Feds' Lead Plan Touches Minimally on CPSC

A December federal action plan on reducing childhood lead exposure includes actions for CPSC. However, those do not include recommendations for stricter regulation.

The three CPSC steps urged by the document involve:

• Continuing to enforce product content and paint limits.
• Continuing to enforce labeling requirements.
• "Working internationally" to improve foreign suppliers' compliance with CPSC lead-related regulations.

Only the third item suggests a need for increased or different CPSC activity and only implicitly. The language on "improve" also could be interpreted as staying the course. Overall, the CPSC section leans towards the vague.

However, the plan (bit.ly/2sko9WH) has other product safety elements involving items like cosmetics and personal care products. This includes concern about certain traditional cultural ingredients. Much of the plan targets legacy lead (pipes, paint, soil etc.) as well as worry about workplace take-home exposure of children.