A Trump administration proposal to revise the standard for controlling lead levels in drinking water includes what some observers say are modest improvements to the original regulation put in place in 1991. But critics contend that the provisions fall well short of what is needed to protect public health and could expose more people to lead for longer periods of time.
Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the proposed Long-term Lead and Copper Rule on Oct. 10 at an event in Green Bay, Wis. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the proposal “would ensure that more water systems proactively take actions to prevent lead exposure, especially in schools, child care facilities, and the most at-risk communities.”