DHS Must Act Now: Close Lead Safety Gaps and Protect Wisconsinites

brian.weaver@dhs.wisconsin.gov, Miriam.Hasan@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Lead exposure is not just a Milwaukee issue—it is a statewide public health failure affecting communities across Wisconsin. Outdated standards and inconsistent enforcement mean that where you live can determine how well you are protected from a known toxic hazard.

Wisconsin children are being poisoned by lead—and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has the authority to act right now.

More than 4,000 children in Milwaukee alone are affected by lead poisoning each year. This is not an abstract risk. It is ongoing, preventable harm happening in homes, yards, and schools.

The problem is not a lack of knowledge. It is a failure to act.

Wisconsin’s current lead hazard standards are based on outdated science and obsolete federal models that no longer reflect what we know about the dangers of lead exposure. Even worse, these weak standards are applied inconsistently—resulting in stark racial and economic disparities in how contamination is addressed.

In some communities, contaminated soil is fully removed at significant public expense. In others—often where children have already been poisoned—minimal, temporary fixes are used, with no long-term protections or accountability.

Same contamination. Different response. People pay the price.

DHS has an open emergency rulemaking window and a clear deadline before federal EPA authorization in January 2027. This is a rare and time-limited opportunity to fix what is broken.

We demand that DHS take immediate action and include the following reforms in updates to Wisconsin Administrative Code ch. DHS 163:

Adopt protective soil lead standards
Set a residential soil lead hazard threshold of 200 mg/kg, with stronger protections where children have elevated blood lead levels, and apply these standards to all soils.
Require mandatory reporting under the Spills Law
Ensure that lead contamination is treated with the same level of urgency and rigor as other hazardous substances by triggering reporting under s. 292.11.
Make lead investigation reports public
Comply with long-standing state law by providing public access to lead investigation data so families and communities can protect themselves.
Establish enforceable long-term protections
Create a public, enforceable system of ongoing oversight—including a database and required inspections—for properties where contamination remains.

DHS cannot claim to protect children while maintaining a system that allows preventable exposure to continue—especially when those failures fall most heavily on Black communities and low-income families.

This is a test of leadership, accountability, and basic public health responsibility.

We cannot wait. The science is clear. The law allows action. The only question is whether DHS will act.

Sign this petition to demand that DHS use its emergency rulemaking authority to implement these reforms now.

Add your name to stand with families, public health professionals, and community advocates calling for real protection—not outdated rules and unequal enforcement.

To: brian.weaver@dhs.wisconsin.gov, Miriam.Hasan@dhs.wisconsin.gov
From: [Your Name]

Dear Wisconsin Department of Health Services Leadership,

I just submitted my signature on a petition signed by Wisconsin residents calling for immediate and comprehensive action to address critical gaps in our state’s lead hazard regulations.

This petition reflects growing concern across the state about ongoing, preventable lead exposure in homes, schools, and communities. While children remain the most vulnerable to irreversible harm, the broader public health, environmental, and economic impacts of lead contamination affect all Wisconsin residents.

The signatories are urging DHS to use the current emergency rulemaking window to strengthen Wisconsin Administrative Code ch. DHS 163 and bring state standards in line with modern science, consistent enforcement practices, and existing statutory obligations.

Specifically, the petition calls on DHS to:

1. Adopt more protective soil lead hazard standards
2. Require reporting of hazardous lead contamination under Wisconsin’s Spills Law
3. Ensure public access to lead investigation reports as required by state statute
4. Establish enforceable, long-term oversight for properties where contamination remains

The volume and urgency of these signatures reflect a clear expectation: Wisconsin residents want a regulatory framework that provides consistent, transparent, and effective protection from lead hazards—regardless of geography or demographic factors.

This is a time-sensitive opportunity. With the emergency rulemaking process underway and the upcoming federal authorization deadline, DHS has both the authority and the responsibility to act decisively.

We respectfully request that this petition be entered into the public record and considered as part of the rulemaking process.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,