EPA to overhaul rule on testing for lead contamination

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed an overhaul of a decades-old rule on testing for lead contamination in drinking water. The agency is touting the new guidelines as a significant step to reduce the presence of lead in the nation's drinking water supply and as evidence of the Trump administration's commitment to ensuring clean water across the U.S. But critics say the changes will actually slow down the process of removing lead from cities' water systems. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler rolled out the proposed rule, which the agency says is the first "major" overhaul of the Lead and Copper Rule since 1991, during an event in Green Bay, Wis., on Thursday afternoon. “By improving protocols for identifying lead, expanding sampling, and strengthening treatment requirements, our proposal would ensure that more water systems proactively take actions to prevent lead exposure, especially in schools, child care facilities, and the most at-risk communities.” Critics, though, are pushing back on the agency's claims, arguing that the changes may actually slow progress on removing lead from water...MORE