One of the most gripping stories in Sandra Steingraber's Having Faith was in its chapter on lead. In the 1920s, paint industry executives lied to Congress. They had data on the impact of lead exposure in childhood; they knew that the effects appeared over time. But they cited the short-term studies, the ones where they collected data before the problems kicked in. "Look at these results," they said. "It's not that lead paint makes children stupid; it's that stupid children eat lead paint." The use of lead paint in this country continued for more than 50 years.
I think about this exchange more often than you might guess, because my house was built in the 1920s. There is lead in the exterior paint, and there is lead in the soil around the house where paint chips have fallen for almost a hundred years, and if I am not careful about cleaning then there also is lead on my floors. My kids are fine. If you never wear shoes inside, and always wear shoes outside, and always wash hands when you come inside, and take precautions with any exterior work, then lead contamination is a manageable problem. But it is an ongoing hassle, and an ongoing extra expense, and I am always mindful of the kids who are not so lucky.
The American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to Scott Pruitt, Surprisingly Orange and Bushy-Tailed Henhouse Guardian director of the EPA. In it they expressed alarm at Pruitt's plan to permit ongoing use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, a known neurotoxicant. Pruitt, however, seems more interested in industry handwaving. We can't really be sure that it's problematic, you see. Maybe stupid children eat chlorpyrifos.
This is a pro-life issue, because caring about unborn babies means minimizing their exposure to chemicals that will damage their brains and raise the odds that they will die in utero. This is an environmental stewardship issue, because chlorpyrifos places endangered species at risk as well. This is an issue for anyone who cares about cost containment and lower taxes, because it is a whole lot more expensive to educate children with damaged brains and in this country -- at least for now -- every child has the right to a free and appropriate public education.
Scott Pruitt is not an elected official, so he cannot feel the pressure of constituent phone calls in the same way that my congressman does. But let's call him anyway. They got it wrong in the 1920s, listening to industry executives instead of actual facts, and kids are still paying the price. Let's do it better this time around.
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