skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Dow drops 1,100 as US stock market leads a worldwide sell-off following Trump's tariff announcement; 'Uplift Wisconsin' to end service this week due to federal cuts; Advocates rally at AL Statehouse for Medicaid, parole and voting; Portland residents call for ban on cruise ship wastewater discharge.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Donald Trump announces worldwide tariffs. Democrats decry 'Liberation Day' as the economy adjusts to the news. And some Republicans break from Trump's trade stance.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The proposed dismantling of the Depart. of Education has rural schools scared, postal carriers say USPS changes will hurt rural communities most, fiber networks to improve internet may be supplanted by Musk's satellites, and it's time to PLAY BALL!

New Report Finds Excess Lead in Charlotte Schools' Drinking Water

play audio
Play

Friday, March 29, 2019   

RALEIGH, N.C. - Researchers have found elevated levels of lead in the drinking water of schools in Charlotte.

Lead is highly toxic and impairs neurological function, especially in children. The report, conducted by researchers at the Environment America Research and Policy Center, found that 41 out of 89 schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district had taps with lead exceeding 15 parts per billion, the Environmental Protection Agency's limit for lead in drinking water.

However, most medical and public-health experts say there is no safe level of lead for children. Drew Ball, director of the nonprofit organization Environment North Carolina, says this is a problem state officials and lawmakers can work together to fix.

"When we find lead in tap water, we can put filters on, we can replace piping, we can make that change to ensure that our children's health is safe," says Ball.

Many schools and preschools have water fountains, faucets or piping that contains lead, which can seep into the water supply.

There are no current regulations in place requiring schools in North Carolina to test for lead in their drinking water. Ball says the bipartisan House Bill 386 aims to change that.

"This really isn't a partisan issue," says Ball. "Republicans' and Democrats' children all go to school and drink the same water. And, at the end of the day, this is an issue that has been ignored for far too long. And that's why House Bill 386 begins to address that by requiring testing for lead."

The bill would also change the lead trigger level in drinking water to 5 parts per billion, and would create a fund for replacing lead pipes and faucets in schools.

Reporting by North Carolina News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the Park Foundation


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Since March 8, the Trump administration has attempted to arrest or deport at least six additional pro-Palestinian foreign students across four campuses, including Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown and Tufts universities. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

UPDATE: A statement about the arrest from the University of Cincinnati has been added. (8:10 a.m. MDT, Apr. 3, 2025) A recent arrest on the …


Environment

play sound

A huge offshore wind project is forging ahead off Humboldt Bay in Northern California - and Saturday, elected officials will tour the deepwater port …

Social Issues

play sound

Some Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to protect voter rights after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to require proof of citizenship …


Zay Harding, host of "The Visioneers," examines the future of coastal protection with Kind Designs showcasing 3D-Printing Living Seawalls in Miami. (Screenshot of visioneerstv)

Environment

play sound

A group of Florida middle schoolers is tackling water pollution in an unconventional way - by collecting scientific samples while surfing and skateboa…

Social Issues

play sound

By Chantal Flores for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News Service …

The Uplift Wisconsin warmline offers emotional support for people experiencing distress but not in immediate danger, different from a hotline designed for immediate crisis intervention and urgent support. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

"Uplift Wisconsin" is just one of the latest casualties from a $210 million cut in federal health funds to the state. The "warmline" operates seven …

Social Issues

play sound

A Montana legislative committee this week heard a bill to revise workers' compensation laws. Among opponents were workers who have navigated the …

Social Issues

play sound

As many Minnesotans dig out from an early Spring snowstorm, the future of a federal program that helps low-income households pay their heating bills …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021