In 2021, Congress passed the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” which was signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $15 billion towards the elimination of lead service lines and the expansion of clean drinking water access. Current estimates show that up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and childcare centers lack access to safe drinking water because of the presence of lead service lines. While the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act marks an important step toward reducing lead exposure, it will not solve the lead problem.

The damaging effects of lead poisoning have been studied for nearly a century. However, lead poisoning still seriously harms children all over the United States. Minnesota’s children and residents are no exception; a 2021 study shows Minnesota as the state with the tenth-most lead pipes in the nation. Minnesota also has the tenth-highest number of lead pipes per capita. The effects of lead poisoning are immense and lasting—reduced IQ, difficulty with speech and motor skills, behavioral disorders, developmental delay, lowered likelihood of graduating high school, and a decreased lifetime potential earnings capacity. There is no safe level of lead exposure. Minnesota will continue to face both social and economic harm due to lead poisoning until the legislature implements more aggressive policy.

This article will introduce the lead problem in the United States, consider the history behind the lead problem, and demonstrate the historical trend of lead poisoning disproportionately burdening poor and minority populations. The second half of this article will provide a comprehensive analysis of the biological impacts and societal costs of lead poisoning. Finally, the article will conclude by analyzing lead policy and proposing solutions to expedite the eradication of lead poisoning in Minnesota.