SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today the California State Assembly handily passed a bill aimed at removing all lead from drinking and cooking water used in schools. If passed, it would help protect young children from lead’s serious health harms.
The legislation, Assembly Bill 249, now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to face opposition from the state’s water boards.
If signed into law, the bill would require lead tests at all drinking water fountains and faucets of water used to cook for children in schools serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, that receive federal Title 1 funds. About 65 percent of California’s K–12 schools fall into this category.
The bill would also set a legal goal of reducing school lead levels to zero. If lead is detected at schools above 5 parts per billion, the contamination must be addressed.
Dedicated federal and state funds would pay for the tests and cleanup.
A.B. 249 was introduced by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), a champion of drinking water safety.
“Lead consumption among youth and disenfranchised communities occurs at a higher rate,” said Holden. “Helping schools with resources and criteria to regulate the water fountains that most children drink from is a […]
Full article: www.ewg.org
The Inspector General of the Department of Defense released some scathing reports Thursday over the…
Photo: Morgan Boone, a volunteer with Crop Swap LA, harvested lettuce at the La Salle…
Los Angeles residents at a section of the Los Angeles River cleanup in Los Angeles,…
Over the past decade, about 67 million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped on…
Photo: Golden Trout Wilderness Seeking blue, seeing gold The Kern Plateau features a chain of…
For the first time in more than a century, a salmon was observed swimming through Klamath…