Referred to: The Public Health and Social Services Committee (Chairman Lopez and

Legislators Allen, Belfiglio, Heppner, and Roberts), and The Legislative Programs,

Education and Community Services Committee (Chairman Wawro and Legislators

Berky, Delaune, Donaldson and Lopez)

Legislator Chris Allen offers the following:

WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has

determined that exposure to lead can lead to serious neurological damage and stunted

cognitive development in children who have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead in

drinking water, bathing water and within their environment; and

 WHEREAS, the EPA has also determined that adults who have been exposed

to unsafe levels of lead can suffer from cardiovascular problems including

hypertension, increased blood pressure, decreased kidney functions and reproductive

problems; and

 WHEREAS, the EPA has further determined that corrective action should be

immediately taken towards correcting sources of drinking water and bathing water

where it has been determined that levels of lead exceed 0.015 milligrams per liter of

water; and

 WHEREAS, numerous schools and associative buildings where educational

services and educational-based support services are conducted within the State of

New York have been determined to exceed the unsafe threshold of 0.015 milligrams

of lead per liter of water; and

 WHEREAS, millions of school-aged children, young-adult students, adult

teachers, administrative staff, parents and other members of the public are in contact

with potable drinking water and bathing water within the thousands of educationalbased and associative-based buildings on an annual basis within the State of New

York; and

 WHEREAS New York State Assembly Bill A09687, also known as the

“Lupardo Bill”, and New York Senate Bill S07103A require school districts and

cooperative education services within New York State to periodically test and

monitor for levels of lead in their sources of potable water; and 

 WHEREAS, A09687/S07103A also provide for State Aid to pay for the costs

associated with periodical testing and the costs associated with remediation when it

has been determined that unsafe levels of lead are found and remediation is

necessary; and

 WHEREAS, the new testing standards required by A09687/S07103A, and the

sourcing of such State-based aid for such testing and remediation for detecting and

remediating unsafe levels of lead in the potable water within educational-based

buildings, will help to ensure that all students, teachers, administrative staff, parents

and the general public will be less likely to be exposed to unsafe levels of lead within

potable water within educational-based building within Ulster County and the entire

State of New York; now, therefore, be it

 RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature strongly urges the successful

passage of A09687 and S07103A within the New York State Assembly and New

York State Senate; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward

copies of this resolution to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Chair of the New York

State Assembly Education Committee Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chairman

of the New York State Senate Health Committee Kemp Hannon, and all of the Ulster

County representatives of the New York State Legislature,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: NOES:

Passed Committee: Public Health and Social Services on June 6, 2016

Passed Committee: Legislative Programs, Education and Community Services on

June 13, 2016

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE