Childhood Lead Prevention Advocates Applaud Newly Signed Law
Requires NJ regulations to be consistent with federal health agency

2/6/2017

Governor Chris Christie today signed into law a bill that would require New Jersey Department of Health regulations regarding elevated blood lead levels in children to be consistent with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.

The CDC regularly changes its reference level based on the recommendations of a panel of experts and scientific consensus. The bill signed by the governor has been a policy priority for community based organizations involved in childhood lead prevention efforts.

“We are glad the governor has finally acted on this issue, and made NJ’s practice consistent with the best available science,” said Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. “This is another tool in the toolbox to help us all stop this childhood health epidemic. We should not use children as lead detector.”

“The Healthy Schools Now coalition is heartened that NJ DOH regulations regarding elevated blood lead levels in children, and appropriate responses, will be made consistent with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations,” said Jerell Blakeley, campaign organizer for Healthy Schools Now with NJ Work Environment Council. “We applaud the legislature and governor for working together to ensure that the lead crisis in NJ, with its insidious impact on children, is addressed by using the most rigorous standards for testing and remediation.”

“There is no safe level of lead in the blood of our children, and this bill is another step to tackle the specter of the lead poisoning epidemic in New Jersey,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “Sadly, lead is still in our homes and in our drinking water, and we need to use the latest CDC standards to trigger more extensive lead remediation. A little bit of lead is still a dangerous thing. Gov. Christie did the right thing by signing this bill, but we still have a long way to go to ensure our children aren’t ingesting lead.”

For more information: Nina Arce
(609) 393-3752 x12
(609) 789-7900
Website: hcdnnj.org
Twitter site: twitter.com/hcdnnj
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