The Pennsylvania budget quietly relaxed a standard for lead reporting in schools
Summary
Pennsylvania lawmakers changed rules about reporting lead in school drinking water during the state budget process. Now, schools only need to report lead levels above five parts per billion, instead of any detectable amount.Key Facts
- Pennsylvania does not require schools to test for lead in drinking water, only to discuss it annually in public meetings.
- Before the recent change, schools had to report any amount of lead found to the state.
- The new rule, added quietly in budget negotiations, sets the threshold for reporting lead at more than five parts per billion.
- Some school groups asked for the change, saying previous rules were unrealistic.
- Environmental advocates warn that even low levels of lead are harmful to children and that the change reduces public awareness.
- The original 2018 law required schools to test or discuss lead, plan to prevent exposure, provide safe water, and have the state share test results publicly.
- There have been problems with enforcing and implementing the lead reporting law correctly.
- Education officials only recently corrected their guidance to require reporting any detectable lead, which led to pushback and the new relaxed standard.
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