Milwaukee Schools Found Hazardous Lead Contamination; CDC Can’t Help Due to Layoffs

The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) has identified hazardous levels of lead contamination in multiple Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) buildings. These findings, uncovered through separate case investigations by MHD’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, confirm lead hazards inside MPS buildings that exceed state safety standards.

However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rejected a request from Milwaukee health officials for help with a lead poisoning investigation, after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated the agency’s response team amidst mass firings last week across multiple federal health agencies.

“I sincerely regret to inform you that due to the complete loss of our Lead Program, we will be unable to support you with this,” Aaron Bernstein, director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told city officials April 3 in an email obtained by CBS News.

On March 26, Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s state health departments formally had requested the CDC’s aid after the city’s schools were found to have “significant lead hazards.” The officials had asked the CDC to help develop a strategy to test and triage Milwaukee public school students for lead poisoning, along with assistance in providing outreach to the community.

Milwaukee’s health department remains committed to moving work forward and finding solutions locally, CNN reported.