This is why the newly proposed legislation regarding mandatory testing in Daycare Centers is so important.
New Jersey Democratic Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio proposed legislation that would require all daycare centers to be tested for lead. She introduced the legislation alongside a proposal to require testing and remediation of lead in all public and private school water supplies.
This is an especially important piece of legislation for several reasons:
This should already have been a law
It would likely prove very difficult to find a single person who thinks that this law is a bad idea. When it comes to Lead Exposure, the biggest offender is negligence. The only way to make sure that children aren’t exposed to Lead at a daycare center, is to make it a law that all daycare centers need to be tested. The fact that this is just happening now in 2016 is absolutely baffling.
It comes on the heels of another important piece of legislation, also filed by Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio
Alongside Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer, D-Essex, she ‘introduced new legislation that would require lead paint inspections during home sales and rental turnovers in an effort to protect more New Jerseyans from the effects of lead exposure.’ (NJ1015)
As the Assemblywoman continues to roll out proposed legislation, it is clear to see the momentum taking shape. It is incredibly important to see these issues being tackled one step at a time. Although these seem like common sense type laws, they somehow didn’t exist before she proposed them. This approach to tackle the issue from the ground up is setting a new standard.
New Jersey clearly has a Lead Exposure problem
“We definitely have a lead issue here in New Jersey,” Muoio said. “We have 11 communities with higher lead infection levels than in Flint, Michigan.” (NJ1015)
‘The towns in question: Atlantic City, East Orange, Elizabeth, Irvington, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Plainfield, New Brunswick, Passaic and Trenton. Overall, Salem and Cumberland Counties also showed higher proportionate amounts of children with high lead levels.’
The biggest thing that we learned from the Flint Water Crisis is that Lead Exposure is a problem in America. The State of New Jersey is one of 50 States that currently face the same problem. As several shocking Lead statistics surface every week, perhaps one of the most shocking is NJ. New Jersey might be a small State, but these are huge cities. The sense of urgency applied to Flint needs to apply everywhere.
This is a great example of attacking the Lead problem in America, by taking action on a State Level.
When the topic of mandatory testing for daycare centers is brought up, the only questions should be: when does it go into effect? And why haven’t we done this sooner? This proposal isn’t just about New Jersey. What we’re seeing here is an incredible step in the right direction. It is a step towards a better future, and a step away from neglect and complacency.
Tags: Asbestos, asbestos test, diy asbestos test, diy e-coli test, diy ecoli test, diy indoor air quality test, diy lead test, diy soil test, e-coli test, E. Coli, ecoli, ecoli test, home asbestos test, home ecoli test, home indoor air quality test, home lead test, home radon test, Indoor Air Quality, indoor air quality test, Lead, lead test