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Gov. Chris Christie vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have earmarked $10 million to remove lead paint from old housing stock. (Statehouse file photo Noah Addis | The Star-Ledger)

TRENTON -- A bill dedicating $10 million to a fund that would pay to remove lead paint from old housing stock in New Jersey was vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday.

State lawmakers voted to earmark $10 million from the state budget for the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund. The money would have been used to pay for lead abatement projects, relocate families whose children have high lead levels in their blood, create a web-based housing registry among other efforts, according to the bill.

The $10 million is money accrued based on a fee on paint sales. Governors have diverted the funds revenue to support the state budget since 2004, according to the bill's supporters.

The governor pocket-vetoed the bill, (S1279) which means he declined to act on it and allowed it to expire in the legislative session that just ended Jan. 12. He did not include a statement explaining why he rejected the legislation.

This is the third consecutive two-year legislative session in which the $10 million bill has failed to be signed into law.

An angry Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, likened the governor's veto to "stealing money that would keep lead out of our homes and protect our children from lead poisoning."

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"What Gov. Christie did in vetoing this bill is outrageous. This is money that should be used for lead abatement and instead it's going to balancing the budget. He is vetoing the health of our children," Tittel said.

Lead has been scientifically proven to cause brain damage in children who inhale or eat paint dust or chips.

"Governor Christie's pocket veto of the lead poisoning prevention bill is extremely disappointing especially as the nation witnesses the devastation of lead contamination," said Staci Berger, president and CEO of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.

"New Jersey cannot become the next Flint, a town that sacrificed safety to be cost-effective," Berger said.

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.