, Columnist
Environmental Regulation Makes America Great
Before there was climate-change denialism, there was lead-paint denialism.
Who is opposed to safe drinking water?
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As the Donald Trump administration ratchets up a multi-pronged attack on federal regulations, with two dozen environmental rules rolled back in Trump's first 100 days, it's worth recalling why many regulations exist in the first place. The story of Herbert Needleman is instructive.
Needleman was a doctor whose breakthrough research documented the effects of childhood exposure to low levels of lead. He gave rewards to kids who saved their lost teeth for him. Then he tested those teeth for lead.