Council set to act on Health Department crisis
Joint statement from the Milwaukee Common Council
Today members of the Common Council learned that officers of the Milwaukee Health Department failed to ensure adequate notification of thousands of families whose children tested positive for elevated lead levels in their blood. This is an egregious public health failure that was in direct noncompliance with procedures put forth by Common Council resolution.
We will move forward to hold the executive branch accountable for this very serious failure and we will investigate in depth to determine what processes, procedures, or other matters, if any, have been ignored, not complied with, or have been mishandled by the Health Department. The protection of our children must remain our highest priority. Our review of this matter will be handled with a seriousness appropriate to a failure of this magnitude.
This marks a new day in the Common Council’s dealings with this administration with regard to policy, in general, and with appointments, in particular. We will exercise a new level of scrutiny and we will demand a new level of accountability.
Our fact-finding and review efforts into these matters will begin during a special Steering and Rules Committee meeting open to all Council members at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
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
- Dangerous Levels of Lead Contamination Found At Three MPS Schools - Jeramey Jannene and Sophie Bolich - Feb 6th, 2025
- As Previewed in 2025 State of the State Address, Gov. Evers Approves DHS Emergency Rule to Strengthen Standards to Prevent Further Hazardous Lead Exposure to Wisconsin Kids - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Wisconsin Joins Legal Effort to Preserve Tougher Standards for Lead in Water - Erik Gunn - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Attorney General Kaul Joins Multistate Coalition to Defend Lead and Copper Rule Improvements - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Jan 29th, 2025
- Superintendent Jill Underly Proposes Lead Water Removal Program For Schools - Baylor Spears - Nov 15th, 2024
- Milwaukee Adopts New Policy Requesting More Lead Testing For Children - Nick Rommel - Oct 24th, 2024
- EPA Strengthens Standards to Protect Children from Exposure to Lead Paint Dust - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Oct 24th, 2024
- Baldwin Announces $86 Million for Clean and Safe Drinking Water in Wisconsin Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Oct 23rd, 2024
- DHS Encourages Wisconsinites to Take Action to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Oct 21st, 2024
- DNR Says Wisconsin Could Meet New Rule To Replace All Lead Pipes in 10 Years - Trevor Hook - Oct 12th, 2024
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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