宾夕法尼亚州在最近的州预算中放宽了学校饮用水铅含量的报告标准 [1]。根据2018年《公共学校法》第39条，原有法律要求学校报告任何检出铅含量（零以上）[1]，但新规定将报告门槛提高至每十亿部分五个单位（5 ppb）[1]。
这一改变引起了环保和公共卫生倡导者的反对。环保倡导组织PennEnvironment执行主任David Masur指出，"最终意味着很多家长会被蒙在鼓里，我们每天都知道会有孩子喝到含铅的学校饮用水，尽管我们知道铅在任何水平上都是不安全的" [1]。
执行中存在过波折。宾州教育部门最初错误地向学区提供指导，要求报告超过15 ppb的铅含量，而非0 ppb以上 [1]。该部门在今年5月修正了指导意见，要求报告任何超过0 ppb的铅检测结果 [1]。
在政策制定过程中，众议院民主党人最初主张将报告门槛定为15 ppb，后来改为5 ppb [1]。相比之下，美国环保署设定的铅最大污染物目标为零 ppb，而其"铅行动水平"为15 ppb [1]。
Pennsylvania has quietly raised the threshold for reporting lead in school drinking water as part of its recent state budget, a change that environmental advocates warn will leave parents uninformed about potential contamination. [1]
Under the previous standard established in the 2018 Public School Code Section 39, schools were required to report any lead detection above zero parts per billion (ppb). [1] The new requirement raises this reporting threshold to 5 ppb. [1]
The shift has drawn sharp criticism from public health and environmental groups. David Masur, executive director of environmental advocacy organization PennEnvironment, stated that the change ultimately means "many parents are going to be kept in the dark, and we know every day there are kids drinking lead-contaminated water in schools, even though we know lead is not safe at any level." [1]
The state's education department initially provided incorrect guidance to school districts, directing them to report lead levels exceeding 15 ppb rather than anything above zero. [1] The department corrected this guidance in May of this year, requiring schools to report any lead detection above 0 ppb. [1]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum contaminant goal for lead at zero ppb and designated 15 ppb as the "action level." [1] During budget negotiations, House Democrats initially proposed a 15 ppb reporting threshold before eventually settling on 5 ppb. [1]