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standards is a matter of ik!-avr.ii .jori.-,Jit t It iN necessar:' for Congress and <br />federal agencies and uepurtc+ene: dirrc•rly involved with air quality regulation <br />to recognize the threat to public health crated by the continued presence of <br />high levels of lead contamination in inner city soil, resulting in large measure <br />from combustion of leaded gi-sol ine. <br />While there am standards for permissable levels of lead in air, water, and <br />paint, none now exist for 1LmitS on the amount of lead considered safe when <br />found in soil. Much of the soil in our inner cities is now contaminated to such <br />a degree that it would conr,titute a hazardous waste if found in an industrial <br />site. Since the major continuing source of new lead exposure is the combustion <br />of leaded gasoline, it i� incumbent on the federal government to take immediate <br />action to end the addition of new lead contamination in our cities. <br />FL-6. JOB Training Partnership Act <br />The League supports changes in the Job Training Partnership Act that will <br />encourage states and cities to increase job and training opportunities for the <br />hard to employ, including youth, dislocated employees and the structurally <br />unemployed. There is a need to direct services and employment opportunities to <br />those persons least likely to become fully employed without further education <br />and training. Those persons are also the most disadvantaged as a result of <br />long-term unemployment and lack of access to training opportunities. Federal <br />matching funds for state and local efforts as well as additional provision of <br />incentives to encourage states and cities to use other federal assistance to aid <br />targeted populaCions are also needed to support public and private action in <br />this area. Included among such incentives, the League supports the continuation <br />of the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit to encourage businesses to hire the structurally <br />unemployed and disadvantaged youth. <br />Improvements are also needed in both public and private job training <br />programs. If training costs for private companies were made tax deductible when <br />made available to disadvantaged youth who lack work experience and basic <br />educational skills, private sector participation in such programs could be <br />expanded and sustained. The league supports such an approach as supplementary <br />to the continuation of the Job Training 1'.!rtriership Program. <br />FL-7. Infrastructure ( <br />The League supportt, the ..ration of a revolving loan program to assist <br />financing the repair and rehabilitation of the urban infrastructure but only if <br />the program is supplemental_ to existing grant programs. <br />The federal government should recognize the importance of local public <br />facilities and infrastructure to economic and community development. Current <br />federal financial assistance is inadequate to meet existing and future <br />infrastructure heeds. Funding for existing infrastructure -related grant <br />programs, such as the federal aid highway, transit, and wastewater treatment <br />programs, should be increased, and a multi -year loan program should be created <br />to supplement federal grants. Making both grants and loans available would <br />provide cities more flexibility in Structuring their local construction <br />financing programs. <br />-b3- <br />