PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia’s city council has passed legislation to safeguard students from lead paint, months after a newspaper investigation found that more than half of the city’s public elementary schools have serious environmental hazards like lead dust, mold spores and asbestos fibers.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that under the legislation passed Thursday, the School District of Philadelphia must certify its buildings as “safe from lead-based paint hazards,” or meet a 90-day deadline to repair damaged paint.
Until that happens, the district must clean up hazards daily and restrict student access.
The district has a revamped strategy for tackling lead paint, and so far has cleaned up eight elementary schools.
School district spokesman Lee Whack says “we believe it is vital to take all necessary precautions to mitigate any exposure to health risks, including lead paint.”
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com
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