The
Los Angeles Times tells us that:
The Environmental Protection Agency has quietly delayed work on completing required rules to protect children and construction workers from exposure to lead-based paint, exploring instead the possibility of using voluntary standards to govern building renovations and remodeling.
What makes this such a great idea is the track record big developers and contractors already have of voluntarily regulating themselves.
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The EPA's own data show that 1.4 million children a year are threatened by lead-paint exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 400,000 children had dangerous levels of lead in their blood.
The reason for dragging their heels on these regs? They have an internal study showing that the cost of the regulations would come to $1.7 billion to $3.1 billion annually. A cost that falls primarily on their business cronies. But here's where it gets bizarre. According to the Times...
...an agency estimate showed that such rules would provide health benefits of greater value, from $2.7 billion to $4.2 billion annually.
So these shills for business lobbies can't even do the right thing when it
saves money. What's more, the EPA spokesperson, Eryn Witcher, comes shamelessly close to admitting that they favor business over kids:
"The EPA believes that one lead-contaminated child is too many," she said. "We are looking to identify an approach that meets the requirements of the law and at the same time is not unnecessarily burdensome on the industry."
Rep. Henry Waxman and Sen. Barbara Boxer have complained that the EPA's action, which was never announced publicly, breached federal toxic-substance laws. Sen. Barack Obama has also written the EPA, but was unsatisfied with their response.