Bills would increase lead testing in Pa.

A Pennsylvania state legislator said Friday he would introduce a package of bills to increase lead testing in the commonwealth.

The first bill would require children under 6 to be tested for elevated blood levels of the toxic metal, said State Rep. Angel Cruz (D., Phila.). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be tested at ages 1 and 2, and again before age 6.

A second bill would amend the state's Safe Drinking Water Act to require more frequent testing for lead in water.

A third would require lead inspections of residential properties built before 1978 before they could be rented to a new tenant.

"It's a tragedy that the events in Flint had to remind us of the dangers of lead poisoning," Cruz said, "but the danger is real and the danger is high."

State data released in 2014 reported that lead poisoning remains a chronic problem in several Pennsylvania cities, including Philadelphia, Allentown, and Harrisburg. - Sam Wood