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Shallow Fog Bill proposes required lead testing in schools
What parents need to know
Most schools on Long Island are not required to test for lead in their water by either the federal or state government.
Because most schools do not maintain their own drinking water supply, there are no federal laws requiring them to test. Federal drinking water regulations apply solely to water systems. According to the New York State Department of Health, lead testing in schools has always been voluntary, though the state financially supports lead poisoning prevention programs provided by local health departments.
That could all change soon through a bill that was introduced earlier this year and recently amended, and was racing toward passage before the last day of the state legislative session, June 16.
The bill, introduced by a coalition of legislators and public health and environmental advocacy groups, would require school districts to test for contamination, and inform parents and teachers of the results. To help facilitate the process, the bill would also mandate that the state provide funds for the testing and remediation, and require the Health Department to create an annual report based on these tests.
“We want the Department of Health to have a lead role in determining how to protect our kids,” said Christopher Goeken, director of public policy and government relations for the New York League of Conservation Voters. “In the recent amendments to the bill, we wanted to make sure parents and teachers were informed when there were test results.”
If the bill passes in the Assembly and the Senate, it will be sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his signature or veto.
Dozens of school districts across Long Island are currently testing for lead and awaiting results, or have tested and received results. Valley Stream and Malverne are among those that have reported testing positive for lead levels above the EPA limit of 15 parts per billion — and have reduced them. Other school districts that have voluntarily tested and found heightened lead levels include Commack, Jericho, Elwood, Locust Valley, Port Washington and Syosset and Northport-East Northport, according to the New York League of Conservative Voters. “It’s important to commend the schools that are doing testing when their budgets are so tight,” said Goeken. “The schools have been generally pretty good, and they have informed parents of what steps they should be taking.”
The problem starts, advocates say, not with the public water supply — since all public water suppliers are subject to regular water quality testing — but in the pipes and water fixtures in the buildings themselves. “Lead contamination occurs when water sits in the pipes [for] six hours or more,” Goeken said, and lead seeps into the water. Schools that have tested positive for lead have replaced corroded plumbing, and then re-tested their water.
Two questions on the minds of parents with children in school districts with elevated lead levels are “How long has this been going on?” and “What effect has this had on my child?” While it is difficult to pinpoint time periods, Dr. Ron Marino, associate chair of pediatrics at Winthrop University Hospital, said the threat to school-age children is much less serious than it is for infants and toddlers, who are at the greatest risk.
“Exposure in a developing brain is more toxic than one that has developed,” Marino explained. “The body is very resilient, and low levels of lead drunk on occasion by older children will probably do nothing.” Still, he urged parents who are concerned to have their children tested by their pediatrician. Most doctors only test children between ages 1 and 2.
Dr. Marc Lashley, of Valley Stream Pediatrics, said that since the Valley Stream school district announced that it had corrected a lead problem, several parents have had their children tested for lead — all with negative results. The test, which takes three minutes, requires a pinprick blood sample.
Nonetheless, Lashley recommends that anyone living in a house built before 1978 be aware of any lead-based paint that may have been used in the home, and of old pipes in which water sits for hours. “Let the water run for 60 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking,” Lashley said. “It’s just a good practice for everyone to do.”
