AUGUSTA - A bill to strengthen lead testing in school drinking water received unanimous support Monday from the Maine House of Representatives.
LD 206 amends state rules to decrease the standard for lead in school drinking water from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 4 ppb and requires schools to share results with the public within five days.
"Lead is dangerous at all levels," said Rep. Michele Meyer, D-Eliot, the bill's sponsor and House chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. "We must substantially lower the levels of lead in our students drinking water, and I am thankful to my colleagues on the committee and in the Legislature for supporting this important measure to do just that."
LD 206 is the result of a measure sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, that was signed into law in the 129th Legislature that required the Department of Health and Human to develop rules to implement lead testing requirements and submit them to the Legislature for review.
A 2018 report from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services called lead poisoning "one of the major environmental health threats for children in Maine," noting that in 2017 alone, an estimated 392 children were identified as poisoned.
"We know that no level of lead is safe for our children, and that exposure to lead can lead to impaired development, especially for developing brains," said Millett. "Adopting these rules ensures that our children are not exposed to lead and will help to protect future generations from the harmful substance."
The bill will now head to the governors desk for her signature.
Meyer is in her second term in the Maine House and represents District 2, which includes Eliot, Kittery and South Berwick. She serves as House chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.
Millett is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents District 30, part of Cape Elizabeth. She sits on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. Prior to representing House District 30, Millett served eight years in the State Senate, representing District 29, which includes South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and part of Scarborough.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Meyer, Millett] c. 812-1111