PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The federal government must lead a national effort to eliminate lead paint dangers in housing. It must build the needed systems: teach the public, support State and local programs, and make sure there are certified inspectors, trained workers, contractors, laboratories, and available financing and insurance. Low-level lead poisoning affects as many as 3,000,000 children under age 6, and hits minority and low-income communities hardest. Even low exposure can lower IQ and cause reading, learning, hearing, attention, hyperactivity, and behavior problems. Homes built before 1980 contain over 3,000,000 tons of lead paint, and most homes built before 1950 have large amounts. Dust from peeling or worn lead paint is the main cause. About 3,800,000 homes are at risk. Removing lead paint or taking temporary steps to stop chipping and reduce dust can cut the danger. Federal response remains very limited despite laws from the early 1970s.

Title 42, §4851

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Congress finds that—

(1)low-level lead poisoning is widespread among American children, afflicting as many as 3,000,000 children under age 6, with minority and low-income communities disproportionately affected;

(2)at low levels, lead poisoning in children causes intelligence quotient deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, and behavior problems;

(3)pre-1980 American housing stock contains more than 3,000,000 tons of lead in the form of lead-based paint, with the vast majority of homes built before 1950 containing substantial amounts of lead-based paint;

(4)the ingestion of household dust containing lead from deteriorating or abraded lead-based paint is the most common cause of lead poisoning in children;

(5)the health and development of children living in as many as 3,800,000 American homes is endangered by chipping or peeling lead paint, or excessive amounts of lead-contaminated dust in their homes;

(6)the danger posed by lead-based paint hazards can be reduced by abating lead-based paint or by taking interim measures to prevent paint deterioration and limit children’s exposure to lead dust and chips;

(7)despite the enactment of laws in the early 1970’s requiring the Federal Government to eliminate as far as practicable lead-based paint hazards in federally owned, assisted, and insured housing, the Federal response to this national crisis remains severely limited; and

(8)the Federal Government must take a leadership role in building the infrastructure—including an informed public, State and local delivery systems, certified inspectors, contractors, and laboratories, trained workers, and available financing and insurance—necessary to ensure that the national goal of eliminating lead-based paint hazards in housing can be achieved as expeditiously as possible.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 102–550, title X, § 1001, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3897, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter and sections 2681 to 2692 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, amending section 1437f, 1437aaa–1, 1437aaa–2, 1471, 4822, 5305, 12705, 12742, 12872, 12873, 12892, and 12893 of this title, section 1703, 1709, and 1715l of Title 12, Banks and Banking, section 2606, 2610, 2612, 2615, 2616, 2618, and 2619 of Title 15, and section 671 of Title 29, Labor, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 2601 of Title 15] may be cited as the ‘Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992’.”

§4851 Findings

Summary

Title 42, §4851

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Citations & Metadata