3 results for tag: lead
Senator Merkley Speaks Up for Chemical Safety — and Oregon Families
At an early March Senate hearing, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley asked the tough questions that get to the heart of serious concerns about proposed changes to the Toxic Substances Control Acts (TSCA). In recent discussions, Senator Merkley has emerged as a critical voice pushing back against industry-backed proposals that would weaken how the EPA reviews dangerous chemicals before they reach our homes, schools, and workplaces.
The Fox Guarding the Henhouse
One particularly troubling provision in the Senate draft would allow third-party reviewers (potentially hired by the chemical industry itself) to approve new chemicals. Senator Merkley didn't ...
Common Questions About Lead In School Water
What’s the news?
Schools are finding high levels of the toxic heavy metal lead in drinking water, coming from pipes, solder or plumbing fixtures that contain lead.
It’s not the first time that this problem came to the Portland school district’s attention. As far back as 2001, tests in Portland schools revealed high levels of lead and fixtures were shut down until they could be replaced or filters installed. Yet the legacy of lead remains: In late spring 2016, lead was found in many Portland schools, in Beaverton schools and in Eugene.
Where is the lead coming from?
Lead contamination typically happens when water corrodes lead ...
Are Oregon’s schoolchildren drinking lead-laden water?
NOTE: Please see our updated Q&A to learn answers to common questions about the issue here.
Anyone who interacts with a young child can see how quickly they learn. Kids absorb everything around them. But if there is the toxic heavy metal lead in their drinking water, what does that mean for their future? What does it mean for Oregon?
As of March 2016, lead has been found in the drinking water of nearly a dozen Oregon Schools, some with levels up to twelve times the maximum amount allowed by current regulations (15 ppb). Just a couple days ago, lead was discovered in the drinking fountains at Beaverton Middle School. We know lead is ...