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an extended hands-on, in-the-field, direct science learning opportunity?
Measure the amount of lead in the allegedly exposed children. If the problem is real, their levels will correspond to the measurements taken at each site.
Alternate plan: endless hand-wringing about the potential effects of all possible chemicals.
Don't forget: lead contamination is legal (grandfathered), while marijuana consumption is illegal (under Federal law, if and when applicable).
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if I had, it would have been to do more lead testing in children to determine whether the lead levels had any correlation to the schools that they attended AND to make an effort to identify the major sources of lead before committing $10? $20M, $??M (you don't think these contractors are going to answer their phones for less than a couple mil per site do you?) to lead remediation at these schools without any clear evidence that that effort would actually provide a benefit to the children that are suffering the effects of lead exposure. I agree, it's only taxpayer dollars, and there's always more where those came from, but ignorant fool that I may be, I wouldn't object to a little bit of cost-benefit analysis.
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Agree - Why spend the money if you do not even know if it is an issue? Many of these kids live in homes built quite some time ago when lead paint was used. That is the more likely source.
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kalakoa - Measure the amount of lead in the allegedly exposed children. If the problem is real, their levels will correspond to the measurements taken at each site.
As already noted, about 3% of children in Hawaii tested show elevated levels of lead. The problem becomes identifying the source(s). However, for some, even when a source of exposure is identified, we should apparently wait to identify all the possible sources, and then compare them to all other health impacts, especially the wide-spread chronic alcohol and marijuana use in elementary kids, before doing anything. Or just trust leilanidude - he knows for sure, no science needed!
In order to save even more money, just add it to the kids' science curriculum. Extra credit for those that find the most contaminated soils on school grounds (based on taste of course - no money needed for tools & instruments). The set up the Tonka trucks and garden plots there and they can haul it away or sell it themselves. Free-labor + Pb || As = $$$!
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about 3% of children in Hawaii tested show elevated levels of lead. The problem becomes identifying the source(s).
They're assuming the sources are public institutions which are eligible for publicly-funded remedial efforts. Obviously the lead didn't come from these childrens' homes, because no public funding is available to fix the problem on private property.
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They're not assuming, the schools were tested and confirmed for elevated levels of lead, arsenic, and chlordane. What kick-started the testing it was elevated levels of arsenic found in the Keaau Middle School garden area (but no doubt everyone knew this as they read the articles right?)
But the (enlightened) PW response is clear - get f'ed kids, keep your hands off of my stack. We know the schools suck at teaching and are poisoning the kids - but why can't it cost less!?
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They're not assuming, the schools were tested and confirmed for elevated levels of lead
Elevated levels of lead in children therefore came from the schools because there are no other sources of lead available to the children?
Isn't that a little like saying "well marijuana is illegal, so nobody will have access to it"?
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Here's a noodle-scratcher kalakoa - how do you prove (or disprove) which source lead to the elevated blood levels? (other than asking the all-knowing leilanidude of course) No doubt this needs plenty of funded study to make sure we're not wasting any money on mitigation. But of course, if homes are identified (and irrefutably proven) as THE source of contamination, you'll support funding for mitigation there instead right?
Or is the whole exercise here just a justification to avoid any sense of moral or financial obligation?
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Hawaii Department of Health
Hawaii Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (HI-CLPPP)
Our team is committed to reducing children’s exposure to lead by improving blood lead testing, guidelines, education, and linking families to needed services.
http://health.hawaii.gov/cshcn/childhood...revention/
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Purpose:The project purpose is to reduce lead exposure and lead poisoning, through: (1) strengthening blood lead level testing;(2) strengthening surveillance; (3) strengthening population-based interventions; and (4) strengthening processes to identify lead-exposed children and linkage to services.
https://health.hawaii.gov/cshcn/files/20...pt2017.pdf
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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if homes are identified (and irrefutably proven) as THE source of contamination, you'll support funding for mitigation there instead right?
Of course not! Can't have government spending public money to improve private property, especailly where the public good is involved. Socialism is always the wrong answer!
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quote:
Originally posted by ironyak
Or is the whole exercise here just a justification to avoid any sense of moral or financial obligation?
No, as I stated earlier, the objective is to encourage actions that actually have a chance to make a difference rather than some headline catching, feel good, waste of time and money that doesn't improve the situation for the lead-exposed children.
By an interesting coincidence, I attended a meeting today with one of the DOH Toxicologists who was involved with the earlier lead survey - and her experience has been that the majority of the high lead exposures for young children have occurred at the children's homes: kids playing in their home yard where Daddy happens to work on cars and a collection of dead lead-acid batteries are kicking around; kids being fed out of (imported) dishes with lead-rich glazing; kids handling (imported) religious trinkets fabricated from lead based alloys, etc.
So I stand by my original comments - ready, fire, aim makes lots of noise, but doesn't really accomplish much else.
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