In the News

By Andy Goldstein

Following a failure of the Milwaukee Health Department to notify families of children with elevated lead levels, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore is urging federal officials to look into how lead poisoning prevention is being managed at the state level.

In a letter to the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Milwaukee Democrat raised concerns about children’s lead poisoning in Wisconsin, noting the disproportionate impact on African American children.

4.6 percent of the state’s children under six experience lead poisoning, almost identical to the 4.9 percent level of Flint, Mich., a town whose lead poisoning crisis gained tremendous national attention in recent years.

“I am concerned about my constituents, especially the children who may not have received appropriate care,” Moore wrote in the letter. “I urge you to investigate the administration of this program and ensure it is in compliance with the guidelines for lead poisoning as established by the federal Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.”

Moore’s concerns come the same month as Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker resigned after his department failed to notify thousands of families of their children’s elevated lead levels in their blood.

Just last year, elevated lead levels were found in the drinking fountains of six Madison schools, prompting the district to shut off the water supply to the contaminated fountains.

Most daycare and childcare facilities in the state do not require regular testing of water for lead contamination.

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