toxins in rentals, with private and public water supplies. Example: private wells serve half of New Hampshire and parts of Southwest Pennsylvania, and many are rentals, but neither state
61:13
*Cynthia Walter: requires landlord water testing.
61:15
*Cynthia Walter: Also, even good public water is contaminated from old pipes, as in my rental house. I knew to test the water and find filters, but many renters do not know that. Item 3: Update air standards for lead and other toxins to reflect new science of health
61:35
*Cynthia Walter: impacts and new monitoring.
61:38
*Cynthia Walter: For example, regulate short term pulses of contaminants, new technology for constant monitoring means you can require -- you the EPA can require industries to reveal, and control pulses of pollution that currently are not under regulation, You can--
61:56
*Cynthia Walter: Second: You can update emission permits to reduce aggregate pollutants in an airshed. Now permits regard nearby emissions only in a few limited situations, but new models would allow new regulations over pollutants from more industries and protect more
62:15
*Cynthia Walter: people. Finally, develop regulations to control contaminants with similar health impacts. Now we review, only a few separate air measures, but we know people suffer and die from multiple stressors.
62:29
*Cynthia Walter: For example, people in East Chicago, Northwest Indiana exposed to chronic lead oxides are also inhaling toxic particulates, but each of those many other industries, each have a separate emission permit.
62:44
*Cynthia Walter: In sum, I know the EPA can do better and I encourage you. Thank you.
63:31
[Andrea Watson, Private Citizen] *Andrea Watson: My name is Andrea Watson, and I am not what you call a stakeholder, because I don't run a membership organization, a lot of scientists, but I had to get a quick PhD 101.
63:45
*Andrea Watson: And I'm glad that the EPA is doing something. Again, I'm concerned about the time frame. I don't think we have a lot of time to wait any longer, and when we talk specifically about water we're talking about flights and I would agree with Jennifer is very
64:01
*Andrea Watson: closely.
64:03
*Andrea Watson: I don't think there's a lot of wiggle room for time, maybe that's because my own personal experiences, and my seeing many people who have been
64:13
*Andrea Watson: it's the lead in many different ways but certainly the water and a concern of mine, also is, we will change those lead pipes, correct, or lead lines whatever are calling them.
64:23
*Andrea Watson: This week, but if you don't change the other stuff.
64:28
*Andrea Watson: What good it's gonna do? How long before all of that sediment flushes out of the hot water systems and everything else. I think we have to find a way to not panic people not freak them out but we have to be more transparent.
64:42
*Andrea Watson: Because human lives are at stake. And, you know, every sip they take even more so ingesting it, then breathing it, it's coming out in breast milk.
64:54
*Andrea Watson: And we talked about health disparities, no matter how you get it. Let's include much more than having to receive special education services, because there is a lot more.
65:05
*Andrea Watson: And I do have some questions and I'm going to put all of that in writing and I'd like to close by saying one thing, please stop comparing your numbers to Flint, they are untrue.
65:18
*Andrea Watson: I know this.
65:19
*Andrea Watson: Don't do it for your tactics in your ways because there are people there, and children there still dying from the lead, plus. Okay, So, and I'm here back in Massachusetts.
65:35
*Andrea Watson: I'm not here to cause trouble but transparency is crucial. And one more thing before I go, they can't wait for going running, and I know Jennifer had said disparities across the state and different things.
65:47
*Andrea Watson: I see this, not just in Massachusetts and other states. When you do have a problem. No, you don't need more time to alert the community that should be one of the first things you do. The first, above all, health, welfare, safety. I've been saying these things since
66:03
*Andrea Watson: the 80s and 90s, whether it be about water, education, children, you name it. Health, welfare, and safety is always a priority. But let's have some direction whether it comes from the EPA down to the States.
66:17
*Andrea Watson: And I understand this, you guys are here, you set a standard, the states can raise them.
66:23
*Andrea Watson: And municipalities can raise them, and in some cases you have a big chunk of county in between, and they can as well so when you're not the end all be all -- well you are in a sense you're setting a standard and some direction and support.
66:41
*Andrea Watson: But you need you some more uniformity because I look at this stuff, stick up filter on and that's okay. You know, I mean, and it's it's harmful to people.
66:52
*Andrea Watson: So those are just some my immediate concerns I'm glad things are happening, I'm frustrated that here we are, I'm going to say this, we're talking about air, and the airplanes, and the lead gas and all of that and I think back to when I had to get my quick
67:06
*Andrea Watson: PhD 101.
67:09
*Andrea Watson: And somebody had mentioned the name and it was familiar to me and googled it. Needleman longer Jen, we're talking about 80s into the 90s Chuck right here in Region 1, I think it was Chelsea.
67:28
*Andrea Watson: Um, I don't remember if it was one or not. And they didn't they, they had some as the doctors come in and things but when you look at the behaviors and the other things that were going on there. And then, when the MTV did their switch.
67:41
*Andrea Watson: You know you can tell it comes to light so the impact is just so great, no matter how you got it. We've got to stop this. It's generational, it is generational and we're talking about bald eagles they have it.
67:55
*Andrea Watson: I care about them, but this has got to stop and the EPA is not the end all be all how do we get the other agencies to coincide and work along, and then continue this on.
68:05
*Andrea Watson: So when another administration comes in, it doesn't fall apart, and we can keep making progress, but I'll put the other stuff in writing.
68:14
*Andrea Watson: And I thank you.
70:23
[Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District] *Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: Great. Well thanks for hosting this listening session tonight.
70:26
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So I'm Damon Yakovleff, an environmental planner at Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District which serves the Portland, Maine area, and our conservation district has worked on a number of community urban agriculture initiatives, over the last
70:46
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: six years or so.
70:48
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: And two of those initiatives have been healthy communities grants, where the district works to provide outreach about the dangers of soil lead contamination to home gardeners, as well as facilitated soil testing with an emphasis on outreach to underserved
71:12
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: communities, using multilingual methods.
71:17
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So, I believe this work is more important than ever.
71:21
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So I wanted to highlight a few things that have come together, and I like to see EPA, you know, continue to support this and focus on soil--
71:32
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: Objective C: Reduce soil exposure exposure to lead in soils. Excuse me.
71:39
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So, for one thing, researchers at the University of Maine and University of Vermont, did some research recently. And they found that food insecurity reached record high levels during the pandemic --during the first year of it specifically, and during the
71:56
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: second year in 2021, food insecurity was still very high, but they also found something interesting that many more people were growing food in places that they had not grown it before.
72:13
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So. Furthermore, climate change goals often emphasize increasing local food production. So in Maine, for example, the goal is to increase local food consumption
72:26
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: from 10% to 30% within the next 10 years.
72:33
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: And finally, the third thing, this nexus of factors is that the survey that the soil and water district conducted and the Healthy Communities grant work would back this up that there's a lack of awareness about the risk posed by soil lead in our region.
72:51
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: And I think that's true --air-- within the larger New England region as well.
72:57
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So I think that some of the suggestions for improving or rounding out the draft lead strategy document would be for there to be more emphasis on testing of soil, especially in conjunction with initiatives to promote food security or overall increase food
73:19
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: production locally, and especially in urban areas. And also a focus on outreach, that is not alarmist in nature, which emphasizes that people can grow food in areas that may have moderate levels of lead contamination.
73:40
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: However, they should do so with various safety practices, such as increased washing of produce, care to make sure that clothing or shoes that may be contaminated soil, you know, don't you don't track the soil into your house.
74:02
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: And I think an overall focus on on pathways and sort of the, sort of, you know, the factors that that are most likely to lead to lead exposure are really important here and we don't want to undermine other work to promote local food production and
74:21
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: food security,
74:22
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: while we're also promoting
74:24
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: lead-safe practices. So, we've got to find ways to balance those things and I'd encourage EPA to look at that in as it finalizes this strategy and considers those nexus of factors that may lead to greater numbers of people growing food in soil that may
74:46
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: be contaminated with lead.
74:48
*Damon Yakovleff, Cumberland County: So thank you very much for hosting this again and I'll look forward to seeing the strategy as it moves forward through the process.
84:53
[Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Project] *Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Yes, I am. Thank you. Thank you. Um, so my name is Liz Colon. I have been--
85:02
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: I have been with the Childhood Lead Action Project for 26 of its 30 years. We are based in Providence, Rhode Island. And we are an organization-- a nonprofit organization that is fully devoted to advocacy, education, and parent support dealing with lead
85:24
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: poisoning prevention.
85:26
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Um, over the last, I don't know how many years when I got involved in the very early 90s after my son was hospitalized for lead poisoning. Um, a lot of things have changed the lead levels have dropped a little bit.
85:42
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Um, testing has increased.
85:45
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: But there are so many things that have not changed.
85:50
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: And a few of the things that I just wanted to bring up. Um, I just wanted to talk a couple of minutes about being proactive. So Rhode Island has been very proactive in their approach to lead hazard mitigation, as well as lead hazard reduction, but lead
86:07
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: hazards are still badly needed, and because of the housing crisis and COVID, and you know, children being home, and not in school, a lot of issues have come into play in regards to just the practices and the programs, and a lot of people and a lot of
86:27
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: children have been overlooked. One particular population, um, I know that when we work with is the refugee population. And that continues to be a problem.
86:47
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: The number of kids poisoned and the rate of kids poisoned has actually gone up since the pandemic has started. Two things that I really picked up on, and I think that all of you can relate to this, are that still unsafe work practices continue to be an ongoing issue in regards to our RRP
86:58
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: and in regards to pre-'78 structures especially where I come from in Rhode Island so in New England.
87:06
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: You know we have a long standing history of very old housing structures and that continues to be a huge issue. Lead pipe replacements are also a big issue for us.
87:18
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: We continue to see children with elevated blood lead, because of partial lead line replacements and I know recently, the EPA has looked at some comments in regards to changing that but it's long overdue.
87:31
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: And it's time to finally put your money where the mouth is, and get this done. We have a lot of good ideas. We have a lot of plans, but we really need to have one cohesive plan that is going to take care of all of these pieces so we can finally get the
87:48
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: job done.
87:49
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Childhood lead poisoning has been an epidemic in Rhode Island, and is the long -- well not even in Rhode Island, across the US -- and it's the longest running childhood epidemic in U.S. history.
88:01
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: It's a huge problem. And we need to make sure that we address this issue, and that we are protecting children, and not causing additional harm.
88:12
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Lastly, I just wanted to quickly say that in regards to some of the supplemental provisions in the use of eligible funds that are going to be needed for water because the Biden administration supports this so much is essential to finally, once and for all,
88:31
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: closing this gap and making permanent sustainable change.
88:38
*Liz Colon, Childhood Lead Action Network: Thank you.
88:59
[Miki Barnes, Private Citizen] *Miki Barnes: I believe I am unmuted. You pronounced my name exactly right. And I want to state my appreciation for hearing my comments on this lead issue. I will focus on
89:16
*Miki Barnes: leaded aviation fuel.
89:18
*Miki Barnes: And what I'm going to do is to read, part of a letter. It was written by four California representatives-- Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo, Ro Khanna, and Jimmy Panetta, and it was sent to the Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg.
89:41
*Miki Barnes: They are anticipating a meeting with-- with the Transportation Secretary tomorrow to discuss the concerns raised in this letter.
89:52
*Miki Barnes: The letter, very, um in a very detailed way demonstrates the disproportionate impact of lead pollution on minority and low income communities. So now I'm going to start reading from the letter.
90:08
*Miki Barnes: 'As members of Congress representing the residents of Santa Clara County, California. We write to express our grave concerns regarding the harms of unleaded aviation gasoline and the Federal Aviation Administration's lack of cooperation with local governments,
90:26
*Miki Barnes: such as the county of Santa Clara, to protect low income communities of color from lead poisoning.
90:38
*Miki Barnes: Lead exposure from AV gas is an environmental justice crisis. We urge you to make nationwide elimination of leaded AV gas a priority, and to instruct the FAA to take the necessary actions to support efforts by local governments, like Santa Clara County, to protect vulnerable communities from exposure, rather than interfering
90:58
*Miki Barnes: with these efforts.'
91:01
*Miki Barnes: Now I'm going to move further into the letter... 'over 60% of the fifty highest admitting airports are located in communities with larger racial minority populations than the national average.
91:16
*Miki Barnes: Reid-Hillview airport in Santa Clara County, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation, embodies this trend. Of the 52,000 people living within 1.5 miles of the airport, 97%, identify as non-white and 79% speak a primary language other
91:39
*Miki Barnes: than English at home.
91:41
*Miki Barnes: A recent peer reviewed study found that children living nearby the airport, experienced blood lead level increases on par with, or even worse than, those found at the height of the Flint water crisis.'
91:56
*Miki Barnes: So that's the end of what I'm going to read, for now, but I do want to comment that if you take a look at the budget. The amount of money the FAA spends on these general aviation airports, and it's, you know, tens of millions of dollars, and you redirect
92:15
*Miki Barnes: that money to addressing this lead-- lead exposure and toxicity in the air, in the water, in the soil, we can begin addressing this issue without concerns about where the money's going to come from.
92:32
*Miki Barnes: So thank you so very much I appreciate it, and I appreciate the EPA for making this up opportunity available.

Comments in Private Chat
[Anonymous] Whole of government - include Water districts and Fire Districts. Allow testing, at 1 ppt to determine where to replace water valves and lines.
[Anonymous] My suggestions are:
Ensure the entire lead pipe and service line is replaced during system updates and maintenance. Revise protocols and local ordinances to ensure that all units in multifamily housing are made lead-safe when a child with a BLL greater than or equal to their RV is identified in any unit. Work with nonprofit and advocacy groups to advocate for increased resources for lead hazard abatement. Work with refugee resettlement agencies to ensure that families are placed in lead-safe housing and children have BLL tests. Work with local public housing authorities to ensure that properties with rental subsidies comply with lead-safe regulations. Work with local code enforcement and building departments to ensure that renovation of older homes is done safely.

