EPA Programs & Laws to Reduce Lead Exposure

Since the 1970s, EPA has worked alongside partners at the federal, state, Tribal, and local government levels to make considerable progress in reducing lead exposures and lead-related health risks. Despite great improvements over the last 50 years, ongoing exposures to lead in the environment – including where our families live, work, and play – present a health risk to many people nationwide, especially children.

The information and resources on this page are wide-ranging, highlighting key EPA programs and efforts that focus on reducing lead exposures and lead-related health risks.

Background

EPA's Role in Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead laws and regulations in the United States have evolved significantly over the past 50 years, due to increasing awareness of the health hazards associated with lead exposure. The federal government first took substantial action in 1971 with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, aimed at reducing lead exposure in federally funded housing projects. The phase out of lead in automobile gasoline beginning in 1973 further reduced national lead exposure.

EPA plays a pivotal role in lead poisoning prevention through a variety of regulatory measures and enforcement actions aimed at reducing exposure to various environmental media contaminated with lead, such as dust, air, water, and soil.

Paint and Dust: Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) created a national program to achieve the goal of eliminating lead-based paint hazards from housing. It directs EPA to establish regulations that identify lead-based paint hazards, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated soil. Through these regulations, EPA mandates lead-safe work practices in renovations of pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities like childcare centers, pre-schools, and kindergartens.
Air: The Clean Air Act (CAA) targeted lead emissions from industrial sources and phased out lead in automobile gasoline, significantly reducing airborne lead levels.
Water: The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) include programs to prevent lead contamination in drinking water and surface water.
Soil: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates the disposal of lead-containing waste, ensuring safe management, while the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) facilitates the cleanup of contaminated sites, including those with lead pollution. Additionally, under Title IV of TSCA, EPA is required to identify hazard standards for lead-contaminated soil.

These actions have significantly contributed to declining blood lead levels over time.

Lead poisoning prevention policies that have reduced median concentrations of blood lead in U.S. children ages 1 to 5 years, 1976-2020

Find more information about the history of lead poisoning prevention actions at EPA.

Highlighted EPA Programs and Efforts

Reducing Exposures from Lead-Based Paint

A door and frame with peeling lead paint.

Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as well as other authorities in the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, directs EPA to regulate lead-based paint hazards. Lead‐based paint is defined as paint or other surface coatings with lead levels greater than or equal to 1.0 milligram per centimeter squared or more than 0.5 percent by weight.

Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program: The RRP program requires that firms engaged in renovation, repair and painting activities in homes or child-occupied facilities like childcare centers, pre-schools, and kindergartens built prior to 1978 be trained and certified in lead-safe work practices and use these work practices to guard against lead contamination. They are also required to provide information on lead safety prior to beginning work. States, Tribes, and territories may – upon approval – receive authorization and related funding to carry out and enforce the program with the support and oversight of EPA.
Real Estate Disclosures: EPA’s Lead-based Paint Disclosure Rule informs potential buyers and renters of the presence of lead in housing built prior to 1978. Potential buyers and renters must receive certain information about known lead and lead hazards in the residence prior to becoming obligated to buy or rent. In addition, potential buyers can have 10 days to have a certified inspector or risk assessor check for lead. Sellers, landlords, property managers, and real estate agents are responsible for compliance.
Lead-Based Paint Activities Program: The Lead-Based Paint Activities Program provides a framework for lead abatement, risk assessment, and inspections by accrediting qualified training providers, certifying individuals, and providing information and compliance assistance to the regulated community. Those performing these services are required to be trained and certified by EPA or an authorized state. States, Tribes, and territories may – upon approval – receive authorization and related funding to carry out and enforce the program with the support and oversight of EPA.
Dust Lead Reportable Levels and Dust-Lead Action Levels: These standards are used to identify dust-lead hazards and determine when an abatement is complete in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities like childcare centers, pre-schools, and kindergartens.
- Dust-lead reportable levels are any level of lead in dust that can be measured by an EPA-recognized laboratory and provide the basis for risk assessors to determine whether dust-lead hazards are present during a risk assessment or a lead hazard screen.
- Dust-lead action levels are used – following a risk assessment or a lead hazard screen – to determine both when EPA recommends abatement work and when an abatement can be considered complete within EPA's lead-based paint program.
- Following an abatement, testing is then required to ensure dust-lead levels are below the dust-lead action levels before the abatement can be considered complete.
Soil Lead Hazard Standards: These standards are used to identify soil-lead hazards in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities like childcare centers, pre-schools, and kindergartens. They provide the basis for risk assessors to determine whether soil-lead hazards are present during a risk assessment or a lead hazard screen. These levels are used to determine when EPA recommends abatement or other lead-hazard control work.
National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP): NLLAP defines the minimum requirements and abilities that a laboratory must meet to attain EPA recognition as an accredited lead testing laboratory. EPA established NLLAP to recognize laboratories that demonstrate the ability to accurately analyze paint chips, dust, or soil samples for lead.

Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to establish national requirements (or National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs)) for contaminants in drinking water that may have adverse health effects. An NPDWR consists of either a maximum contaminant level or treatment technique requirements to prevent adverse health effects from the contaminant. EPA, states, and tribes then work together to make sure that public water systems meet these standards.

Lead and Copper Rule: The Lead and Copper Rule is an NPDWR consisting of treatment technique requirements to reduce lead and copper in drinking water. The regulations require systems to take actions to address lead in source water and lead that leaches into drinking water from plumbing materials such as lead solder, faucets, and service lines – the pipes carrying drinking water from water mains into buildings. The regulations require water systems to conduct monitoring, install treatment to control the corrosivity of water, replace service lines that contain lead, and provide consumers with public education.
Lead in Drinking Water Assistance: Several EPA programs support water systems and states with planning and conducting projects to reduce lead in drinking water – including funding sources – such as through the:
EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance (Real WaterTA) provides services to communities to help assess and implement solutions for their drinking water, sewage, and stormwater needs. These services include the Get the Lead Out Initiative that helps states and communities nationwide to access water infrastructure funding and identify and remove lead pipes.
Use of Lead-Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water: EPA’s Lead-Free rule implements the SDWA prohibition on the use of lead pipes, solder, and flux in new installations and repairs of pipes and plumbing that provides water for human consumption. The rule also implements the SDWA prohibition on the introduction into commerce of plumbing materials that do not meet the SDWA definition of “lead-free.” The rule requires most manufacturers and importers to obtain third party certification that their products meet the definition of “lead-free.”

The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. Under the CWA, EPA implements pollution control programs – such as setting wastewater standards for industry – and develops national water quality criteria recommendations for pollutants in surface waters.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): The CWA prohibits anyone from discharging pollutants, including lead, through a point source into a water of the United States unless they have an NPDES permit. NPDES permits contain technology-based limits on what a permittee may discharge and, where necessary, any more stringent limitation to meet water quality standards to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people's health. EPA has issued some nationally applicable technology-based regulations that expressly include limits on lead or limit lead indirectly by limiting other toxic pollutants.
Water Quality Criteria Recommendations: EPA conducts research to develop water quality criteria recommendations that state, territorial, and Tribal programs can use to set water quality standards. EPA has issued national recommended criteria for lead with respect to aquatic life, but not with respect to human health.
Fish Consumption Advisories: EPA develops guidance and reports to support programs that monitor fish and shellfish for contaminants, conduct fish consumption surveys, and issue advisories.

Cleaning Up Land Contaminated with Lead

Lead cleanup activities at a Superfund site

EPA’s land cleanup programs clean up soil contaminated with lead at sites that pose a threat to human health and the environment under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Generally, Superfund cleanups address legacy contamination through short-term removal actions or long-term remedial cleanups, while RCRA corrective actions address contamination at facilities that manage hazardous waste.

Lead at Superfund Sites: Superfund cleanup of the most highly lead-contaminated soil — combined with education and activities to address other lead sources — has proven to be an effective part of an overall strategy for reducing blood-lead levels in children. EPA has identified sites through the Superfund National Priorities List and Superfund Alternative Approach where lead is a contaminant of concern.
Hazardous Waste Cleanup (Corrective Action): The RCRA Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program addresses contamination at facilities that manage hazardous waste. Facilities subject to RCRA corrective action include current and former chemical manufacturing plants, oil refineries, lead smelters, wood preservers, steel mills, commercial landfills, federal facilities, and a variety of other types of entities.
Lead in Brownfields: Generally, brownfields are properties that contain or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant, complicating efforts to expand, redevelop or reuse them. The Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, Tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.

Reducing Lead Levels in Air

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act (CAA) in 1970, EPA and its federal partners have phased out lead in on-highway automobile gasoline and dramatically reduced lead releases to the air from industrial facilities. As a result, lead emissions have decreased more than 99%, and levels of lead in the air have also dropped significantly. The agency’s air research program continues to support efforts to monitor and assess lead levels in the air and protect people from potential exposures and associated health risks.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Lead: EPA is required to set NAAQS for six criteria air pollutants, one of which is lead, to protect public health. As required by the Clean Air Act, EPA periodically reviews the NAAQS for lead in air and the underlying science and considers whether revisions to the standards are appropriate based on current, relevant science and information.
National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for Lead: The Clean Air Act requires EPA to regulate hazardous air pollutants – also known as air toxics – from large industrial facilities. Hazardous air pollutants are those known to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects. NESHAPs for lead include industrial facilities such as Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Area Sources, Primary Lead Processing, and Secondary Lead Smelting.
Mobile Source Regulations and Programs: EPA sets regulations and runs voluntary programs to reduce pollution from mobile sources (vehicles, engines, fuels, and equipment, including nonroad sources like aircraft). Under the Clean Air Act, EPA began phasing out lead in on-highway automobile gasoline in 1973 and completed the phase-out in 1996.

Pollution Information and Prevention

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI): Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), certain facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed toxic chemicals are required to annually report releases to the environment and pollution prevention and recycling data. Lead and lead compounds are listed as a single reporting category under the TRI program.
Battery Collection Best Practices and Battery Labeling Guidelines: When batteries are discarded in household trash or curbside recycling, critical materials inside batteries are lost and cannot be recycled into new batteries. EPA conducted widespread outreach to learn about the current state of battery recycling and labeling efforts around the United States and is currently developing a report to Congress that will identify existing best practices, describe the current state of battery collection, and lay out EPA’s next steps.

Research and Data

Researcher taking measurements in the lab

EPA research strengthens the scientific basis for agency lead-related regulatory and cleanup decisions and targets key science needs identified by EPA’s programs and regions, as well as states, Tribes, and territories. EPA also supports the Federal Lead Action Plan by supporting and conducting critical research to inform efforts to reduce lead exposure and related health risks.

EPA Support to Community Health: The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) are a network of pediatricians, nurses, health educators and other health professionals with expertise in the prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of health issues that arise from environmental exposures, from preconception through adolescence. They are co-funded by EPA and CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Lead is one of the top environmental exposures for which they receive consultative requests from clinicians, public health officials, and others. In addition, the PEHSUs have developed many outreach and educational resources for parents, caregivers, and others to help reduce children’s exposure to lead.
EPA Lead Research: EPA researchers and their collaborators publish research results in a host of peer-reviewed scientific journals and reports. Recent publications target several priority lead research areas, including blood lead level modeling and mapping, child and adult soil and dust ingestion rates, lead and drinking water exposures and controls, and EPA and cross-federal agency coordination to reduce lead exposure. Much of this research is community-centered, and agency scientists provide direct technical assistance to utilities, communities, states, and other partners to address urgent and emerging lead contamination events. Recent examples include technical support for lead plumbing replacement and water filtration, lead contamination in residential soils, and lead-contaminated dust in homes.
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Lead: The Clean Air Act requires EPA to periodically review the science for six major air pollutants – including lead – and prepare ISAs summarizing and evaluating the science related to the human health and welfare effects caused by major air pollutants. ISAs provide a comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of the policy-relevant science providing the scientific basis for EPA’s review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead. EPA released the Integrated Science Assessment for Lead Final Report in January 2024.
Lead Exposure and Biokinetic Models: EPA researchers are advancing efforts to develop, apply, and deliver a suite of models that meet the specific needs of environmental risk assessors, contaminated site managers, public health officials, local communities, and other agency partners. The models simulate human exposures, intake, and uptake of lead from multiple environmental sources and estimate blood lead concentrations for scenario-specific analyses at local and national scales.
Current efforts focus on updating and applying models that address priority concerns, including lead exposure risks from aging water infrastructure, contaminated soil and dust from past industrial practices, and conducting lead exposure risk assessments to meet cleanup goals and better protect children and other vulnerable populations.
Data Mapping to Identify High Lead Exposure Risk Locations in the U.S.: EPA researchers work collaboratively with federal and state partners through innovative science-based approaches to identify and address locations with high lead exposures. This work includes generating data, maps, and mapping tools to identify high exposure communities or locations and disparities for prioritization efforts to reduce children’s blood lead levels. Identifying locations with the highest percentage of elevated blood lead levels and the contributing sources and exposures can assist with prioritizing actions to reduce, prevent, and mitigate lead exposure risk (as called for in the Federal Lead Action Plan).