Health groups call on RFK, Jr. to restore fired staff in lead prevention, other environmental health programs

A group of organizations submitted a letter today calling for the restoration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) division that manages childhood lead prevention and other forms of environmental health risk.

The letter was sent to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Dr. Susan Monarez, President Trump's nominee to lead the CDC, by 15 public health, medical, consumer, and environmental organizations, who highlighted the important work of the division in preventing lead poisoning and other toxic element exposures, food safety, radiation, and other environmental health threats.

"Secretary Kennedy has pledged to clean up our food supply and Make America Healthy Again," wrote the groups, saying "[t]he eliminated division is critical to that effort because it helps states solve outbreaks and prevent exposure to environmental health threats."

The groups highlighted that a team within the eliminated division helped solve a nationwide lead poisoning outbreak in children caused by imported cinnamon applesauce that had apparently been intentionally adulterated by adding lead chromate. But that same team was unable to help the city of Milwaukee solve an outbreak of lead poisoning in schools after the division was eliminated as part of a mass firing on April 1.

Secretary Kennedy previously stated that up to 20 percent of the April firings were mistakes and would be reversed. In a press event on April 3, the Secretary stated his belief that the lead program was among those mistakes and would be reinstated. A spokesperson from HHS subsequently reported that the lead poisoning work would be included in the Secretary's new "Administration for a Healthy America."

But the letter today points to leaked budget documents indicating that agency leadership may still be considering eliminating the CDC's lead poisoning work, as well as a national lead exposure registry, rather than moving the team to the new AHA. The groups also express concern that work at the new Administration may not begin for months or years.

"Failing to restore the division in the short-term leaves Americans exposed," state the groups. "If we hope to make Americans healthy, the first step in this work must be getting the environmental health teams that were mistakenly fired on April 1st back at their jobs."

"Secretary Kennedy talks a lot about getting toxic material out of our food," said Sarah Sorscher, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Actually cleaning up our food and water takes real work. These are the people who do that work. Firing this team was clearly a mistake, and it's just common sense that when you make a mistake, you correct it."

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Tags

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Trump

Topics

• Government Accountability
• Food Safety

Contact Info: Lisa Flores, 202-777-8368 or Jeff Cronin, 202-777-8370