US Sen. Sherrod Brown announces bill to protect Ohio families from toxic lead exposure

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, will introduce this week a measure that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to notify the public when lead is detected in their public drinking water system within 15 days, if state and local authorities fail to do so.

The senator’s office said the Senate is also expected to vote on the measure this week.

“No parent should ever have to worry if water coming out of their faucets might be poisoning their children,” the senator said during a noon media teleconference today.

Currently, state and local officials are responsible for public notification, which the senator said they failed to do in a timely manner concerning lead contamination in the Flint, Mich., and Sebring public water supply systems.

If enacted, the measure would mean “no more arguing about whose responsibility it is” to notify the public, Brown said. “People have a right to know,” he added.

“There’s nothing more important for government to do than preserve the safety and health of children,” Brown said.

In addition to swift notification, Brown’s bill would require:

• Communities to have a plan to fix the lead problem within six months, not the current 18 months.

• A plan to ensure community residents have access to safe, clean water in the interim.

• That the U.S. EPA make annual state water-quality reports available online in a single, user-friendly place.

After the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s declaration last week of a Sebring water supply emergency due to elevated lead levels, Brown released a guide to Ohio’s lead poisoning and testing resources, which summarizes information from the Ohio Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com