Today citizens gathered to highlight the issues with lead in drinking water in Racine. Similar situations exist across Wisconsin that impact drinking water and children’s health. The Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter released Lead Contamination in Wisconsin, a white paper on the lead contamination of drinking water in Racine and around Wisconsin, and policy recommendations to correct them.
“It is a sad truth that in the 21st Century we are still talking about our children’s exposure to lead from drinking water, yet here we are,” said Bill Davis of the Sierra Club. “Addressing lead pipes is a common sense step to remove the threat of lead poisoning of our children.”
Right now, thousands of children across Wisconsin are being exposed to toxic lead when they drink a glass of water at home or use drinking fountains at school, places of worship, and the parks. For example, in 2014 4.5 percent of children tested in Wisconsin had elevated blood lead levels. By comparison, the rate in Flint, MI was 4.9 percent.
“People need to understand that lead poisoning is preventable. Ask yourself, was our house built before 1978 and do you have any chipping or peeling paint? If the answer is yes, you should have your children tested,” said Gregory Vogel, Kenosha Racine Leadfree Community Partnership. Gregory joined Mike Kosterman, City of Racine Water Utility and Sarah Clemens, City of Racine, Department of Public Health at an event today in Racine to speak about the dangers of lead.
There are several bills that have been introduced in the legislature that if passed would help address this serious issue and protect our children from future harm. For example, Senate Bill 48 would create a funding mechanism to provide resources to pay for the removal of lead pipes. Wisconsinites must speak out and speak loudly that we want to protect our children from lead poisoning.
Sierra Club’s Lead Contamination in Wisconsin (May 2017) white paper highlights the threats of lead contamination in Wisconsin.
·4.5 percent of Wisconsin children tested with elevated blood lead levels, compared to 4.9 percent in Flint, MI.
·Lead poisoning is extremely harmful to children, as it may lead to reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and development delays.
·Lead poisoning causes nearly 10 percent of all intellectual disabilities of otherwise unknown cause.
·Over 176,000 Wisconsin homes, schools and business receive water from lead service lines.
·Twenty-four of 72 Wisconsin counties had lead levels six times the federal safety level in their water systems.
·88 percent of all Wisconsin children testing positive for lead poisoning were enrolled in Medicaid.
·$28 billion in costs and earnings would be saved if no children were exposed to lead.
·Eighty-one WI water systems exceeded the EPA limits for lead between 2012 and 2015.
Click here to download the fact sheet
The Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter will release three additional white papers in the next two months related to water concerns like factory farms and water quantity issues in Wisconsin.