A recent study spanning 20 years estimates that around 400,000 deaths in the United States are in some way attributable to lead exposure. Lead is a well-known, highly toxic heavy metal that can cause severe health problems for those exposed to it. Even low levels of lead exposure can result in damage to the brain, nervous system, renal system (kidneys) and reproductive system.
Until the 1970s, lead use was widespread in pipes, paint, cosmetics, ceramics and other consumer products. Over the past 50 years, OSHA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal and state partners have worked together to eliminate or drastically reduce exposure to lead. Through increased awareness, better identification in at-risk populations and increased access to blood lead level (BLL) testing, blood lead levels have declined by more than 90 percent since the mid-1970s.
However, the lead problem still persists. One of the primary ways Americans are exposed to lead is through drinking water. Although the government banned any new use of lead-containing paint or piping 35 years ago, between six and ten million homes, schools and businesses still receive their water from lead service lines. According to recent EPA data, almost 13 million people consume water with lead levels that exceed the federal threshold.
President Biden made lead a top environmental priority during his term, allocating nearly $18 billion of funding to replace all lead pipes in 10 years. Since 2022, communities across the nation have been using that funding to replace lead water pipes and work towards meeting the ambitious goal. Michigan has replaced 20,000 service lines, New Jersey has replaced 18,000 and Iowa 1,300, just to name a few. In Columbus, Ohio, 2,100 pipes have been replaced and the city reports they’re on track to replace over 5,000 a year as the program ramps up.
Unfortunately, ushering in a new administration has left experts uncertain about how this initiative might progress. Recent large-scale layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s entire lead poisoning office—have raised concerns among public health experts. In a recent statement, an HHS spokesperson said the agency plans to continue the lead poisoning branch’s work under its new Administration for a Healthy America division, but no lead poisoning staff were reinstated.
State water officials are also reporting delays in funding and worry that Biden-era grants were frozen or terminated under the new administration. When questioned about the delays, EPA officials claimed there wasn’t a reason for lead pipe replacement funding to be withheld, and that EPA Regions would be directed to issue funding to states as soon as possible so they can continue remediation projects.
While lead efforts aimed at the public have ramped up in recent years, workers haven’t been provided the same level of protection. Lead exposure is too common in construction, where lead-based paints, pipes and other materials are often used. Federal OSHA’s current lead exposure standard was set in 1978 and has never been updated despite decades of new research, potentially leaving workers vulnerable to levels of lead exposure well beyond what’s considered safe.
Given how much we know about the dangers of lead and how to avoid being exposed to it, it’s unacceptable that workers can still be overexposed today. The Fund has been a vocal supporter of stronger lead standards at both the federal and state level, and will continue to call on OSHA to modernize an incredibly outdated rule.
In good news, last year—aided by testimony from several LIUNA affiliates—California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) updated and strengthened its state lead standard. Cal/OSHA’s standard currently sits as the most protective lead rule in the U.S. For more information on how California’s standard differs from its federal counterpart, check out the chart.
“There’s no excuse for any worker to be overexposed to lead in this day and age. The dangers of lead are well-documented, and we have the knowledge and tools to protect workers effectively. California provides an excellent blueprint for a protective lead standard, and we hope other states and Federal OSHA follow suit,” said Travis Parsons, the LHSFNA’s Director of Occupational Safety & Health.
There are steps employers can take to protect workers even in the absence of a federal standard. Employers should follow the hierarchy of controls and take steps to minimize lead exposure well before the action level is reached. For help on how to reduce lead exposures on your jobsite, reach out to the Occupational Safety & Health Division.
[Hannah Sabitoni]
