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.
The EPA move, first disclosed in documents provided by an agency whistle-blower, has prompted angry questions from Democrats in Congress, the attorneys general of New York and Illinois, and public health advocates around the country.
"It is another sign that [this administration] will not take action that will raise cost to industry even when it deals with one of the nation's top public health concerns," said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which received documents about the EPA's voluntary approach from an agency whistle-blower this spring.
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