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Military Lead Exposure Deemed Hazardous by New Report

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin says a new report shows military exposure to lead is a health hazard.

Cardin says a new report by the National Academy of Science shows lead from ammunition fired on military ranges in the past five years has frequently exceeded federal limits. And the report issued Monday said the decades-old limits are not enough to protect the health of those at the ranges.

Cardin told The Baltimore Sun (http://bsun.md/TztkYT) that the report shows lead exposure at firing ranges such as the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County is a health hazard.

The Pentagon asked for the report to assess whether it should continue to rely on standards for lead exposure that were set in 1978 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.