Measures to prevent lead poisoning in King County

August 31, 2016

Summary

Council Committee sends motion to full Council for final action

Story

Exposure to lead, especially for young children and infants, continues to be a significant health concern. The Metropolitan King County Council’s Health, Housing and Human Services Committee today joined the King County Board of Health in calling for steps to prevent lead poisoning, which is known to have health effects which include decreased physical growth, learning disabilities, decreased IQ, and behavioral problems.

“The risks of lead exposure and poisoning – especially in children - are very real here in King County and in Washington State as a whole,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, chair of the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee and a member of the King County Board of Health. “Public Health of Seattle and King County estimates that more than eight thousand children in King County may have elevated blood lead levels and the state Department of Health reports that only a fraction of children exposed to lead in King County and Washington state actually receive blood lead-level tests. We are encouraging all King County health care providers to screen all children at ages twelve and twenty-four months for lead levels.”

Lead exposure is a danger to children because growing bodies absorb proportionally more lead than adults. Incidents both locally and nationally have increased awareness of the continuing issue of lead exposure, which led the King County Board of Health to issue a call for measures to reduce potential exposure to lead.

The vote by the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee calls for the Council to support to measures adopted by the Board of Health. Those steps include:

• Calling on federal and state lawmakers to take meaningful action to address lead poisoning;
• Encouraging and exploring requiring all King County health care providers to adopt Washington State Department of Health guidance for lead screening of all children at ages twelve and twenty-four months; and
• Updating the occupational lead standards for lead in Washington state to provide greater protection for workers and their families.

The motion has been sent to the full County Council for discussion and possible action.