Georgia is among 22 states that have earned a failing grade for their efforts to eliminate lead from drinking water in schools, according to an analysis by the Environment America Research & Policy Center and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.
The "Get The Lead Out" report said Georgia had no policies related to lead in schools' drinking water. "Outlets at 25 of 60 Atlanta schools tested found lead in water above 15 ppb," it said, citing a 2016 Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.
"The health threat of lead in schools’ water deserves immediate attention from state and local policymakers for two reasons. First, lead is highly toxic and especially damaging to children — impairing how they learn, grow, and behave. So, we ought to be particularly vigilant against this health threat at schools and preschools, where our children spend their days learning and playing. Second, current regulations are too weak to protect our children from lead-laden water at school," say John Rumpler and Emma Dietz of the Environment America Research & Policy Center,
The organizations' report studied lead testing policies for 31 states and the District of Columbia.
Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina also received failing grades in the report.
