Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos is applauding the work it's taken to get loans secured to help places like Galesburg fix their issues with lead, but that money only goes so far. That's where she thinks students from Augustana College can step in.
Rep. Bustos stopped by the college Friday morning to speak with Dr. Michael Reisner, who is leading the Upper Mississippi Center for Sustainable Communities. It's a group of students using lessons they're learning in specific courses on campus and applying them to real world issues, like lead poisoning.
They're already working with Scott County to figure out the best ways to address the lead concerns, and Rep. Bustos is hoping that they'll be able to reach out to other colleges in the area, like Knox College, and expand that program to keep the attention on lead strong in the other counties that also have lead concerns.
"This is a preventable problem. We know exactly what leads to lead in children's blood systems. We know how horrible it is to have lead in children's blood systems," Rep. Bustos said.
Rep. Bustos says that she'll be working to connect the organization with other colleges in the area with the hopes of creating a new network of programs that can work alongside city and community leaders to help address the issue of lead.
The group's priority plan for places like Scott County is more preventative in application compared to plans in place now that are more reactive, something Rep. Bustos wants to see happen more in Illinois.