Elevated levels of lead were found in the soil of several playgrounds and athletic fields throughout Philadelphia. Many of these locations were found to be in close proximity to former lead smelting factory sites. Children playing in close-proximity to lead-contaminated soil are at risk of ingesting lead particles that could cause damage to the brain and developmental problems that could last a lifetime.

Federal regulations currently consider a soil-lead hazard to be present in a play area when the soil-lead concentration is greater than 400 parts per million (ppm). However, in 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revised their recommended screening level for the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil in residential areas to 200 ppm. In an effort to reduce our children’s exposure to lead-contaminated soil, my legislation would lower the acceptable limit of lead in playgrounds and athletic fields to 200 ppm. This reduction will assist in helping families to keep their children safe and healthy.

In 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection updated the blood lead reference value (BLRV), used to identify high levels of lead in children’s bloodstreams. The BLRV is not a toxicity threshold, but rather a population-based measurement—and it now indicates that 2.5% of children in the U.S. aged 1-5 have higher levels of lead in their blood compared to the levels present in most children.

Please join me by co-sponsoring this important legislation that would ensure the safety of our children.