The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. April 7, 2017 EPA to Slash Programs Aimed at Preventing Lead Poisoning -------------------------------------------------------- In environmental news, the EPA plans to slash funding to programs aimed at protecting children and pregnant women from exposure to lead-a neurotoxin known to cause brain damage. The Washington Post reports the move would eliminate 70 EPA jobs while cutting nearly $17 million from the programs, which provide public education about the dangers of lead, as well as training to lead remediation workers. An estimated 38 million U.S. homes contain lead-based paint, with lead poisoning hitting communities of color the hardest. .