Debra H. Thomas
In our Denver area homes, we expect the tap water to run clean, to spend time relaxing in the yard, and for our children to learn to walk, steadying themselves on the walls or windowsills, without harm. Whether you rent or own your home—and regardless of your background, race, ethnicity, income, immigration status, zip code or spoken language—you are entitled to a space free of lead hazards.
Debra H. Thomas
About 3.3 million American households, including 2.1 million low-income households, have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. Children with elevated blood lead levels can experience delayed growth and development, damage to the brain and nervous system, learning and behavior problems, and other health-related problems. There is no safe blood lead level in children.
As Acting Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) here in Denver, I know the importance of reaching all members of our community in preventing childhood lead poisoning. If you are bilingual or speak Spanish or any language other than English exclusively in the home, we are committed to reaching and protecting you and those families who may be more vulnerable to lead poisoning due to language and other barriers.
Our new draft Fiscal Year 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan reflects this commitment. The plan includes an unprecedented strategic goal to advance environmental justice and civil rights. The strategies include considering children’s environmental health protection and strengthening partnerships, including early, meaningful involvement and on-the-ground engagement with communities. Furthermore, this year, we launched a Spanish-language website to cover lead, making available all in one place EPA’s Spanish-language resources for communities, families, contractors and renovators across the United States.
Paint, dust, soil and water are all potential sources of lead in and around the home. Older homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint. We at EPA are actively working in areas like Commerce City and North Denver to ensure that landlords provide tenants with lead disclosure requirements for leases of pre-1978 rental units. Additionally, if a contractor is working in your home, they must be certified under the lead renovation, repair and painting (RRP) rule, which states that contractors must be certified and trained in RRP lead-safe work practices if their work disturbs the paint in pre-1978 houses, apartments and child-occupied facilities. EPA Region 8 has settled eight enforcement cases in the last year, collecting over $80,000 in penalties from contractors not complying with lead paint safety measures. In order to ensure that we are reaching and certifying all contractors, we recently held an additional RRP certification course in the Denver area, all in Spanish. Make sure the contractor in your home is EPA lead-safe certified and report violations when you see them.
About 3.3 million American households, including 2.1 million low-income households, have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards.
Water remains a potential source of lead exposure throughout the United States due to aging lead drinking water service pipelines. Under an EPA-approved program, Denver Water is working to replace all lead drinking water service lines. The organization is prioritizing the replacement of lead service lines in communities with environmental justice concerns, using health equity and environmental justice principles to guide the program. Since 2020, they have removed over 8,600 lead service lines. Last year, Denver Water sent water pitchers, filters and replacement filters in the mail to all customers who may have a lead service line for use until six months after their lead service line has been replaced. It is important to make sure you correctly use the filter they’ve provided for all drinking and cooking to protect against lead exposure.
Preventing childhood lead poisoning takes all of us. This week, during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, we encourage Denver-area community members to access resources on epa.gov/lead or espanol.epa.gov/plomo to learn more about childhood lead poisoning prevention. Remember: Get the Facts – Find out about lead exposure and the hazards of lead. Get Your Home Tested – Find out how to minimize risks of lead exposure by hiring a certified professional to test older homes for lead. Get Your Child Tested – A simple blood test can detect lead. Consult your health care provider for advice on testing your children.
Debra H. Thomas serves as EPA’s acting regional administrator in Denver, overseeing the delivery of environmental programs in the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and 27 Tribal Nations.
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