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Schumer: Feds Should Fund Lead Testing At Daycare Centers

Photo of a faucet
WAMC photo by Dave Lucas

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer wants the federal government to help daycare centers test their water for lead. 

The New York Democrat announced legislation Wednesday that would allow daycare centers to seek grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to pay for the tests.

Schumer is already pushing legislation to fund tests in schools. He says it's essential to also test for lead in daycare facilities because children are most vulnerable to lead poisoning at an early age.

Water samples cost an average of $35 each and each test needs multiple samples to send to the EPA.

Earlier this year two elementary schools in Ithaca found dangerous amounts of lead in their water. Schumer says children under 6 face the most risk from lead, including learning and developmental disorders.

© 2106 Associated Press

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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