CHICAGO (CBS) — Legislation requiring lead testing in Illinois schools was set to become law on Monday.
It’s a mandate that aims to prevent children from being exposed to lead poisoning in their drinking water.
Rauner’s office said he will sign the legislation Monday morning at the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Monday.
The measure would require all Illinois schools and daycares to test for lead in water fountains, and in kitchen and classroom faucets. The testing costs $500 to $5,000 per school.
Lead pipes were banned nationwide in 1986, but the problem of lead in drinking water persists.
Last year, tests found 113 Chicago public schools had at least one drinking source with actionable levels of lead.
The Chicago Archdiocese said high lead levels were found in drinking water at 17 catholic schools.
A Daily Herald investigation found 22 percent of the schools in the 59 suburban districts tested above acceptable limits.
Another 30 districts have conducted no testing.
Lead exposure can cause brain damage, learning disabilities, and behavioral issues in young children.
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2jqWyjm
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