Wilmington City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging school districts and Delaware’s Div of Public Health to take remedial action on lead contamination in school water sources.
The resolution’s sponsor, Councilwoman Shané Darby, says many Wilmington schools have been affected by lead contamination, and that it is important for the council to make a statement that it supports changes to fix the issues, including current testing efforts.
Councilwoman Latisha Bracy praised the resolution but says there is more council can do to help.
“That is really where we need to be spending some time," Bracy says. "And I think once we finish with this conversation, we really should start to look at how we are working with the state, the Department of Health and Social Services, the EPA, and others to make sure that we are bringing dollars into the city that can help homeowners with lead remediation, and that’s one way we can really be protecting our kids.”
Darby notes that addressing lead in the city will cost money, and advocates keeping the $2 million for the Housing Opportunity Fund in the proposed FY2024 budget.
“If the $2 million for the Housing Opportunity Fund from the budget is in the budget, then we can use that money to support initiatives that are already happening, or to create our own lead program," Darby says. "So I hope that as a city council, we can advocate that that budget line is in there so we can have these conversations because everything costs money."
She adds New Castle County has a lead program that includes Wilmington residents, so anyone can have their home assessed for lead and receive assistance to remove it.
