California Public Interest Research Group Issues Statement on Proposed School Bond

SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 11 -- The California Public Interest Research Group issued the following statement by Public Health Advocate Laura Deehan on lead remediation funds in proposed school bond (A.B. 48):

"With AB 48, the California legislature is proposing to make a downpayment on the investment needed to get the lead out of California school drinking water."

"We already know that more than 2000 school drinking water fountains have tested positive for lead. And those numbers likely only scratch the surface of the problem, as many districts have only tested the water at a handful of fountains at each school."

"If the bill passes and voters approve the bond measure in 2020, the $150 million set aside gives schools a financial incentive to thoroughly test to identify all lead leaching issues and to take action to replace pipes or fixtures where the highest lead levels are found."

"However, pediatricians and public health experts agree, there is no safe level of lead, and so school districts and the legislature will need to take further action to get the lead out. The American Academy of Pediatrics have said the lead standard for children's drinking water should be no more than 1 part per billion. Schools and the legislature should adopt this standard statewide."

"Also, schools can't wait for disbursement of state bond funds to protect children in schools, the schools should immediately protect children from this threat by installing lead certified filters as a first line of defense at every tap."

Read more in CALPIRG Education Fund's report, Get the Lead Out: Ensuring safe drinking water for our children at school (https://calpirg.org/reports/caf/get-lead-out-0).