State lawmakers urging action on lead poisoning

MADISON, Wis. — State lawmakers are aiming to cut back on lead poisoning with a new bill.

Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) unveiled the legislation Friday, joined by a Flint, Michigan pediatrician who helped reveal that city’s water crisis.

Taylor said lead pipes like those in Flint threaten 70,000 homes in Milwaukee and 10,000 in Racine, and that the state’s lead poisoning standards are dangerously out of date. People across the state are at risk, she added.

“It’s not just the city of Milwaukee, the city of Watertown, the city of Racine, Rock County, Green Lake County, Pepin County, City of Menasha […] (it’s) a crisis all over,” she said.

Fixing the lead issue could have a huge financial impact, Taylor said, citing a 2014 report from the Department of Health Services that found Wisconsin would save $28 billion by eliminating lead poisoning in kids younger than 6.

“We know that there’s no safe amount of lead. There’s never a safe amount of lead for kids or really anyone to have in their blood and young kids are very vulnerable,” Taylor said.

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