Following a petition signed by more than 500 Delawareans to the Senate Health & Social Services Committee, Senate Education Committee, House Health & Human Development Committee, and House Education Committee demanding they hold a joint hearing on the issue of lead in the drinking water in Delaware public schools, the Senate Health Committee has scheduled a public hearing for January 24 at 5:30 pm.
Meeting Notice: https://legis.delaware.gov/MeetingNotice/32933
Agenda: https://legis.delaware.gov/json/MeetingNoticeController/GenerateCommitteeAgendaPdf?committeeMeetingId=32933&chamberId=1&fileName=SenateHealthSocialServicesCommitteeMeeting
Register for Meeting/Livestream: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__DGDxP0mTmq8JAILIEl2iQ
What we want to know from this hearing:
What is the funding source of the new water testing?
What is the role of DOE and DHSS in implementing water testing and improvements?
What oversight and accountability measures are in place to restore public trust and to prevent a repeat of the misrepresentations we experienced before?
What are/were the consequences of the past misrepresentations to the public, including denials that communication of the results was necessary and that the 3Ts was required?
What steps have been taken (and will be taken/timeline) to screen those who were exposed to lead in schools?
What new efforts are being taken to bolster childhood lead poisoning prevention and response in the state?
What legislation (and funding) will be introduced (and when) to correct the problems in our schools and in our lead poisoning prevention program?
Necessary Actions:
Filter First: Delaware should act immediately to correct lead contamination problems in all taps by funding the installation and maintenance of appropriate filters (ANSI 53) on all faucets, fountains, or other outlets used for drinking or cooking so every child has access to free, safe drinking water in our schools. Additional costly rounds of testing and duplication of past testing just adds delays to implementing appropriate water safety measures.
Health-Based Standards: Delaware should take actions to make school water “free of lead”; discontinue use of non-health-based standards (such as a 7.5 ppb target level), and cease providing false assurances of safety for lead in the drinking water of schools. There are two health-based standards available:
Zero, EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The EPA utilizes a MCLG for considerations of health and has set the MCLG for lead in drinking water at zero “because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bioaccumulate in the body over time.” (EPA, 2022: Basic Information About Lead in Drinking Water).
1 ppb, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): “State and local governments should take steps to ensure that water fountains in schools do not exceed water lead concentrations of 1 ppb.” (Pediatrics July 2016; 138 (1): e20161493. 10.1542/peds.2016-1493).
Communication: Engage in robust, regularly-scheduled, and ongoing communication and outreach with all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, school nurses, and school districts about the safety of drinking water in schools. Outreach is not just about disseminating information, but a dialogue where changes are made based on stakeholder feedback.
Background: Childhood lead poisoning is very much an issue of structural racism, the legacy of redlining Black communities, racial segregation, and the neglect of this issue by our Governor and General Assembly by denying state funding for lead poisoning prevention and neglecting to respond to issues brought forward year after year. Children in Delaware deserve every opportunity to become successful in life, regardless of race or family income. Their ability to reach their potential should not be hindered by environmental toxins in their homes, communities, schools, and drinking water.
Kids Count Data Center reports that in the 6-years period between 2016 and 2021, 2062 children in Delaware experienced elevated blood lead levels above ≥ 3.5 µg/dL when they were tested. Our testing rates are extremely low, so that figure is undoubtedly underreporting the true scale of the problem.
Lead poisoning disproportionately impacts communities with the least political power, including the poor, and Black, Hispanic, and Latino/a/e neighborhoods. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, childhood lead toxicity has been recognized for over 100 years, higher blood lead levels are associated with lower IQ scores, intellectual deficits, language difficulties, attention problems, diminished academic abilities, and behavior disorders including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder; and exposure to lead causes neurological damage, behavioral and learning disabilities, and hinders the ability of students to reach their full potential as adults. Lead continues to impact health throughout the lifespan, causing more deaths among adults than any other chemical exposure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Correcting the problems with lead poisoning in the drinking water in schools is just one part of a broader problem that has not received adequate attention or funding from our elected officials. We hope that this Senate Hearing will be the beginning of a renewed commitment to eradicate childhood lead poisoning in Delaware.
