Advocacy Project: Letter to Elected Official

Dec. 11th, 2011
Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Vote yes on amendment H.AMDT.631.

I am writing to encourage you to vote yes on the amendment to the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act.  The purity of our drinking water in vital to the health of every community, especially in our schools. By requiring a report on water, we will be ensuring that our children are safe from lead.

As a health educator and community member, this issue is important to me.  Lead can cause many negative health conditions ranging from upset stomachs, to brain and memory damage.  It can seep into our drinking water from old pipes used to carry and distribute water.  Many of our older school buildings could easily contain such pipes, and lead could be slowly damaging the children, staff and parents who come in contact with the water.

Others may think that testing and repair if our school's water and pipes is too costly.  Or that the health concern isn't really there.  But can we really put a price on the health of our children and community members?  Lead poisoning is very real, and very serious, and we should do everything we can to protect our future from it.

Thank you for your time.  If you want any further information, or have and questions, please don't hesitate to call me at 321-555-1234.  Again, I encourage you to vote yes for this amendment.


Sincerely,
Sierra Wilson-Beckman
safewater@us.yes.com

Advocacy Project: Fact Sheet

Is Lead Contaminating 
Our Children's Drinking Water?

What is lead?

The National Institutes of Health describes lead as "...a highly toxic metal found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Because of its abundance, low cost, and physical properties, lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products... Since 1980, federal and state regulatory standards have helped to minimize or eliminate the amount of lead in consumer products and occupational settings. Today, the most common sources of lead exposure in the United States are lead-based paint in older homes, contaminated soil, household dust, drinking water..."

What effects does lead have on the health of children?
There are many effects and symptoms from lead poisoning, and can range from acute to chronic. Children and more at risk because of their developing bodies and organs. Some complications and symptoms include:

• Anemia (low levels of red blood cells)
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Kidney failure
• Learning disabilities
• Loss of short-term memory and ability to concentrate

How does lead get into water, and how do I know if it's there?
Lead does not naturally occur in water. It can leach into drinking water from pipes used to deliver the water to the home or building.
The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water.

Has my child's school been tested?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Unless a school is regulated as a public water system, testing for lead and copper within the school is not specifically required. Therefore, many schools served by water systems owned by cities, towns, or other entities may have never been tested for lead under the LCR. Therefore, EPA strongly recommends that schools test drinking water in their facilities for lead.

Where can I get more information?
The Duluth office of the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources:
Phone: (218)-723-4752
Address: 394 South Lake Av. Room 403

Duluth Public Schools
Contact your child's school and ask for information on their water testing history.

Visit the EPA's website for both general and local information.

Brought to you by Sierra Wilson-Beckman

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

• Lead in the drinking water of schools
• An amendment to the Clean Water Act, requiring annual testing and reports of school drinking water

Who is affected?:

• The students who attend the school, families/friends who visit the school and staff who work at the school. Also the companies employed to test the water and the school district staff who deal with the budget.
• The people who consume water contaminated with lead would win, because they would hopefully be saved from possible lead poisoning: "Lead is considered the number one health threat to children, and the effects of lead poisoning can last a lifetime. Not only does lead poisoning stunt a child’s growth, damage the nervous system, and cause learning disabilities, but it is also now linked to crime and anti-social behavior in children." (source)
• The company employed to test the water would also win, because they would be gaining business.
• The people directly effected by the school's budget might be the losers, since paying for testing could be costly. 

Consequences:

• Negative consequences for the individuals most impacted are the health problems associated with lead poisoning.  
• For the families of these individuals - if parents had a child or other family member with lead poisoning they would likely suffer emotional stress, along with medical bills.
• For society the impacts would include financial stress due to medical treatments, which might impact the overall community.  Also if it is a small community they could suffer emotional stress.

Economic Impacts:

• The school or school district would bear the cost of funding the testing.  They would also likely bear the cost of some repercussions if someone did get lead poisoning. 
• The social benefits would be healthier children and families, which would lead to happier children and families.  They wouldn't need to worry about possible poisoning.

Barriers:

• Barriers would be mostly financial.  Testing an entire school annually could get pricey, and then if they did find outlets with lead, the price of replacing them would be much more expensive.  Other barriers might be time - finding a time to bring in the testers, or do replacements if necessary.
• The school could do some sort of fundraising - if concerned families and communities would want to donate.  Also they might be able to get help from the government.  Time could be figured out easier, since they could do it after school hours on weekends most likely.  Here is say that grants are available under a statute.  

Resources:

• We would need the school community, and also the surrounding community, to come together to support the cause.  
• A local company to do testing, and also replacing if necessary
• The community could be tapped by bringing up the issue in school board meetings or parent groups.  Also by distributing fliers and pamphlets to homes.

History:

• I found a Minnesota Statute that was passed, here.
• "Minnesota Statutes 144.9501-144.9512 (also known as The Minnesota Lead Poisoning Prevention Act) were enacted to prevent and reduce lead exposure to children, up to the age of 72 months, and pregnant women from the adverse health effects caused by elevated blood lead levels."

Allies and Opponents:

• Allies would likely be the community and concerned families. 
• Opponents would probably be anyone in the school or district concerned about money or possibly legal issues if lead is found.

Policy Makers should definitely vote in agreement with annual water/outlet testing.  It will ensure the safety and optimal development of the children in the community.

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

I chose to focus on the healthy homes and communities section. This one had a lot of objectives and sub-objectives, since it encompasses homes and schools. It was hard to pick which one to use for this post, since they all seem important. I chose the objective of checking water outlets in schools for lead, since I hadn't ever thought of this before, but it is very important. On this page the author states that early exposure to lead can reduce IQ in young children.

Baseline: 55.7 percent percent of the Nation’s elementary, middle, and high schools inspected drinking water outlets for lead in 2006
Target: 61.3 percent
Target-Setting Method: 10 percent improvement
Data Source: School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), CDC
More Information: here

H.AMDT.631 (A004)  -- an amendment to this bill
Sponsor: Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen W.

Amendment decription: Amendment, as modified, requires the Adminstrator of EPA to submit to Congress within one year and then annually thereafter, a report on any increase or reduction in waterborne pathogenic microorganisms(including protozoa, viruses, bacteria, and parasites), toxic chemicals, or toxic metals (such as lead and mercury) in waters regulated by a State under the provisions of H.R. 2018, and including any amendments to the bill.
Amendment purpose: An amendment numbered 4 printed in House Report 112-144 to require the Administrator of the EPA to submit to Congress within one year and then annually thereafter, a report on any increase in waterborne pathogenic microorganisms (including protozoa, viruses, bacteria, and parasites), toxic chemicals, or toxic metals (such as lead and mercury) in waters regulated by a State under the provisions of H.R. 2018, including any amendments to the bill.

Latest action: (7/13/2011 3:50pm) On agreeing to the Hanabusa amendment (A004) as modified Agreed to by voice vote.

Recommended Action: Vote yes for this amendment.

Political Representative: Congresswoman Amy Klobuchar

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

President:
Barack Obama - Democrat
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW Washington, DC 20500

Phone: 202-456-1111
TTY: 202-456-6213

Congresspersons: 
Amy Klobuchar - US Senator - Democrat
1200 Washington Avenue South, Room 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043

Al Franken - US Senator - Democrat
515 W 1st St Suite 104
Duluth, MN 55802

Phone: (218) 722-2390

Chip Cravaack - US House - Republican
Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse 515 West First Street, Room 235 Duluth, MN 55802

Phone: (218) 740-7803
Fax: (218) 740-7804

Governor:
Mark Dayton - Democrat
Office of the Governor 130 State Capitol 75
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717

State Legislators:
Carly Melin - MN House - Democrat/Farmer Labor
309 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-296-0172 or 888-726-0711

David Tomassoni - MN Senate - Democrat/Farmer Labor
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. State Office Building, Room 21 
St. Paul, MN 55155-1206

Phone: 651.296.8017

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