Industry Friendly Appointments to Lead Panel

Congressional Democrats accuse the Bush Administration of stacking the Center for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention with "individuals who are affiliated or openly sympathetic with the views of the lead industry." Their report "Turning Lead Into Gold: How the Bush Administration is Poisoning the Lead Advisory Committee at the CDC" details recent changes to the panel, noting the removal or rejection of several academic experts on lead poisoning. The Advisory Committee reviews scientific data and assesses CDC policies on lead poisoning prevention, including blood lead level limits, which are then used to identify at-risk children and determine remediation work.