Letter to the Hon. Sonny Perdue, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - Menendez, Booker, Sires, Payne Call on USDA to Help Administer Lead Blood Screenings in Newark

Letter

Dear Secretary Perdue:

We write in regard to the ongoing concerns with the water quality in Newark, New Jersey and your ability as the Secretary of Agriculture to help mitigate any potential risks to which the City's residents may be exposed. As you may be aware, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently discovered levels of lead that exceed the applicable federal drinking water standard during tests of filtered water at Newark residences. This means that those most susceptible to lead poisoning - pregnant women and children under five -- may have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead through their drinking water.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) are uniquely positioned to provide immediate assistance to Newark, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) through the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA). WIC, which is administered by the NJDOH, is already serving the populations most susceptible to dangerous lead levels: pregnant women and children up to age five. Additionally, WIC recipients in New Jersey are also eligible for food packages through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through the NJDA. With this in mind, we request that you immediately take the following actions:

1. Allow the NJDOH to use WIC funds to conduct blood lead tests on WIC participants at WIC clinics in Newark.
1. Provide additional funding to NJDOH to open an additional and temporary WIC clinic in Newark to assist in immediately conducting these blood lead tests.
1. Use your authority to distribute the NJDA additional TEFAP food to already eligible households that contain foods rich in calcium, iron, and Vitamin C, which may help limit the absorption of lead in the body.

We appreciate your attention to this matter. Please provide a response no later than August 23, 2019.