California lawmaker introduces bill to eliminate lead from school drinking water

SAN FRANCISCO – California Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) on Wednesday launched a invoice geared toward eradicating all lead from ingesting and cooking water utilized in colleges, which might assist defend younger youngsters from lead’s severe harms.

If the Legislature approves the invoice, A.B. 249, and it’s signed into legislation, it will mandate testing for lead in any respect ingesting water fountains and cooking taps in TK-12 colleges. The invoice would additionally create a statutory aim of lowering lead ranges in colleges to zero. If lead is detected at colleges above 5 elements per billion, or ppb, the issue should be addressed. Devoted federal and state funds would pay for the assessments and cleanup.

“Lead consumption amongst youth and disenfranchised communities is at the next fee,” stated Holden. “Serving to colleges with assets and standards to manage the water fountains that the majority youngsters drink from is a step towards more healthy colleges, college students and communities.”

“Lead is a neurotoxin that may completely injury younger youngsters’s nervous techniques,” stated Susan Little, the Environmental Working Group’s California senior authorities affairs advocate. “Even small quantities of lead can decrease a baby’s intelligence, trigger conduct and studying issues, gradual progress, and hurt listening to.

“The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention says there isn’t any protected stage of lead. This dangerous substance doesn’t belong within the ingesting water youngsters eat in school. We admire Assemblymember Holden’s work to get lead out of water,” stated Little.

Earlier ingesting water assessments on college campuses coated only a few taps at every location, with remediation required provided that lead was detected at 15 ppb or increased. Regardless of the minimal testing and cleanup executed at the moment, practically one in 5 campuses recognized a faucet leaching greater than 5 ppb lead.

“Lead publicity is a well being, schooling and racial justice concern for our children,” stated Ted Lempert, president of Youngsters Now, a statewide youngsters’s advocacy group.

“We thank Assemblymember Holden for authoring this laws to guard college students from lead in ingesting water, and we’re happy to associate with the Environmental Working Group to co-sponsor the invoice. Youngsters Now’s dedicated to making sure that colleges have the help and assets they should maintain children protected,” stated Lempert. 

The 0 ppb aim and 5 ppb normal in A.B. 249 are additionally used for assessments of kid care middle ingesting water, as mandated by one other legislation, A.B. 2370, enacted in 2018. 

This yr’s invoice is cosponsored by EWG and Youngsters Now.

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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan group that empowers individuals to dwell more healthy lives in a more healthy surroundings. By way of analysis, advocacy and distinctive schooling instruments, EWG drives shopper selection and civic motion.