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WHEREAS October 24th through 30th, 2021 marks National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week; and,
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WHEREAS lead, the metal (Pb), is a neurotoxin that that enters the body through contact with lead- containing paint, dust, soil and drinking water; and,
WHEREAS there is no safe blood lead level, especially in children under the age of 6; and,
WHEREAS the effects of lead poisoning are cumulative and irreversible; causing permanent neurological and physiological damage in young children as well as adults; and,
WHEREAS even small amounts of lead in the blood, at levels below the threshold used by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify children as poisoned, can lead to impaired memory, decreased academic performance, and impulsivity, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, and other behavioral disorders; and,
WHEREAS lead exposure also causes health concerns for adults, such as cardiovascular disease, adverse neurological effects, renal damage, thyroid hormone alterations, and decreased fertility; and,
WHEREAS from 2015 through 2019, 849 children in the City of Pittsburgh were newly confirmed with lead poisoning, representing approximately 39% of all new cases in the County; and,
WHEREAS in Pittsburgh, as in many municipalities, children of color have been and continue to be disproportionately impacted by lead exposure and lead poisoning;
WHEREAS, lead poisoning is preventable; the key is primary prevention, which includes testing, identifying and remediating lead hazards before children are affected, is necessary to avoid and mitigate lead exposure and poisoning; and,
WHEREAS an adequate supply of safe, pure drinking water is essential to the public health, safety and welfare, and that supply is an important natural resource in economic development;
WHEREAS lead in water is a risk not only when water is consumed directly, but also when contaminated water is used to cook food and prepare formula;
WHEREAS, monetary and technical resources exist for community water systems and school districts to advance lead in water awareness and prevention efforts; and,
WHEREAS for every dollar spent on controlling lead hazards, up to $221 would be returned in lifetime health benefits, increased IQ, higher earnings, higher tax revenues, reduced spending on special education, and reduced criminal activity.
WHEREAS, education and awareness about the dangers of lead can help protect the lives of children living in the City of Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, Get the Lead Out Pittsburgh, working in collaboration with the Lead Safe Allegheny coalition, is a public awareness campaign designed to shine a light on lead poisoning in Allegheny County, help families who are impacted by lead poisoning, and enact changes to make our community safer; and,
WHEREAS the City of Pittsburgh desires to protect City residents, and especially young children, from inadvertent exposure to lead hazards.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby urge Pittsburgh Public Schools to install and maintain a lead-capturing water filtration mechanism in/on each drinking water fountain and each sink in each Pittsburgh Public School Building built before January 1, 2014; and urges each drinking water supplier (utility) operating within the City of Pittsburgh to: inventory all service lines made of lead that are in use within the City; develop a plan, with a scope of work, specifications, timeframe and budget, to accomplish the replacement of all such lines, including connection points, on both public and private property; and create and implement a funding mechanism to offer replacement of private lead water lines at no cost to homeowners.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Will of Council shall be sent to the members of the Pittsburgh School Board, the Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent, the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, the Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority, the West View Water Authority, Pennsylvania American Water, and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.