Click for the latest from The Hill{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  EPA issues 'zero-tolerance' rule for lead in homes The Biden administration issued a rule Thursday that it says will reduce Americans' exposure to lead.  © Greg NashThe rule declares that any level of lead dust that's detected is considered dangerous and would trigger a cleanup.   As a result, nearly 1.2 million people a year will be exposed to lower levels of lead, including as many as 326,000 children younger than six, the agency projected.  Lead exposure has been linked to low birth weight and impaired brain development and motor skills in children.  Despite the nearly half-century old ban on lead paint, it remains in an estimated 31 million homes built before 1978, including 3.8 million homes where children under 6 live, an EPA official said on a call with reporters.   Dust from flaking and peeling paint remains an ongoing threat as those structures age, and they are disproportionately located in Black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods.  The official described the rule as a “zero-tolerance standard,” saying that if lead levels exceed that threshold, abatement specialists will be deployed and “their jobs will not be considered done until they have reached the lowest levels of lead our labs can reliably detect.” Read more at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  Biden administration expands tax credit for producing solar, wind and battery components The Biden administration is expanding a federal tax credit that seeks to incentivize domestic production of components for solar and wind energy, as well as batteries.   Full Story   Without more action, it will be ‘impossible’ to meet Paris climate goal: UN Without further actions to reduce planet-warming emissions, it will be “impossible” to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the United Nations said in a new report Thursday.  Full Story  EPA internal guidance recommends employees remove insignias during dangerous field workInternal guidance issued to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees encourages them to manage risk in potentially dangerous field work by concealing agency insignias on clothing and equipment.  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Biden to apologize for policy sending Native American children to forced-assimilation boarding schools President Biden plans to issue an official apology for a U.S. policy that for 150 years sent Native American children to boarding schools where they were stripped of their culture and language.   Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Trump ignored disaster aid request from political rival (E&E News)  Rise in PFAS Incineration Puts Spotlight on Air Pollution Risk (Bloomberg Law) Living pollution-free is a 'fundamental right,' India's top court says (NBC News)   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: CNN polling guru says battleground state sweep ‘more likely than not’ CNN polling guru Harry Enten said he believes a sweep of the main battleground states in the presidential election is “more likely than not,” even as polls show all seven of the big swing states almost even between Vice President Harris and former President Trump.  Read more Democrats give Harris rocky reviews on CNN town hall Vice President Harris’s CNN town hall performance received tough reviews from fellow Democrats who criticized her for missing the moment to sell her candidacy as polls have started to show a shift toward former President Trump in recent days. Read more  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe