WASHINGTON (Dec. 6, 2023)--The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed a plan that would require most US cities to replace lead pipes that carry tap water within 10 years. The EPA says there are an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines in the US that deliver public water to cities across the country. The public health risk associated with lead was at play in Flint, Michigan where many residents, including children, were exposed to lead in the drinking water.
The George Washington University has experts who can discuss the EPA’s proposal and its impact. To arrange an interview contact Shannon Mitchell, shannon [dot] mitchell
gwu [dot] edu (shannon[dot]mitchell[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmanngwu [dot] edu.
Emily Benfer, Associate Professor of Clinical Law; Director of the Health Equity Policy & Advocacy Clinic at the George Washington University Law School. Benfer is a nationally recognized expert in advocacy and clinic practice in the areas of health justice, housing policy, environmental law, and access to justice. Her clinic practice and research focus on the intersection of social determinants of health, racial inequity, and poverty with an emphasis on housing and eviction law and policy.
Lynn R. Goldman, Dean of the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, is a pediatrician, epidemiologist and environmental health expert. She formerly served as the Assisstant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the EPA, where she oversaw the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. She can discuss the health consequences of lead exposure, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and the EPA’s current proposal.
Maria Jose Talayero-Schettino, a researcher at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, can talk about the public health benefits of the EPA’s proposal to remove lead pipes. She says lead is known to cause a variety of health problems and is particularly dangerous for children. She says lead exposure from lead pipes or other sources can cause irreversible damage to a child’s nervous system. Talayero-Schettino was the lead author of a recent study that linked pediatric lead exposure to an increased risk of criminal behavior later in life. Talayero-Schettino talks about the study’s findings and the harms of lead exposure in this video.
