Baldwin Delivers $850,000 to Reduce Lead in Schools and Childcare Facilities Throughout Wisconsin
Baldwin-backed federal funding will help test, remediate, and reduce lead exposure and minimize health impacts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced that the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) will receive nearly $850,000 to address lead in drinking water at childcare facilities throughout Wisconsin. The federal funds will be used to test, mitigate, and reduce lead in drinking water in local schools and child care centers across the Badger State. Every year, thousands of children in Wisconsin are poisoned by exposure to lead in their environment, disproportionately impacting communities of color and having lasting impacts on children’s health.
“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to clean, safe water, free of lead, PFAS, and other harmful contaminants that we know have devastating long-term effects on the health of our kids, families, and our state,” said Gov. Evers. “Doing what is best for our kids includes ensuring they have access to safe, clean drinking water at school or day care. This voluntary testing program will have a real and lasting positive impact, and I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and Sen. Baldwin for supporting this and other important efforts to help get lead out of our water and keep our kids safe.”
The funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water Grant Program, funded through the annual government funding process. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law amended the grant program to increase the annual funding authorization and allow for grants to be used in remediation in addition to testing. The funding will allow DHS to implement a program of voluntary testing for lead in drinking water at local schools and child care centers. Specifically, DHS will:
- Test all outlets that directly service childcare operations in at least 275 licensed childcare programs;
- Provide lead testing results to program partners, local public health departments, parents, teachers, facility employees, and community members;
- Assist facilities with implementing short-term and long-term lead-in-water remediation measures to reduce the risk of exposure to lead-in-water;
- Build expertise and capacity statewide to conduct water testing in accordance with the EPA’s 3Ts guidance;
- Educate communities about lead and the importance of testing in childcare facilities; and
- Advance health equity by ensuring that all young children, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, live and learn in environments free of lead contamination.
Earlier this year, Baldwin announced that Wisconsin received more than $83 million to identify and replace hazardous lead pipes across the state through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Baldwin also secured key provisions of her Made in America Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ensuring that American iron and steel are used in the construction of this water infrastructure. In 2023, Senator Baldwin announced Wisconsin was selected as one of four states designated as a Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerator to provide support to communities in their work of removing lead service lines from start to finish.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Lead Crisis
- Baldwin Delivers $850,000 to Reduce Lead in Schools and Childcare Facilities Throughout Wisconsin - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Aug 29th, 2024
- Baldwin Delivers Over $83 Million to Replace Lead Pipes, Expand Access to Safe Drinking Water - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - May 2nd, 2024
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Milwaukee Designation as Workforce Hub - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Apr 26th, 2024
- Biden Announces Milwaukee As New “Workforce Hub” For Lead Pipe Removal - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 25th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Delivers Nearly $2 Million to Keep Wausau Families Safe from Lead Contamination - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 12th, 2024
- IRS Rules that Homeowners Won’t Have to Pay Additional Taxes for Subsidized Replacement of Lead Pipes - Milwaukee Water Works - Feb 29th, 2024
- Milwaukee Makes It Far Easier To Replace Your Lead Service Line - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 18th, 2023
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore Praises Biden Administration Effort to Remove Lead Pipes in 10 Years - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Nov 30th, 2023
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Partnership with 10 Wisconsin Communities to Accelerate Lead Service Line Replacement as Part of Investing in America Agenda - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Nov 2nd, 2023
- Evers, DNR Announce $402 Million Funding to Improve Local Drinking Water - Henry Redman - Oct 24th, 2023
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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