3. 241663 Communication from the Milwaukee Health Department relating to the exposure of children to lead at buildings within the Milwaukee Public Schools system.
I am, unfortunately, unable to make this meeting. I support efforts to assess how MPS schools have become the source of lead poisoning for some MPS children. The problem of lead poisoning in our schools is likely one that is more pervasive that we fully understand at the moment. I would like to see a plan developed that would assess all MPS schools for lead hazards and to make those results available to the public. The severity and permanence of the health effects of lead poisoning should require us all to actively invest in our community and our schools to make certain that we prevent further cases of lead poisoning. I would also like to see MHD put plans in place for how to handle buildings that are found to contain serious lead hazards. My child, who attends Golda Meir, has told me that remediation efforts have taken place while students are in the environment. I would like to know what work was conducted while children were present and the safety and appropriateness of such work. It would be best to have plans to get children out of hazardous schools, at least temporarily, while the remediation takes place. A final assessment would prove the building is safe before returning.
Lead-Safe Schools MKE, an MPS parent-led initiative aimed at demanding transparency around the ongoing lead emergency in MPS schools applauds Alderwoman Coggs for bringing forth an effort to get to the bottom of how we got here. The Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) should be tasked with assessing all MPS schools for lead hazards. All buildings built before 1980 should have thorough lead assessments that include dust wipe samples, visual inspections of painted surfaces, soil samples, and water samples. All MPS buildings should have water testing given that all MPS schools have had lead laterals removed and yet testing at both Golda Meir and Kagel Elementary have shown elevated lead levels at some water sources nonetheless. The cost to our community is more profound if we do not know the full breadth and depth of the issue and if we fail to act. We know there are lead hazards in several MPS schools that resulted in lead poisoned children. It is time for the health department to put public health first and assess the full extent of the lead emergency. Doing anything less is immoral.
I am, unfortunately, unable to make this meeting. I support efforts to assess how MPS schools have become the source of lead poisoning for some MPS children. The problem of lead poisoning in our schools is likely one that is more pervasive that we fully understand at the moment. I would like to see a plan developed that would assess all MPS schools for lead hazards and to make those results available to the public. The severity and permanence of the health effects of lead poisoning should require us all to actively invest in our community and our schools to make certain that we prevent further cases of lead poisoning. I would also like to see MHD put plans in place for how to handle buildings that are found to contain serious lead hazards. My child, who attends Golda Meir, has told me that remediation efforts have taken place while students are in the environment. I would like to know what work was conducted while children were present and the safety and appropriateness of such work. It would be best to have plans to get children out of hazardous schools, at least temporarily, while the remediation takes place. A final assessment would prove the building is safe before returning.
Lead-Safe Schools MKE, an MPS parent-led initiative aimed at demanding transparency around the ongoing lead emergency in MPS schools applauds Alderwoman Coggs for bringing forth an effort to get to the bottom of how we got here. The Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) should be tasked with assessing all MPS schools for lead hazards. All buildings built before 1980 should have thorough lead assessments that include dust wipe samples, visual inspections of painted surfaces, soil samples, and water samples. All MPS buildings should have water testing given that all MPS schools have had lead laterals removed and yet testing at both Golda Meir and Kagel Elementary have shown elevated lead levels at some water sources nonetheless. The cost to our community is more profound if we do not know the full breadth and depth of the issue and if we fail to act. We know there are lead hazards in several MPS schools that resulted in lead poisoned children. It is time for the health department to put public health first and assess the full extent of the lead emergency. Doing anything less is immoral.