Federal Aid for Lead Cleanup Is Receding. That’s a Problem for Cash-Strapped Cities. By Halle Parker, Verite News March 3, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/lead-pipes-soil-cleanup-new-orleans-benton-harbor-michigan-indianapolis-rhode-island/ KFF Health News: Federal Aid For Lead Cleanup Is Receding. That’s A Problem For Cash-Strapped Cities Tighter regulations and an influx of federal money in recent years have helped communities across the U.S. initiate efforts to clean up lead contamination in soil, drinking water, and older homes. But Congress and the Trump administration have partially rolled back those rules and resources, potentially making it more challenging for cash-strapped cities and towns to undertake sweeping lead remediation programs. That’s the case in New Orleans, where an investigation by Verite News found high lead levels in about half of the playgrounds on city property and found detectable levels of the toxic metal in most homes that tested their drinking water in a voluntary program. (Parker, 3/3)