ACTION ALERT ON LEAD PAINT
Sarah Bucic and Amy Roe have been working on a bill that would ban the use of lead-based paint on outdoor structures. Lead paint was banned nationwide for residential use in 1978, but it is still legal to use on outdoor structures. Lead paint can be found on water towers, bridges, fire hydrants and playground equipment.
They are very excited to announce that HB 456, which is sponsored by Rep. Jaques and Senator Hansen, passed the House Health and Human Development Committee on Wednesday, June 13. We could have a vote by the House as early as Tuesday, June 19. http://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=26820
Sarah and Amy have put together a list of 25 target Representatives who have not yet said that they support HB 456. Their emails are listed at the bottom of this email.
It would be a great help if you could take a few minutes to email each of these Representatives before Tuesday and ask them to vote YES on HB 456.
If one of these Representatives happens to be your Rep., it would great to include that fact in your email.
Lead paint talking points:
- Lead is very dangerous to public health. It is a neurotoxin and there is no safe level of exposure to lead.
- Because lead can hinder brain development, exposure is especially dangerous for children
- When lead paint chips, it creates dust, which when inhaled or ingested, can cause lead poisoning.
- The half life of lead in human bone is 27 years and becomes mobilized during pregnancy, so girls who are exposed to lead as children can pass their lead poisoning on to their own children when they grow up and become pregnant.
- Many outdoor structures are located extremely close to homes, parks and schools, where any dust from flaking paint can easily be inhaled or ingested by our kids.
For anyone who wants more information, click on the link below for a journal article published in 2015 in Frontiers in Public Health* about the need to ban lead in outdoor paint.
- Delaware should provide the same level of protection for Delaware kids from lead in outdoor paint as we have in place for residential paint.
StephanieT.Bolden@state.de.us
Helene.Keeley@state.de.us
Melanie.G.Smith@state.de.us
Debra.Heffernan@state.de.us
Bryon.Short@state.de.us
Quinton.Johnson@state.de.us
Kevin.Hensley@state.de.us
Helene.Keeley@state.de.us
Melanie.G.Smith@state.de.us
Debra.Heffernan@state.de.us
Bryon.Short@state.de.us
Quinton.Johnson@state.de.us
Kevin.Hensley@state.de.us
