INDIANAPOLIS – On Monday, State Senator Lonnie M. Randolph (D-East Chicago) proposed an amendment to House Bill (HB) 1265 aimed at ensuring all schools in Lake County will be tested for lead. HB 1265 would require all schools in Indiana to test their drinking water for the presence of lead before 2023. While lead poisoning is an issue across Indiana, it has been especially salient in Lake County which is home to the USS Lead Superfund site, an area where dangerous levels of lead have been identified. Due to continued high levels of lead in Lake County schools’ drinking water, Sen. Randolph’s amendment would require that all schools in Lake County continue to be tested for lead every two years after 2020. The proposal was approved by the Senate with a bipartisan vote.

“I am pleased that this incredibly important amendment passed in the Senate today. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified that there is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. They have also reported that lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous systems, slowed development and learning problems.

“It is vital that we make it a priority to protect our children from these harmful effects. I have always been committed to fighting for the health and safety of my constituents at the Statehouse. Requiring regular lead testing in our school drinking water, where lead has been identified in the past, is an important first step in ensuring the safety of our schoolchildren.”