MILWAUKEE– The Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is facing growing pressure as it works to contain a lead contamination crisis in several Milwaukee Public Schools- now without the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
MHD Commissioner Dr. Michael Totoraitis revealed on April 3, during a live appearance on Wisconsin’s Midday News, that his department had only recently learned-via email- that the CDC would no longer be assisting with lead removal and abatement efforts. The federal agency reportedly stepped back due to staffing cuts that dismantled the team assigned to Milwaukee’s lead response.
“This ​has ​been ​an ​evolving ​situation ​and ​every ​week ​something ​changes,” Dr. Totoraitis says.
“It ​was ​a difficult ​email ​to ​see ​and ​actually ​I ​was quite ​shocked ​when ​I ​received ​the ​email ​because ​we ​were ​actually ​meeting ​internally ​to ​continue ​planning ​on ​the ​MPS ​response ​and ​then ​to ​see ​that ​all ​of ​our ​partners ​at ​the ​CDC ​had ​been ​like, ​oh, ​it ​was ​pretty ​difficult. ​At this ​point ​we ​don’t ​have ​any ​Contacts ​at ​the ​CDC ​for ​childhood ​lead ​poisoning. ​It’s ​a ​pretty stark ​moment ​for ​us ​in ​the ​department ​to ​not ​have ​someone ​to ​reach ​out ​to ​federally. ​We ​have ​our ​local ​partners, ​as ​well ​as ​some ​national ​partners ​at ​other ​health ​departments and ​local ​health ​departments. ​But ​this ​is ​a ​pretty ​unprecedented ​scenario ​to ​not ​have ​someone ​to ​turn ​to ​at ​the ​CDC.”
Now, three MPS schools- Starms Discovery Learning Center, LaFollette, and Fernwoord Montessori– remain closed as the city works to safely remove lead hazards. The buildings have been shut down for four weeks, the longest any school remained closed since the lead issue first came to light. Students from those schools have been temporarily relocated.
“So ​Fernwood ​is ​the ​one ​that’s ​furthest ​along ​right ​now,” Dr. Totoraitis explains.
“​It’s ​going ​on ​week ​five ​of ​closure ​which from ​the ​town ​hall ​briefing ​that ​happened ​last ​week, ​the ​district ​spoke ​to ​just ​the ​level ​of ​repair ​that ​had ​happened, ​which ​was ​essentially ​significantly ​worse ​off ​than ​they ​had ​initially ​anticipated. ​So ​we’re ​ready ​and ​ready ​to ​go. ​Once ​they ​give ​us ​the ​green ​light ​to ​come ​in ​and ​do ​the ​clearance ​testing, ​our ​team’s ​ready. ​We ​have ​our ​lab ​on ​standby ​to ​do ​the ​processing ​of ​samples. So ​we ​really, ​*really* ​want ​to ​get ​the ​kids ​back ​in ​school ​once ​it’s ​safe.”
Families and educators are growing increasingly frustrated. During a recent virtual town hall hosted by MPS, several parents raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the slow pace of cleanup. One parent said that in some classrooms, the attempted cleanup may have actually stirred up lead dust, potentially making the situation worse.
The Milwaukee Health Department’s remediation plan for the lead contamination in public schools focuses on immediate cleaning, long-term monitoring, and better communication with families. After identifying unsafe lead dust levels in at least the 3 buildings currently closed, the department began targeting deep-cleaning and dust sampling.
“From ​what ​I ​understand, ​it’s ​going ​pretty ​well,” Dr. Totoraitis on the remediation.
“I ​think ​there’s ​just ​a ​couple ​revisions ​that ​they’re ​doing. ​My ​understanding ​is ​it ​would ​be ​done ​in ​the ​next ​couple ​weeks ​or ​so. The ​main ​thing ​that ​we ​really ​wanted ​to ​focus ​on ​with ​the ​district ​was ​that ​it ​was ​actionable ​and ​that ​we ​could ​make ​sure ​that ​it ​was ​going ​to ​be ​implemented. ​As ​we ​pointed ​to ​for ​the ​last ​four ​months, ​the ​district ​had ​a ​plan. ​They ​just ​hadn’t ​implemented ​it. ​And ​making ​sure ​that ​the ​district ​has ​a ​plan ​that ​they’re ​going ​to ​follow ​is ​the ​bigger ​part. ​And ​we’re ​still ​working ​with ​the ​district ​and ​city ​leadership ​to ​make ​sure ​that ​we ​can ​actually ​support ​the ​district ​long ​term. ​And ​making ​sure ​that ​the ​district ​can ​follow ​the plan.”
The Health Department has since committed to regular updates on the status of its lead investigations and is now offering free lead screenings for children ages 9 moths to 10 years. Officials say a full “Lead Action Plan” is being developed in partnership with the school district, and inspections across all school buildings are underway. Making sure no more kids test positive for the poisoning is something that stands high on the priority list.
“Thankfully ​it’s ​been ​very ​low,” Dr. Totoraitis on the children testing positive.
 ​”So ​we’re ​really, *​really* ​encouraged ​by ​that. ​We’re ​also ​encouraged ​by ​the ​larger ​population data ​for ​the ​city ​to ​see ​that ​parents ​are ​bringing ​their ​kids ​to ​get ​screened ​to. Again, ​there ​aren’t ​any ​additional ​cases ​that ​we ​have ​identified ​at ​this ​point ​which is ​a ​really ​encouraging ​sign. ​As ​we’re ​again ​still ​ramping ​up ​the ​testing, ​we ​anticipate ​finding ​more ​cases ​at ​this ​point ​and ​then ​we’re ​still ​following ​up ​on ​the ​complaint ​based ​process. ​So ​there ​is ​at ​least ​one ​additional ​suspect ​case ​that’s ​been ​referred ​to ​us ​that ​we’re ​investigating ​now ​for ​potential ​lead ​poisoning ​at ​the ​school. ​But ​at ​this ​point ​it’s ​been ​a ​relatively ​low ​number ​and ​we ​hope ​that ​it’s ​still. ​What ​school ​is ​that ​suspect? ​I ​don’t ​have ​that ​in ​front ​of ​me ​right ​now. ​But ​it’s ​a ​school ​that ​we ​haven’t ​been ​in ​yet.”
