The governor says he believes all Pennsylvania children under the age of 2 should be tested for lead.
Acting state health department spokesman Dr. Rachel Levine says it’s important to identify all children with elevated blood-lead levels and make sure their families have access to available services.
“We want to get a better understanding of the scope of this issue,” Levine said.
Universal lead testing would have to come in the form of a state law. Currently, only children who are receiving assistance are routinely tested.
In Pennsylvania, we rank third in the nation for the number of housing units that had been built before 1950, when lead was most prevalent in paint and plumbing, according to Levine.
Two Butler County school districts have dealt with high levels of lead in their school’s drinking water this year.
