Connecticut Senator Proposes Tax Credit To Help Homeowners Pay For Lead Removal
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- In the wake of the Flint water crisis, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy is introducing a new tax credit bill to help homeowners remove lead from their homes.
Murphy notes removing lead can be expensive, well above the means of many middle class homeowners.
He wants to provide homeowners with a maximum tax credit of $5,000 to help pay for the cleanup of lead and other dangerous toxins.
"All of this attention on the water crisis in Flint, we've had a crisis in Connecticut for a long time," Murphy told WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau. "We've been dealing with lead contamination and lead poisoning in Connecticut for a long time, we need help too."
He said houses built prior to 1950 are especially at risk for lead contamination.
"In Connecticut, there are still hundreds of thousands of old homes that have lead paint and old pipes, and if we don't do anything to remove them now, we're going to pay the price down the road," Murphy said in a statement. "It's the smartest investment we can make for health of our families."