Environmental advocates say Oregon isn't going far enough to protect kids from the potential of lead exposure at day cares.
A coalition is now calling on the state to essentially eliminate all lead exposure from drinking water at childcare facilities, a threshold that, if adopted, could make Oregon the most aggressive regulator in America.
A state policy board will consider lead standards at a meeting Thursday.
Oregon's Early Learning Council in September initially decided that day cares would not need to test drinking water for high levels of lead. But after The Oregonian/OregonLive spotlighted that decision – and contrasted it with other states, such as Washington, where testing is required – Gov. Kate Brown reversed course and ordered the policymaking council to write rules mandating testing.
State officials in December released a proposal that would require day care providers to test tap water once every six years. Those facilities would be required to provide bottled water if lead at the tap reaches 20 parts per billion.
But seven environmental organizations say Oregon should be more aggressive. In a Jan. 19 letter, they asked Oregon to set the threshold for action at 1 part per billion.
The lower standard would ensure that "Oregon kids won't be exposed to any level of lead," said Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director for Environment Oregon.
Meiffren-Swango credited Oregon for taking a "step in the right direction" but said a threshold of 20 parts per billion "still leaves kids vulnerable to lead exposure in their drinking water."
Representatives for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the Oregon State Public Research Group, the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Oregon Environmental Council, Beyond Toxics and Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility all cosigned the Jan. 19 letter.
The policy standoff could have a dramatic impact on standards across Oregon.
Oregon's Early Learning Division oversees the Office of Child Care, which is responsible for regulating about 4,200 licensed day cares watching over 100,000 children statewide. Lead testing could cost up to $100 per facility.
The issue of lead in drinking water has received increasing scrutiny in the aftermath of Flint, Michigan, where residents drank tainted water. Locally, virtually every school within Portland Public Schools had at least one tap test positive for high lead in 2016.
The Environmental Protection Agency says there is "no safe level of exposure to lead." Despite this edict, many school systems test using a standard of 20 parts per billion.
After Brown ordered the Early Learning Council to act, officials mulled how to proceed. Regulators originally planned to give themselves up to a year to enact new rules before accelerating the timing to January.
But the state's proposal is lacking, according to environmentalists.
Local groups have called on Oregon to require annual testing at day cares. And they say Oregon should require day cares to immediately install water filters certified to remove lead.
State officials are now trying to decide whether to rewrite the rules they proposed last month.
The proposal that will be considered at next week's meeting won't be released publicly until Monday at the earliest.
Lisa Morawski, a spokeswoman for Oregon's Early Learning Division, said officials are evaluating the lead issue raised by environmental groups, plus other considerations.
"We are pleased with the amount of extremely helpful comments we have received on the proposed lead rule," Sue Miller, chairwoman of the Early Learning Council, said in a statement Friday. "We plan to work with our partners at Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education in the coming days to review the comments and strengthen the rule to ensure children in Oregon's child care facilities are in healthy environments."
State officials are accepting public comments about their lead proposal through 5 p.m. Sunday. Comments can be emailed to alyssa.chatterjee@state.or.us
-- Brad Schmidt
503-294-7628
@_brad_schmidt