lead contamination
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Flint Asks for Extension to Test Vulnerable Homes for Lead in Water
As part of an ongoing effort to keep its water safe, Flint, Mich. has filed an extension to allow officials more time to submit water tests for the homes most likely to have lead water lines. Michigan state and federal laws require the city to test for lead lines every six months—a more frequent timetable…
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Harriet A. Washington's A Terrible Thing to Waste Injects a Dose of Hard Truth Into the Conversation About Black Lives
Harriet Washington’s 2007 tome, Medical Apartheid, not only outlined the pervasive use of medical experimentation on black Americans throughout history but circumscribed blacks’ credible distrust of the medical establishment. In fact, a large part of why J. Marion Sims’ statue was removed from New York’s Central Park more than a decade later was because of…
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NJ Hypes $120 Million Plan to Slash the Time Needed to Replace Newark’s Toxic Lead Pipes
As concerns continue to grow about dangerous lead in Newark, N.J.’s drinking water, Mayor Ras Baraka, along with county and state officials, announced a plan to speed up replacement of the city’s lead pipes to about two years—down from about 10. Lead has been a concern for residents of New Jersey’s largest city for years,…
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Fears and Frustrations as Newark, NJ, Hands Out Bottled Water Amid a Lead-Contaminated Water Crisis of Its Own
Inspiring comparisons to the water crisis in Flint, Mich., New Jersey’s biggest (and predominantly black) city, Newark, is handing out bottled water to its residents amid a worsening contaminated water crisis. Like Flint, the problem in Newark is that much of its tap water is contaminated with lead. It’s a problem that first started percolating…
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The Children of Philadelphia Have Been Attending Toxic Schools for Years. This Is a National Crisis
The children of Philadelphia are in dire need of our help. They are at the mercy of a man-made, ticking time bomb that is nearly inescapable. I’m talking about toxic schools. Conditions in Philadelphia schools have needed a remedy for many years. Lead, asbestos, mold and other toxins are far too common in our aging…
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Prosecutors Drop All Criminal Charges in the Flint, Mich., Water Crisis; Residents Fear: ‘Our Lives Don’t Matter’
After the years Flint, Mich., residents have spent living without a drop of safe water from their taps and the millions of dollars spent on a probe to bring those responsible to justice, state prosecutors Thursday announced they were throwing the whole case out—and starting all over. Despite assurances from Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud…
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#Flint: Michigan Cuts Off Bottled-Water Distribution, Claiming Water Quality Is Restored
One thousand, four hundred and forty-six days. As of Monday, the water crisis in Flint, Mich., has been going on for 1,446 days. There are still areas of the city that are testing high for lead levels, including the city’s public schools, but on Friday, the state decided it no longer needs to provide bottled-water-distribution services…
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Heinz Family Foundation Honors Pediatrician Who Brought National Attention to Flint, Mich.’s Lead-Contaminated Water Crisis
On Thursday, the Heinz Family Foundation honored pediatrician and public health advocate Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha by making her the recipient of the 22nd Heinz Award in the public policy category. The accolade includes an unrestricted cash award of $250,000. Hanna-Attisha is being recognized for stepping forward to expose the elevated lead levels in children in…
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Mich. Health Director, 4 Other Officials Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter for Their Roles in Flint’s Water Crisis
Six current and former Michigan and Flint officials—including Michigan Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon—were slapped with criminal charges Wednesday for their roles in the city’s water crisis, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has confirmed. The tainted water has been suspected to be the cause of an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease that has resulted…