Lead in Delaware School Water Causes Additional Sources Shut Down!
A public virtual forum is scheduled for Monday, Nov 14 at 7:30pm
The announcement to the public wasn’t made in a news release or at a press conference, but instead on the department’s Facebook page.1
U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set its standard for lead in bottled water at no more than 5 parts per billion2, whereas, in 2016 the American Academy of Pediatrics urged state and local governments should take steps to ensure that water fountains in schools do not exceed water lead concentrations of 1 part per billion.
This limited audience announcement states '“there are no existing concerns or increased lead levels in schools”.
While the latter may be true, the lead levels may not have increased, it was the safety threshold which lowered, to state “there are no existing concerns” is an egregious misrepresentation. This entire dangerous situation is due to "existing concerns”.
As reported in the beginning of October, the test results showing elevated levels of lead in dozens of Delaware schools were kept from the public, with many parents and school staff learning about the statewide testing and results only after The News Journal’s report on October 4th!
The Red Clay School District even filed a complaint with the EPA3 about the slowness of informing schools and parents. Red Clay is one of the districts which has lead in water fountains.
🔗Delaware directs more schools to shut off water fountains because of high lead levels
Previously, the state’s threshold for shutting off fountains was 15 parts per billion, which affected only one satellite school in the Colonial School District near New Castle. The new directive lowers the threshold for shutoff to 7.5 parts per billion.
“The EPA has asked us to shut water sources off above that level,” the Facebook post said, citing the department’s marching orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
🔗Delaware's lead testing in schools gets public airing Nov. 14
The state Department of Education insists it has complied with the rules and regulations of the $209,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Voluntary Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care grant it is the recipient of, insisting that by notifying the school districts of the results it satisfied the requirement to make results publicly available “no more than 90 days from the completion of initial lead testing conducted at each facility,” according to the grant agreement.
Public was supposed to be notified about lead in schools, why weren't they?4
A virtual public forum has been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, which will include representatives from the state Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to discuss lead testing and address unanswered questions.
