Maine Eyes Tougher Lead Testing in School Drinking Water
(AP) — Maine lawmakers want to strengthen lead testing in school drinking water.
The Maine Legislature has been considering a proposal to decrease the standard for lead in drinking water from 15 parts per billion to four parts per billion. The Maine House of Representatives unanimously approved of the proposal on June 7 and sent it to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
Lead exposure in children has been linked to slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia and other health problems. Rep. Michele Meyer, the bill’s sponsor and a Democrat, said lead is “dangerous at all levels” and the state must “substantially lower the levels of lead in our students’ drinking water.”
Supporters of the proposal cited a 2018 report from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that called lead poisoning “one of the major environmental health threats for children in Maine.” The report said nearly 400 children were identified as suffering from lead poisoning in 2017.
Related News
From Archive
- Inside Sempra’s 72-mile pipeline with 18 major trenchless crossings
- Trump vetoes bill to finish $1.3 billion Colorado water pipeline
- PHMSA warns of heat risks in aging plastic gas distribution pipelines following deadly Pennsylvania explosion
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- OSHA seeks $1.2 million fine after fatal trench collapse in Connecticut
- Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
- First tunnel boring machines complete testing for Hudson Tunnel Project
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Construction jobs stumble into 2026 after weak year
- NWPX grows water infrastructure portfolio with Colorado precast facility
Comments