Senate Resolution to Tackle Global Lead Exposure Introduced: Pure Earth Raises Awareness on the Issue with U.S. Policymakers

This post is from Mark Engman, Pure Earth Director of Policy and Advocacy. 

Over the past year, Pure Earth has intensified its efforts to build awareness with governments, in particular the U.S. Government, about the scale and impact of global lead poisoning.

These efforts, building on Pure Earth’s lead poisoning research, expertise and in-country presence, are making a difference. The latest evidence of impact is the announcement of a new Senate resolution calling on the United States to invest in ending toxic lead exposure globally.  The resolution recognizes lead’s effects on human health, especially to children, and urges the U.S. Government’s international programs to prioritize lead exposure prevention to ensure a safer and healthier future for all children.

Pure Earth met with Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff in summer 2023 to share evidence of the scale and impact of global lead poisoning, and Pure Earth’s proven lead poisoning prevention efforts. The policymakers were very concerned about the risks of lead pollution globally to U.S. international interests, and to U.S. children, because pollution knows no boundaries.  In October 2023, they proposed a Senate resolution to raise awareness about the issue.  Pure Earth provided significant suggestions and references to help make the resolution draft more accurate and compelling.

After several months of editing and consultation, the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Ben Cardin, finally introduced the resolution on April 18, 2024.  We appreciate Chairman Cardin’s leadership, and applaud Sens. Duckworth, Booker, Merkley and Van Hollen for joining as cosponsors.

This is another example of remarkable progress over the past year on the U.S. Government’s approach to lead poisoning, including USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s momentous announcement committing the agency to lead poisoning prevention earlier this year.  U.S. policymakers increasingly understand how lead pollution globally is a threat to U.S. interests abroad, and to children at home.

Pure Earth is proud of its important role in educating U.S. policymakers on the scale and impact of global lead poisoning, and pushing for action on lead poisoning prevention.  We have the U.S. Government’s attention – now we need that attention to turn into increased support for developing countries’ efforts to end lead pollution and childhood lead poisoning.