EPA awards La. lead-paint grant

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) a $189,805 grant for lead paint programs. LDEQ will use the grant for administration and enforcement of lead-based paint programs, including the training of workers involved in lead-based paint abatement, accrediting trainers, certifying contractors, and establishing workplace standards in housing built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. Lead-based paint can still be present in homes, schools, and workplaces built before 1978. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Children six years old and younger are most susceptible, which include behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, and anemia. (Source: US EPA 11/19/18)