Two Portland-area Democrats in Congress, Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer, joined with a California colleague Thursday to introduce what they call the No Lead in Water Act. The bill would prompt widespread testing for lead in water at the nation's schools.
Specifically, the bill would create a voluntary grant program at the Environmental Protection Agency for lead testing and remediation of school drinking water.
To qualify for the grants, states would have to comply with national standards including mandatory testing, public posting of test results, materials that explain test results for families and remediation of any drinking water sources found to contain lead above the action level set by regulators.
Lead has been found at high levels in drinking fountains in Portland Public Schools, which lies mostly in Blumenauer's district, and in Beaverton schools, which are mainly in Bonamici's.
"Portland is not alone. Schools across Oregon and the country are facing similar crises of lead in drinking water, and we've all let it happen," Blumenauer said in a statement. "We need regular, rigorous, and transparent testing for lead and other contaminants, and more resources to fix the problem - especially as our water infrastructure continues to age.
-- Betsy Hammond