Amazing NYT readers comments fault everyone except the person in charge of Newark the last eight years. The mayor: Corey Booker. His negligence has earned him a US seate seat. Let's all pretend this just happened this week.
1
I live near Newark in what's considered a fairly well-off suburb. Our water, provided by American Water, has a lead level that's 1/3 the legal limit. But my toddler had elevated blood lead levels.
We have no lead pipes in our house. We have no peeling paint. We do, however, drink tap water. I stopped drinking it, along with my kids. Within days, a chronic headache I'd been having went away. My kids' blood lead level dropped back to normal.
I understand this is anecdotal, but here's what I learned:
1) The "home water test" you can get from Home Depot only gives a positive result if you're above the legal limit (which is 15) so people can test their water and still not know they're drinking lead.
2) Much of the online resources about lead focus on cracked paint and lead pipes. For situations larger than individual homes, it's much harder to root out the problem. Strangely, I gained some sympathy for the government in Flint. It is hard to isolate the problem without the right tests.
3) Our current "legal limit" on lead levels in water is pure guesswork. It's not based on actual health impact.
Who knows how much we are already paying for our lead problems in terms of health issues, muscle pains, services, etc? What is it going to take for people to take this seriously?
We have no lead pipes in our house. We have no peeling paint. We do, however, drink tap water. I stopped drinking it, along with my kids. Within days, a chronic headache I'd been having went away. My kids' blood lead level dropped back to normal.
I understand this is anecdotal, but here's what I learned:
1) The "home water test" you can get from Home Depot only gives a positive result if you're above the legal limit (which is 15) so people can test their water and still not know they're drinking lead.
2) Much of the online resources about lead focus on cracked paint and lead pipes. For situations larger than individual homes, it's much harder to root out the problem. Strangely, I gained some sympathy for the government in Flint. It is hard to isolate the problem without the right tests.
3) Our current "legal limit" on lead levels in water is pure guesswork. It's not based on actual health impact.
Who knows how much we are already paying for our lead problems in terms of health issues, muscle pains, services, etc? What is it going to take for people to take this seriously?
11
You might be interested in looking at a Mother Jones article on this topic. It includes data imported from the CDC on blood levels of lead in children, as reported by the 26 states that are current on submitting stats.
When sorted by the percentage of children with blood lead levels higher than 10 ug/dl, I found Genessee County, home of Flint, was #672 out of 1,561 entries, with 0.2% children testing at that level, and 2.5% at 5 ug/dl. In my county in PA, 8.1% of children are clocking 5 ug/dl and 1.90% at 10 or higher, nearly 10 times worse than Flint at the higher measurement. Newark's Essex County falls between us and Flint, at 5.4% (5) and 0.8% (10).
You might want to check your own area. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-contamination-flint-...
When sorted by the percentage of children with blood lead levels higher than 10 ug/dl, I found Genessee County, home of Flint, was #672 out of 1,561 entries, with 0.2% children testing at that level, and 2.5% at 5 ug/dl. In my county in PA, 8.1% of children are clocking 5 ug/dl and 1.90% at 10 or higher, nearly 10 times worse than Flint at the higher measurement. Newark's Essex County falls between us and Flint, at 5.4% (5) and 0.8% (10).
You might want to check your own area. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-contamination-flint-...
None of this surprises me. I spent much of my career working in Facilities management. Not funding our infrastructure and Repair and Replacement (R&i) budgets has caused a crisis throughout the country.
I am considered and Expert Engineer and have been published on several guidelines on facilities Design and Construction.
PreRegan economics mantra and especially when Eisenhower built the Interstate system both parties understood that a strong nation had a strong intrastructure that was funded by either tax free municipal bonds or taxes. The construction projects provided good middle class jobs. Maintaining our facilities created good facilities maintenance jobs. Both created jobs for engineers, architects, our steel, glass and building materials industries.
Then came Cut your taxes, out source jobs, of Reagan, W., Grover Norquests stupid tax pledge.
I saw during George W. Bush administration dedicated and competent facilities management pushed aside, their memo's covered up on the same issues. We no longer could replace a lead pipes that went to water fountains in two labs because Bushy lackey said project cost 10% more and they were in charge now. Same thing with fire sprinklers. If you challenged the incompetents brought in from DOD, with their mail order degrees they were going to write you the more experienced engineer up for insubordination. The goal after all was to contract out to campaign donors. That is why this liberal voted for Trump! Clinton/Sanders
I am considered and Expert Engineer and have been published on several guidelines on facilities Design and Construction.
PreRegan economics mantra and especially when Eisenhower built the Interstate system both parties understood that a strong nation had a strong intrastructure that was funded by either tax free municipal bonds or taxes. The construction projects provided good middle class jobs. Maintaining our facilities created good facilities maintenance jobs. Both created jobs for engineers, architects, our steel, glass and building materials industries.
Then came Cut your taxes, out source jobs, of Reagan, W., Grover Norquests stupid tax pledge.
I saw during George W. Bush administration dedicated and competent facilities management pushed aside, their memo's covered up on the same issues. We no longer could replace a lead pipes that went to water fountains in two labs because Bushy lackey said project cost 10% more and they were in charge now. Same thing with fire sprinklers. If you challenged the incompetents brought in from DOD, with their mail order degrees they were going to write you the more experienced engineer up for insubordination. The goal after all was to contract out to campaign donors. That is why this liberal voted for Trump! Clinton/Sanders
1
Well, it seems obvious by now that our country has deteriorating infrastructure systems for water, sewage, power grids, transportation networks.
Just imagine if we actually had a congress that cared to address these problems.
Just imagine if we actually had the employment associated with addressing these problems.
We'd have an economy and a sense of fair opportunity that the country last saw under President Eisenhower, the last American president who put the needs of Americans ahead of the congressional, industrial military complex.
Of course that generation of Americans wasn't perfect by any means. But due to their shared experiences of the Great Depression and WWII, they understood that we either work it out together or we'd suffer individually.
Few, if any of today's leaders, make that career politicians, have little if any shared life experiences with everyday people. It makes life so much easier for them to dance to special interest groups and the lobbyists while ignoring the needs of the country.
We need a congress and a president in the years ahead who will cut Defense spending in half, return all tax rates to the Eisenhower era levels for the next two decades and reinvest the money into (a) investing in American infrastructure, (b) reducing the deficit and (c) investing in American innovation.
Ours is a country that invents the future if only our politicians would believe in the American people.
Just imagine if we actually had a congress that cared to address these problems.
Just imagine if we actually had the employment associated with addressing these problems.
We'd have an economy and a sense of fair opportunity that the country last saw under President Eisenhower, the last American president who put the needs of Americans ahead of the congressional, industrial military complex.
Of course that generation of Americans wasn't perfect by any means. But due to their shared experiences of the Great Depression and WWII, they understood that we either work it out together or we'd suffer individually.
Few, if any of today's leaders, make that career politicians, have little if any shared life experiences with everyday people. It makes life so much easier for them to dance to special interest groups and the lobbyists while ignoring the needs of the country.
We need a congress and a president in the years ahead who will cut Defense spending in half, return all tax rates to the Eisenhower era levels for the next two decades and reinvest the money into (a) investing in American infrastructure, (b) reducing the deficit and (c) investing in American innovation.
Ours is a country that invents the future if only our politicians would believe in the American people.
9
For god's sake. Start a revolution. Our public services are breaking down from water systems to roads to collapsing bridges. I live in San Diego and this place is a mess. They do nothing to improve the lives of citizens except to build more housing developments. YOu should see the traffic and so it goes. One of Americans worst cities and suburbs. I was more than shocked when I moved here. The schools are low grade in addition. It points to curruption all over the country and it's true. American is extremely corrupt and very expensive but why?
3
"But Ms. Gentleman-Cheatham had been so unsettled by the news that she told her children not to drink the tap water at the family’s house in Newark. She was afraid it was all contaminated. She said she had chosen to buy bottled water, an unexpected cost that ate into her family budget."
There must be local environmental labs. Call one and tell them you want to test your household water for lead. They'll give you a special container and instructions for collecting the sample. It should cost $20 or less.
There must be local environmental labs. Call one and tell them you want to test your household water for lead. They'll give you a special container and instructions for collecting the sample. It should cost $20 or less.
I've been running the cold water wherever I lived until it changed temp, indicating the water standing in the pipes overnight had passed through, for 40 years. If you live in old buildings, it's something you do automatically, and hope it's cutting down on the contamination.
But I don't believe people are running the water long enough. Stand in front of a fountain and count out 30 seconds, depressing the button. It feels like a very long time, especially is a thirsty queue forms behind you. I doubt the kitchen staff open the faucets and let them run four times longer, for the requisite two minutes, either. What's needed is posted signage above all taps and fountains with the warning, the time specified, and an unremovable clock so people can time themselves. Otherwise, this becomes as pointless as the admonitions in doctors' offices and hospital rooms to wash hands, which are routinely ignored.
But I don't believe people are running the water long enough. Stand in front of a fountain and count out 30 seconds, depressing the button. It feels like a very long time, especially is a thirsty queue forms behind you. I doubt the kitchen staff open the faucets and let them run four times longer, for the requisite two minutes, either. What's needed is posted signage above all taps and fountains with the warning, the time specified, and an unremovable clock so people can time themselves. Otherwise, this becomes as pointless as the admonitions in doctors' offices and hospital rooms to wash hands, which are routinely ignored.
Has anybody seen Corey Booker, Mark Zuckenberg or the other 'saviors' of the Newark school system lately ? How about Governor Christy ? We should all be ashamed of the state of our inner and poor cities ! God help us.
10
A sad situation. An informed school board and others in administration should know to test for lead in drinking fountains and cafeteria faucets. Yet, that is the comfort zone for most, don't make waves or look for problems. This isn't new news, and even school children have tested their schools' fountains for lead for science projects, etc.
Arne Duncan (glad he is out) and his henchmen should apologize to the American people for their no excuses rhetoric and constant flow of classroom testing when money would have been better spent on such basic health issues, the very ones that actually impact students' test results. Health matters in education. The head-in-the sand syndrome ought not prevail, again.
Arne Duncan (glad he is out) and his henchmen should apologize to the American people for their no excuses rhetoric and constant flow of classroom testing when money would have been better spent on such basic health issues, the very ones that actually impact students' test results. Health matters in education. The head-in-the sand syndrome ought not prevail, again.
5
Most areas with older water pipes were welded with lead solder. Most homes and other building types have lead solder. If water sits in the pipes for a long period of time, lead will leach into the water. That is why we are asked to asked to let the water run for at least thirty seconds before using it.
How are the water pipes in the Newark schools any different than the millions of homes and other facilities we live with?
How are the water pipes in the Newark schools any different than the millions of homes and other facilities we live with?
3
Studies have shown that there was a direct correlation between the amount of lead in the environment in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and the amount of violent crime in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Of course, it affects poor kids more than rich because of exposure levels.
I worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 25 years. Two of our outdoor water fountains near the playground had to be replaced due to lead contamination. This was after years of use by the children. Today, the teachers are instructed to run the water faucets in the classrooms for two minutes before the children drink out of them. I wonder many of the teachers comply.
1
"Lead Poisoning" - the phrase itself takes the focus away from the victims and towards the cause, lead. This is handy for politicians, administrators, city managers or anyone else who doesn't want to focus on the real problem - what this extremely toxic metal does to people, and in particular, children.
Call a spade a spade. Put "Child" in the descriptive phrase so there is no denying, not even for a second, who the helpless victims are.
"Environmentally Induced Child Demyelinating Myelinoclastic disease"
Something with "Child" in it, and something which actually labels what this insidious metal does: it demyelinates neural tissue, triggers programmed cell death, impairs the development of brain synapses and binds to co-enzymes in the body preventing them from functioning.
"Lead poisoning" puts the focus on the lead. We need to focus on the kids, and the words we use matter.
Call a spade a spade. Put "Child" in the descriptive phrase so there is no denying, not even for a second, who the helpless victims are.
"Environmentally Induced Child Demyelinating Myelinoclastic disease"
Something with "Child" in it, and something which actually labels what this insidious metal does: it demyelinates neural tissue, triggers programmed cell death, impairs the development of brain synapses and binds to co-enzymes in the body preventing them from functioning.
"Lead poisoning" puts the focus on the lead. We need to focus on the kids, and the words we use matter.
7
sorry, but the word "poisoning" does make me think of the people being poisoned, not just of pipes.
Even though the medical community is unanimous that any amount of lead in the body is dangerous, the EPA lists an upper limit of 0.015 mg/L for lead in drinking water because very few communities show a zero level for lead.
No wonder so many of our children have problems in school. Not only do 15 million American children come from food insecure families, but many – like those in Newark – are victims of blood poisoning. Being hungry and being sick makes learning all the more difficult.
We are becoming a third world nation.
No wonder so many of our children have problems in school. Not only do 15 million American children come from food insecure families, but many – like those in Newark – are victims of blood poisoning. Being hungry and being sick makes learning all the more difficult.
We are becoming a third world nation.
5
No--we don't need any infrastructure improvements, especially in disadvantaged communities. We'd put the money to much better use building sports facilities, attracting more non-union, low-paying jobs and cosmetics for high-end neighborhoods.
8
This is going to be a big scandal across the older industrial areas of the U.S.
Even in otherwise enlightened New York cities, school officials and county health departments, have known for months (years?) that there is a lead problem in their districts' schools. But they tried to avoid raising alarms by keeping an older standard, instead of the newer, lower led standard issued by the CDC.
Shame on all the public officials who hid this problem. We've known for years that lead causes brain damage in children, but our local school districts and governments avoided dealing with it because it's expensive to replace pipes. We are all Flint. And the officials who covered up lead contamination should not be reelected.
Even in otherwise enlightened New York cities, school officials and county health departments, have known for months (years?) that there is a lead problem in their districts' schools. But they tried to avoid raising alarms by keeping an older standard, instead of the newer, lower led standard issued by the CDC.
Shame on all the public officials who hid this problem. We've known for years that lead causes brain damage in children, but our local school districts and governments avoided dealing with it because it's expensive to replace pipes. We are all Flint. And the officials who covered up lead contamination should not be reelected.
7
Horrible that the funds weren't there to correct the problem in an effective way. My city sends out a water report every year, documenting that lead levels are above federal recommendations. Our city water dept. also recommends that we run the tap before using the water for drinking or cooking. I use a Brita filter, but really don't know if it helps remove lead or not. I suspect that problems with lead in water and in the general environment, due to lead plumbing, lead paint, and leaded gasoline residue are so widespread that every community in this country built before the 1980s is contaminated. It makes me wonder if environmental cleanup on such a large scale would even be possible.
1
How crazy. Let the water run first? Fix the problem. Is this another form of racism?
6
I guess Flint led to the usual PC bandwagon effect. Blood lead is important for young children. For adults, not so much. About 2% of American kids under age 6 have blood levels higher than the cutoff the CDC considers dangerous. A generation ago it was 4%.
Little kids have higher lead levels than adults, because they eat dirt. Not much lead comes from drinking water.
Little kids have higher lead levels than adults, because they eat dirt. Not much lead comes from drinking water.
3
Yes, all are problems would be solved so easily if we could just learn to not be politically correct. Trying to tie this to kids eating dirt, and ignoring the actual problem is emblematic of how often we punt our problems down the road for the next generation to fix. While soil can be a cause, water that is generally contaminated from either lead pipes, or lead solder used to connect pipes is also a cause.
I guess the poor don't deserve to drink lead free water that they have to pay for. Is that the non PC statement that you are trying to make?
I guess the poor don't deserve to drink lead free water that they have to pay for. Is that the non PC statement that you are trying to make?
3
Kids get lead in their blood primarily from eating dirt. I'm a doctor. That's a medical fact that has been known for years.
1
Do you or other doctors recommend drinking milk to minimize the lead risk. Lead is absorbed from the gut via the enzyme system that absorbs calcium. Lead uptake is less efficient than calcium absorption. Thus high levels of calcium in the diet will effectively minimize lead absorption. This is a simple preventive. If milk is an issue, Tums will do.
1
If this is what republican and democratic capitalism serves, I think I will try the democratic-socialism menu. Thank you.
10
This is a tragic metaphor for what has happened to the overall quality of public schools due to disinvestment that is destroying public education. The list of negative societal impacts from that overall disinvestment, including basic investment in infrastructure to ensure a healthy and safe school environment, is too long and too intricately intertwined with so many societal issues to detail here. High quality public education is a cornerstone of building and maintaining a free and democratic society. We have failed so many children by not investing in their future.
14
That is why America wont make it in the world at all. We will get passed on by and we will be a third world country of our own making.
4
But consider the problem local governments are dealing with: decades of very generous pay, pensions, and health benefits for public employees (with retirement ages in their early 50s for most police and fire, and many teachers in the past decade). It is getting to the point that public pensions and benefits, with early retirement, are forcing local governments to cut everything else. The early retirees must be paid (often collecting their pensions in Florida) because that is a legal obligation. Schools, health, physical infrastructure are necessarily lower priorities. And in these northeast-midwest cities, taxes are already very high, and are deterring businesses from moving in, and young people from staying. Dealing with the political power of public employees (and school budgets passed in very low turnout elections not combined with higher visibility state/national elections, which gives public employees the dominant voice in the budgets that most benefit them)--those are problems that must be solved if local governments are to be able to spend on desperately needed education and infrastructure projects. Illinois is going bankrupt because of the burden of overly generous public pensions (overly generous compared to private workers who must work longer, with far lower benefits).
1
Pay to most teachers is NOT 'generous,' given the job that they must do.
5
I wonder if they would have said the same thing to their own kids if their house tab water tested high for lead.
12
I'm traveling to NYC via Newark airport soon. Is that area safe or is lead everywhere? Newark looks like a ghetto that no one cares about but it is a city with an international airport so shouldn't officials be more careful?
1
Officials need to be careful in every city, not just those that outsiders will be passing through. The officials' first order of concern should be the citizens, adult and child, who live in those cities. I can't really see how the presence or absence of an airport factors in.
Even if you drank unfiltered water from a fountain while you are on your layover, you won't get enough lead to be of concerned. If you want to be concerned about the babies and little children, whose brains are forming, and who live in Newark every single day, that's a different story.
Even if you drank unfiltered water from a fountain while you are on your layover, you won't get enough lead to be of concerned. If you want to be concerned about the babies and little children, whose brains are forming, and who live in Newark every single day, that's a different story.
1
Any one familiar with J. K. Galbriath's "the Affluent Society" will not be surprised by our current state of affairs. It is the myth of trickle down economics. If we allow those with the ability to accumulate wealth is will somehow be redistributed to society and our problems will go away. When you allow a few people to accumulate wealth what you get is a few very wealthy people. Shocker alert... and a lot of other people who struggle. the second myth is that the wealthy are so because of superior talent. Again bogus. Those children at Ivy Hill (and many other schools) start falling behind day one. Comparatively speaking: sub par diets, parents with less time and less understanding of the relevance of education, greater concern over not being shot than shooting for "A's", drugs, and now lead poisoning. Unbridled capitalism will not solve this issue. Its not socialism to say our public works and schools need to be updated and the best in the world, even if we need to raise taxes. It is a central element of capitalism...Investment in our future. We will get greater returns when everyone has a chance to reach their potential and not just a few fortunate people
14
Can we now posit that the Rich, in order to maintain their "superiority," willfully
(gleefully?) poison our water, food, and air?
(gleefully?) poison our water, food, and air?
1
This harkens back to my growing up in Chicago in the 1950s. Before we used water in the morning, we let it run for a minute, put water in our glass, then emptied it and re-filled it. I still do this today, living in Wisconsin. It's a habit I never lost. We did it I assume to lessen the amount of lead and other pollutants. It's just ingrained in me to do that. Terrible that we still worry about this, and that it's prevalent in schools.
4
Folks, in today's world, help yourself and your family and purchase a water distiller. We only use water we have distilled for coffee, soups, and any dishes that require water for preparation. It's inexpensive, you'll get rid of lead and toxins, and you won't have to decalcify your coffee maker.
1
Republican Infrastructure Policy: If their corporate masters can't make a profit on it, by definition it's not worth doing. Taxing to build-out and maintain the nation's freeways, dams, bridges and water supply is socialism.
7
The city of Newark owns and runs the water treatment, reservoir and all the pipes. It has been governed by a black democratic mayor and majority black city council for forty years. Republicans have nothing to do with this problem.
3
Au contraire, that "Democrat" water system is clean. It is the infrastructure controlled by the State NJ within the school buildings, currently under Christie, that has deteriorated due to continued budget cuts.
6
Unfortunately Newark has not had a republican in office in my lifetime to put the blame on for this so we could make a racial issue out of a science problem.
4
The Newark schools are state-controlled, ergo under a Republican administration. ...specifically Chris Christie who appointed the Superintendent. The Mayor has no control of budget or facilities.
3
Anyone, in any part of the country who lives in a house or apartment with lead pipes should be aware of this problem. Especially in an older abode which has not had the house re-plumbed. I behoove everybody to find out what kind of pipes you have and take action. If you don't know how, ask a friend to check for you.
Landlords should be aware and homeowners also. My brother and I grew up in Miami where all homes had lead pipes. We were taught, even then in the 1940s to let the water run until we counted to 30 mississippis before drinking it.
Landlords should be aware and homeowners also. My brother and I grew up in Miami where all homes had lead pipes. We were taught, even then in the 1940s to let the water run until we counted to 30 mississippis before drinking it.
4
There was lead in the pipes of Los Angeles schools and it was covered up for decades. Then, when it went public, there was a flurry and investigations, but things just remained the same. Perhaps this is why these students bear no resemblance to the kids I went to school with in New York. Thankfully, I retired from teaching in Los Angeles with no ill effects from lead. I can't say the same for too many kids.
5
Of course the solution to Pb in the water works boils down to taxes.
As far as I know, taxes have no LD50. Pb does.
As far as I know, taxes have no LD50. Pb does.
4
Apparently to kill off government we don't actually need to drown the baby in the bathtub. Just make it drink the water which, in the name of cutting taxes, will poison whoever drinks it.
5
Why can't filters be attached to the copper water line where each line connects to the faucet or fountain? Costly, I don't know. Maybe/Probably, but how about looking at perks being pared away some.
2
Why do we have this type of problem in the United States? Particularly, in poor areas like Newark, NJ and Flint, Michigan. Shame on the public workers, government officials, and elected officials for knowing about this problem and not addressing it until it becomes viral on the media. Maybe they think they can get away with it because the poor have no voice? We have to stand up for what is right.
8
I work at a high school in Boston Public Schools where the students have not had potable water for years. How is this an acceptable way to treat our children?
7
In my first comment I point to the simple fact that if we in the US cannot deal with visible infrastructure that is not systematically kept in good condition then why should would we expect the invisible infrastructure to be dealt with.
Since writing the comment I happened to have to provide information to a contractor about my home here in Sweden so I went to the book that came with the house when I bought it, a book in which all changes made by public agencies are recorded.
I discovered that when this house was built in 1945 the water pipes were of galvanized iron. In 2003 all such pipes on this street were replaced with plastic piping. I assume that this was part of a systematic renewal of the system since it was carried out by the municipal water agency
I had never heard of any similar action in my many years as homeowner in Massachusetts and in Rochester NY. Would be interesting to know if there is systematic renewal in some countries and none at all in others said to be advanced. I have observed more than once that the systematic renewal of the local street system, building exteriors, and "Fjärrvärme pipe network" here in Linköping is very impressive.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen USA-SE
Since writing the comment I happened to have to provide information to a contractor about my home here in Sweden so I went to the book that came with the house when I bought it, a book in which all changes made by public agencies are recorded.
I discovered that when this house was built in 1945 the water pipes were of galvanized iron. In 2003 all such pipes on this street were replaced with plastic piping. I assume that this was part of a systematic renewal of the system since it was carried out by the municipal water agency
I had never heard of any similar action in my many years as homeowner in Massachusetts and in Rochester NY. Would be interesting to know if there is systematic renewal in some countries and none at all in others said to be advanced. I have observed more than once that the systematic renewal of the local street system, building exteriors, and "Fjärrvärme pipe network" here in Linköping is very impressive.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen USA-SE
7
Plastic pipes are much better than galvanized pipes. Plastic pipes are a breeding ground for bacteria. The only good pipes are copper pipes because they kill bacteria as well.
What kind of "plastic pipes"? Is that material safe, over time, over a range of external and internal temperatures? How about the epoxies used to join the pipes? Similarly safe?
I can see plastic for sewer pipes, but would't trust plastic for house water. I'll take iron and copper any day. The devil you know, etc.
I can see plastic for sewer pipes, but would't trust plastic for house water. I'll take iron and copper any day. The devil you know, etc.
This is -- or at least, was -- the advice in many parts of the country, unfortunately. I remember being in buildings where stickers had been placed on all the water fountains, reminding people to run the water before drinking.
1
First of all we need to make testing for lead in water available to all. My water has black specks in it sometimes, but despite my education, I don't know how to get it tested. We should not be forcing families to buy bottled water because they don't know if the lead levels in their water are too high.
2
You can buy test kits. (got mine at a hardware store but you certainly google) Not expensive. You take samples (instructions are included) and mail the sample in. You get results in a couple of weeks.
1
This condition in a state run by a man who wants to be President of the United States.
5
.
Why run the water at all?
This is lead we are talking about with the possibility of permanent brain damage to these beautiful innocent children whose parents are trusting in the personnel of the school district to protect them 100% throughout the day.
Better to have pulled the plumbing and gotten rid of every individual involved in the decision making process ... they obviously don't know what the hell they are doing.
Why run the water at all?
This is lead we are talking about with the possibility of permanent brain damage to these beautiful innocent children whose parents are trusting in the personnel of the school district to protect them 100% throughout the day.
Better to have pulled the plumbing and gotten rid of every individual involved in the decision making process ... they obviously don't know what the hell they are doing.
4
Until the pipes are replaced, how about installing reverse osmosis systems for the drinking fountains and instructing children and staff in the schools not to drink out of the tap? Such units do not cost very much these days and are very effective. Less than 10% of the water that is consumed in schools is actually ingested. No need to worry about 90% that is contaminated with lead.
2
In 2009 congress passed the stimulus bill giving the Obama administration $900 billion dollers in a mostly failed attempt to stimulate the economy. A big selling point was infrastructure projects. What the heck happened! Why do we still have crisis level infrastructure problems that were known but never addressed with this money?
Instead much of the money was used by state and local governments to fill budget gaps and save union public employees jobs for one additional year. One year later the money was gone and the gaps re-opened. Shame!
Instead much of the money was used by state and local governments to fill budget gaps and save union public employees jobs for one additional year. One year later the money was gone and the gaps re-opened. Shame!
4
Unfortunately infrastructure spending is very dull. When it comes to attracting votes, our p[political leaders prefer to dedicate new football stadiums. Resources are short. Do the tax dollars go to teachers raises or new water pipes? Only when a possible crisis is brought to the public's attention is action taken. This has nothing to do with income inequality or the failure (imaginary) of higher echelons of government to correct the problems - the money still comes out of the same taxpayer's pockets. So the question is do the special interest groups - corporate, union - wish to feel the pain of higher taxes to take corrective action and will the voters approve the expenditure.
4
In the 1990s, part of the standard patient teaching information for Chicago parents was to run tap water for 10 minutes before using it for drinking, mixing baby formula, etc. ....precisely because of the likely presence of lead.
1
This story was broken by the wonderful old codger Bob Braun, retired from the Newark Star Ledger after over 40 years as it's education writer. He blogs at bobbraunsledger.com. Read there to learn about the lowdown dirty tricks Mr. Christie engages in when he's doing street level politics. Mayor Baraka recently asked for $36 million to plug a budget hole in the school system, so Christie sent $27 million to charter schools and told Baraka to shut up or he would "run over" him.
Christie's administration is feverishly privatizing the public school system in Newark to expand an industry that his sponsors are deeply invested in. There have been years of ongoing scandals about the charter schools - the current superintendent was part of one called pink hula hoop, which was the name of a charter investment firm that acquired a city school for pennies on the dollar.
It would be helpful, perhaps, if the Star Ledger wrote more about Newark's schools, but their editorial board is also in knee-deep with the charters so they only run an occasional misdirected puff piece.
Newark is the county seat of Essex County, which includes Montcair, Millburn, and Glen Ridge. Five miles away from these lead-contaminated schools, children of the 1 percent sit in sparkling schoolrooms working on their guaranteed path to Yale, while their fellow citizens sit brain damaged from a drink of water as politicians steal from them.
Christie's administration is feverishly privatizing the public school system in Newark to expand an industry that his sponsors are deeply invested in. There have been years of ongoing scandals about the charter schools - the current superintendent was part of one called pink hula hoop, which was the name of a charter investment firm that acquired a city school for pennies on the dollar.
It would be helpful, perhaps, if the Star Ledger wrote more about Newark's schools, but their editorial board is also in knee-deep with the charters so they only run an occasional misdirected puff piece.
Newark is the county seat of Essex County, which includes Montcair, Millburn, and Glen Ridge. Five miles away from these lead-contaminated schools, children of the 1 percent sit in sparkling schoolrooms working on their guaranteed path to Yale, while their fellow citizens sit brain damaged from a drink of water as politicians steal from them.
12
I don't know if you will allow this in, but there are numerous studies showing that lead poisoning can cause or exacerbate Autism. It may be that lead poisoning is ubiquitous in America. If this is true, and it would require the testing of every water supply in the USA, we have a problem of an almost unconscionable magnitude here. http://www.metro.us/news/study-lead-exposure-can-cause-autism/tmWmbz---f...
1
Today's USA is like yesterday's Rome. People, old and young are drinking lead water. As more jobs shipped out and the rich refuse to pay taxes on their foreign profits, we have less tax dollars to update our infrastructure. The US will become a lead nation, not a leading nation.
5
The rule in my parents' Manhattan apartment -- run the water for a minute before using it for anything . They grew up and died in pre-War (I or II) buildiings. I later learned the reason: lead water pipes could have particles come loose.
This is Manhattan, not Flint where the chemeical interaction of the Flint River water differed from Detroit's, causing lead poinsoning.
Wisdom and common sense -- and lack of funds -- dictates following this guidance everywhere there could be lead water pipes.
This is Manhattan, not Flint where the chemeical interaction of the Flint River water differed from Detroit's, causing lead poinsoning.
Wisdom and common sense -- and lack of funds -- dictates following this guidance everywhere there could be lead water pipes.
1
We live in a country that since Reagan has refused to invest in civilian infrastructure. $4 Trillion in Bush the 2nd's War in the middle east, a buildup of the military, billion dollar planes, and we have lead in school water, lead in drinking water, highways and bridges falling apart. We need to refocus our resources on improving society and not the foreign adventures of chicken hawks.
Also, we hear from everyone, too much government regulation holding us back. Well when you are poisoned, infected, or diseased because government was not there to solve or prevent the problem, regulations will not even be on your list of concerns,.
Also, we hear from everyone, too much government regulation holding us back. Well when you are poisoned, infected, or diseased because government was not there to solve or prevent the problem, regulations will not even be on your list of concerns,.
7
As a scientist who has studied the neurodevelopmental consequences of lead exposure for many years, I find it frustrating that the concern focuses only on lead in water. Even after lead pipes are replaced, we will still have all the old housing with lead-based paint continually delivering lead to our children that has been a problem for so many years. Is this source of lead exposure somehow ok? .
8
We have been advised to let the water run until cold at the rural NY middle school I teach at to lower risk of lead contamination also. It has been that way for longer than the eight years I have taught there. In that time as a special education teacher I have had many students with varying degrees of lead poisoning.
6
Why are we surprised.
True form of capitalism is to earn profit at ANY cost.
So what if few million life are ruined. There are million more to go.
True form of capitalism is to earn profit at ANY cost.
So what if few million life are ruined. There are million more to go.
4
Flint and Newark are just two of the canaries in the coal mines we know about. I have no doubt that if we actually cared enough to test for lead levels in public schools and buildings across quite a large swath of urban and suburban cities where the original infrastructure dates to more than forty or fifty years old, we would be quite shocked to begin to understand just how widespread the problem of lead contamination via decaying lead soldered, lead piped plumbing actually is. The problem is political and it isn't just Christie. In sum, the voters have chosen to elect leaders who prey at the altar of profit and 'lowered taxes' over safety, greed over community, while giving nothing but lip service and the barest of scraps that may or not be leftover, to our children. It really is criminal the collective damage we've inflict on our most vulnerable population by looking away in denial.
High time we shift our priorities after living with forty-five selfish years of political ignorance and denial. The cost of not doing so grows worse and more obvious each year.
High time we shift our priorities after living with forty-five selfish years of political ignorance and denial. The cost of not doing so grows worse and more obvious each year.
12
Listed below are a list of Governors of New Jersey and Mayors of Newark for the last 20 years that should be held accountable for the horrible state of the infrastructure and public education in New Jersey.
Governors: Christine Todd Whitman, Donald DiFrancesco, John Farmer Jr., John O. Bennett, Richard Codey, Jim McGreevey, Richard Codey, John Corzine and Chris Christie.
Mayors: Sharpe James, Corey Booker, Luis A. Quintana and Ras Baraka.
I suggest the New Jersey governors and other state governors bear the primary responsibility for the failing infrastructure and public education systems in their states. Voters need to wake up and hold their local officials accountable, especially the governors and the legislatures, for the dreadful condition of the infrastructure and public education systems in their states.
Infrastructure and public education principally are the responsibilities of governors and legislatures, and they have failed the citizens of their states in these matters. Extreme income and wealth inequality as a result of cutting taxes for the One Percent and enacting policies that are destroying the Middle Class have contributed to the deplorable infrastructure and public education systems that now exist in most states. A political revolution is needed.
Governors: Christine Todd Whitman, Donald DiFrancesco, John Farmer Jr., John O. Bennett, Richard Codey, Jim McGreevey, Richard Codey, John Corzine and Chris Christie.
Mayors: Sharpe James, Corey Booker, Luis A. Quintana and Ras Baraka.
I suggest the New Jersey governors and other state governors bear the primary responsibility for the failing infrastructure and public education systems in their states. Voters need to wake up and hold their local officials accountable, especially the governors and the legislatures, for the dreadful condition of the infrastructure and public education systems in their states.
Infrastructure and public education principally are the responsibilities of governors and legislatures, and they have failed the citizens of their states in these matters. Extreme income and wealth inequality as a result of cutting taxes for the One Percent and enacting policies that are destroying the Middle Class have contributed to the deplorable infrastructure and public education systems that now exist in most states. A political revolution is needed.
38
John S: You forgot Grover Norquist. Anyone trying to raise taxes is attacked by the true leader of US politics, Grover Norquist, and the American Enterprise Institute.
3
Who is paying these politicians to neglect and kill public schools?
That's the list you really need.
How much has Gates given each of them?
That's the list you really need.
How much has Gates given each of them?
3
I would argue that wasteful inefficient government run by political hacks is as much to blame for the deplorable infrastructure and public education systems as the usual inequality villain. The 867 billion dollar stimulus package of several years ago that was supposed to be largely devoted to shovel ready projects seemed to disappear without a trace. As did the 100 million pledged to the Newark school system several years ago by FaceBook. Throwing more money at a problem without dealing with the root causes is stupid...and sinful when it comes to the lives of the children.
2
According to the American Academy of Civil Engineers most recent analysis, the overall grade of this country's infrastructure is a D+ and will cost on the order of $3.6 TRILLION by 2020 to bring up to standard (http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/.
But after all, we are governed (to use that verb rather loosely) by a shocking number of people who not only deny evidence-based reality, but are essentially also a collection of sociopaths and misanthropes (and even sadists) whose true fealty is not to us Americans, but rather to corporate bottom lines (after all, corporations are people, too) and greater tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy.
But after all, we are governed (to use that verb rather loosely) by a shocking number of people who not only deny evidence-based reality, but are essentially also a collection of sociopaths and misanthropes (and even sadists) whose true fealty is not to us Americans, but rather to corporate bottom lines (after all, corporations are people, too) and greater tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy.
70
There's nothing wrong with "obscene" wealth - it depends on your definition of "obscenity". As a practical matter, major corporations don't pay taxes in proportion to their supposed earnings. They pay dividends to share holders (their owners) who pay taxes. Nearly every politician running today is a multimillionaire, yet no one calls for a greater share from any of the candidates. If we wish to fix infrastructure it will take a 20 year effort and the cooperation of government and corporations (public utilities) to make the necessary upgrades. However thanks to automation and the global marketplace for equipment there will likely be few high paying jobs created in this effort.
President Obama tried to address our crumbling infrastructure but instead was met with a grumbling Republican Congress who wanted little to with a initiative that would look beneficial to something President Obama recommended.
Remember, Senator Mitch McConnell brought the Republican members of the Congress together the day after Barack Obama got elected-the first time-and informed them they were to vote no to EVERYTHING President Obama proposed during his presidency.
Remember, Senator Mitch McConnell brought the Republican members of the Congress together the day after Barack Obama got elected-the first time-and informed them they were to vote no to EVERYTHING President Obama proposed during his presidency.
3
At least McConnell et al weren't racist.
I just can't understand why Gov. officials do not take immediate action when problems arise. Especially when it comes to the public health. Lead in the water isn't the fault of local officials, however there reluctant to take immediate actions is. This has caused a problem that could have been solved early on to problem with greater risk and consequences.
2
Many governors have campaigned on lowering taxes and reducing government footprint and regulation in their lives. Additionally, they have made it their mission to reduce funding to public schools and public services that largely benefit lower income folks, often perceived (incorrectly) to be primarily people of color. On top of all that, many also sidestep action by claiming denying science and ignorning mountains of evidence indicating a need for immediate action. In any administration dedicated public servants exist who struggle to get the decision makers to take action to ensure the public good. They are often silenced with threats, ridicule, and assaults to their credibility and character. This has been happening in Michigan and Wisconsin, and it is happening now in Arizona, where it is now illegal for me to take my elderly neighbor's ballot to the county clerk's office in time for it to be counted in an election. The real question is not why these governors refuse to action on problems they know exist but why voters ignore all evidence of their failure to act in the public interest and fail to vote them out of office. People gotta vote! Money in politics is a problem but it is not more powerful than an actively engaged electorate that dedicates itself to voting in each and every election.
People who keep saying raise taxes don't realize that all the tax burden in NJ is passed on to property owners, who (like me) may be paying a huge portion of their income in taxes. If you don't own property, you pay very high rents, and the cost of living is also high. We could certainly have higher INCOME taxes on the rich, but that doesn't happen. My municipal taxes are supposed to go up another 4% this year, and I'm already paying almost $14,000 to live in a house w/no driveway in a lousy neighborhood. We also pay school taxes until we die (most states let you stop paying at 65). My school taxes are more than half my tax burden, and I have no kids. My mother had dementia and had to keep paying those school taxes, while we were getting NO assistance for her illness. Please do your research on NJ before you mouth off.
20
Obviously NJ stinks in many ways and the corruption and incompetence harm everyone. How is it "mouthing off" to state the obvious?
N.J. and in particular, Montclair, have a reputation as expensive places to live and work partly because of proximity to NYC. My own approach was to leave that congested, expensive, cold and uncivil state. But be careful, there are much less expensive states to live in but the services are commensurate with the low taxes.
No one needs to raise taxes.
Do you have any idea how much money is just wasted by urban public schools? The number of off-campus bureaucrats busy doing nothing would blow your mind.
The amount of money wasted on constant, ridiculous scan-tron tests or the even more expensive computer-based tests (gotta have $$$ bandwidth and a laptop for every child for the test!) is shocking.
The killing of public schools so people will go to charters is completely intentional.
Do you have any idea how much money is just wasted by urban public schools? The number of off-campus bureaucrats busy doing nothing would blow your mind.
The amount of money wasted on constant, ridiculous scan-tron tests or the even more expensive computer-based tests (gotta have $$$ bandwidth and a laptop for every child for the test!) is shocking.
The killing of public schools so people will go to charters is completely intentional.
As early as the 4th century BC, it was observed that workers producing lead oxides tended to become very ill. Of course, nobody did anything about it.
It wasn't until 1815, that the toxic effects of lead in the human body were fully understood. At that time, an effort was made to find out why workers in England's potteries died like flies, and it was finally realized it was the lead used in pottery glazes. Again, nothing was done about it.
Incredibly, "modern" water supply systems, and indoor plumbing - all developed after 1815 - were, and still are, heavily dependent on the use of lead. The word "plumber" is derived from the Latin name for lead.
The lead problem is the forerunner to the global warming problem - terribly important; and still, after millenniums, with us.
It wasn't until 1815, that the toxic effects of lead in the human body were fully understood. At that time, an effort was made to find out why workers in England's potteries died like flies, and it was finally realized it was the lead used in pottery glazes. Again, nothing was done about it.
Incredibly, "modern" water supply systems, and indoor plumbing - all developed after 1815 - were, and still are, heavily dependent on the use of lead. The word "plumber" is derived from the Latin name for lead.
The lead problem is the forerunner to the global warming problem - terribly important; and still, after millenniums, with us.
27
To all concerned about infrastructure. There is visible infrastructure and there is invisible infrastructure. Since there is no systematic nationwide concern, let alone action, with maintenance of the visible infrastructure, how could anyone expect systematic nationwide - or statewide - concern with the invisible infrastructure consisting of pipes, cables, tunnels and more.
Will just mention that my interest in the visible vs. invisible infrastructure was triggered by the lack of knowledge in the US about invisible renewable energy technology, Ground source geothermal heat pump technology, the best renewable heating-cooling tech there is. Visit Vermont where you can see visible - wind turbines and solar - but you cannot see the invisible - GSG underground at Champlain and Saint Michaels Colleges. So people in Vermont never learn that there is a better way and even that is part of infrastructure.
There is, of course, little hope that there is going to be any significant change.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen-USA-SE
Will just mention that my interest in the visible vs. invisible infrastructure was triggered by the lack of knowledge in the US about invisible renewable energy technology, Ground source geothermal heat pump technology, the best renewable heating-cooling tech there is. Visit Vermont where you can see visible - wind turbines and solar - but you cannot see the invisible - GSG underground at Champlain and Saint Michaels Colleges. So people in Vermont never learn that there is a better way and even that is part of infrastructure.
There is, of course, little hope that there is going to be any significant change.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen-USA-SE
7
You are exactly right. A glance at the Newark operating and capex budget reveals loads of revenue from many sources, but the issue is about where it's allocated. The capital budget for Newark, an old city with worn and crumbling infrastructure, is laughably small, especially when adjusted to exclude highly visible projects (like, evidently, a new police precinct, I guess). So what about O&M repairs? Well, same thing. Lots of money for visible operations - politically popular but dubious government functions - but not much to fix infrastructure. Then there are the labor and labor legacy costs (pension and OPEBs) which are colossal and growing. Finally, the city can't support itself, so where will extra revenue come from? Clearly we need some sort of dedicated funding source that will be insulated from local political control, for generations.
@ mwr-mw thanks for a right-on-target/topic reply. Larry
These stories underline what 36 years of cutting taxes (so all increase in wealth can all go to people who have more money than they know what to do with) can do. Republicans care about moving wealth to the wealthy, not whether there is lead in the water of children. They hide behind the myth that supply side economics will make everything better, while they try to make government so small they can drown it in a bathtub. And now they are going to make American great again. After they have gone a long way to destroying it.
15
Democrats have been taxing and spending in Newark and Flint for over 60 years. Republicans have nothing to do with it.
3
They hide behind Christian and/or family values too. I don't see either in the way they operate these days.
1
Lead contamination at the site of delivery is probably more common than anyone wants to think. My husband's workplace had problems when the water supply was changed, and the plant was built in the 60s. The infrastructure is not that old.
Communities are looking not just at century old lead water mains but also at schools and other buildings put up in my lifetime, leaching lead from solder.
Replumbing the mains will be expensive. Replumbing the buildings cost prohibitive. This is a problem which needs a well thought out solution that can be broadly applied, whether it addresses water chemistry or making filtration widely avsilable.
Communities are looking not just at century old lead water mains but also at schools and other buildings put up in my lifetime, leaching lead from solder.
Replumbing the mains will be expensive. Replumbing the buildings cost prohibitive. This is a problem which needs a well thought out solution that can be broadly applied, whether it addresses water chemistry or making filtration widely avsilable.
7
As we get better and better at detecting low levels of poisons they tend to turn up in more and more places. The real problem is what are the numbers. Just over the acceptable limit, or ten times the acceptable limit. Your article does not say.
The reason i bring this up is that there are many sources of poisons in out lives including the arsenic added to chicken. The chemicals and herbicides added to out foods, and the sweeteners added to our gum and soda.
We need studies of our total exposure to all poisons not just on lead but on the sum total of ALL of these poisons and their effects on out health. And then don't forger those of us who are more susceptible to all these things. (The very young and the very old.)
The reason i bring this up is that there are many sources of poisons in out lives including the arsenic added to chicken. The chemicals and herbicides added to out foods, and the sweeteners added to our gum and soda.
We need studies of our total exposure to all poisons not just on lead but on the sum total of ALL of these poisons and their effects on out health. And then don't forger those of us who are more susceptible to all these things. (The very young and the very old.)
1
The memo may not be effective, but it isn't frivolous. Newark does not have a problem with its water supply. Rather, like many jurisdictions, the source of lead in its water is the water pipes of individual buildings. And schools are particular problems because the water is unused or underused about twelve hours per day, allowing any lead to accumulate to dangerous levels overnight. Comparable home water is in use around the clock and is therefore safer. Factors that would help in the schools would be expensive water pipe replacements, restoration of cuts in after school programs, and running the water every morning before students use it.
5
Lead in the water, lead in the paint...let's not forget lead in the sky as well. Small planes (general aviation) still use leaded gasoline and are responsible for contributing fully half the lead in the atmosphere. Newark, of course, houses a major airport, with all sorts of jet pollution as well as lead contamination from the little puddle-hopping planes nobody even notices buzzing above. New Jersey has more than 50 general aviation airports, and kids who live near them have been found to have elevated levels of lead in their bloodstreams. There's no bottled air to provide kids to get around that. It's time to phase out these little lead-spewing machines.
16
This has nothing to do with the governor since he did not know about it. It is about the the water system management and school management.
5
My wife thinks it is strange, but I always run the water for a minute before I get a drink from the tap every morning. That is what my mother taught me to do. I am glad to have this idiosyncrasy finally justified.
4
I always run the water a few seconds. I'm 58 and was told to do this growing up, 'old habits die hard'.
1
I've been part of a water testing program in Montclair for a long time, and I've had higher than normal levels of lead in my water for years. I was also told to run the water in the morning before drinking it. I guess Flint is the litmus test that is going to make us all concerned about what's in our water, but a lot of these toxins have been there a long time.
3
The irony here is that our ruling class recently sent a massive shipment of bottled water to Flint---in a show of support---with full understanding that the residents of Newark were drinking from the polluted public trough. Sadly, we're alone, and this is not even close to being a real issue for Newark. If you want to see the future of America, come to Newark.
20
Isn't Newark where the test-sellers and 1%er profiteers installed a former TFA, Broad-trained superintendent named Cami Anderson?
Not maintaining public schools, causing them to fail, is exactly what these people do. It's how they get rich. Off of children.
Not maintaining public schools, causing them to fail, is exactly what these people do. It's how they get rich. Off of children.
1
"Preventive Actions" and/or "Corrective Actions" can be
Fundamental,
Symptomatic,
Accommodational,
or Political/ Ceremonial.
Applicability to Lead Contaminated Water
Unless the lead contamination is strictly from a short run of pipe running the water does no good. It ranks with buying a rabbit’s foot to compensate for worn out brakes. It is a political/ ceremonial corrective action.
This reveals incompetence behind many desks and a woeful lack of critical thinking at many more.
Fundamental,
Symptomatic,
Accommodational,
or Political/ Ceremonial.
Applicability to Lead Contaminated Water
Unless the lead contamination is strictly from a short run of pipe running the water does no good. It ranks with buying a rabbit’s foot to compensate for worn out brakes. It is a political/ ceremonial corrective action.
This reveals incompetence behind many desks and a woeful lack of critical thinking at many more.
3
Great solution to the problem. Wonder how it would play in Scarsdale?
9
Lead in the body is dangerous. Lead damage cannot be reversed. No amount of lead is safe.
Newark, Cleveland, Flint... and many more are troubled.
Good water is increasingly valuable. Investors are in the water market in geographic areas: T. Boone Pickens and Goldman, Sachs are investing.
Our west right to California starting in the midwest is an example.
But lead may be anywhere. The British installed lead pipe to feed houses from the mains in St. Joseph, Barbados in the Easy Hal area. I removed four such feeds. There are many. Drinking water is threatened.
All water must be tested, often. Lead may destabilize in the seals between heavy iron pipe mains.
Schools have a special duty to assure. This is a fiduciary duty... government must acknowledge.
Children and adults alike are at risk. The risk may be greater for the growing brain.
This is a devastating situation, nation wide.
Newark, Cleveland, Flint... and many more are troubled.
Good water is increasingly valuable. Investors are in the water market in geographic areas: T. Boone Pickens and Goldman, Sachs are investing.
Our west right to California starting in the midwest is an example.
But lead may be anywhere. The British installed lead pipe to feed houses from the mains in St. Joseph, Barbados in the Easy Hal area. I removed four such feeds. There are many. Drinking water is threatened.
All water must be tested, often. Lead may destabilize in the seals between heavy iron pipe mains.
Schools have a special duty to assure. This is a fiduciary duty... government must acknowledge.
Children and adults alike are at risk. The risk may be greater for the growing brain.
This is a devastating situation, nation wide.
6
I worked at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan from 1981 thru 2008. Our drinking water was contaminated by lead and everyone knew it. The only reason we were not shut down was because everyone in the building was Federal and therefore exempt from environmental rules. So far as I know, the problem has not been corrected.
10
This gets boring; once again "some animals are more equal than others." If contaminated water were found in drinking water of any statehouse or Congressional water fountain, how quickly would that problem be resolved?
In the tradition of Joseph Welch's "Have you no sense of decency?" to Joe McCarthy, a question posed to ALL elected officials and their owners, "Is there no end to your undisguised contempt for your constituents?"
In the tradition of Joseph Welch's "Have you no sense of decency?" to Joe McCarthy, a question posed to ALL elected officials and their owners, "Is there no end to your undisguised contempt for your constituents?"
15
Christie beat up his teachers while public officials were poisoning kids (and teachers too). We sell guns and kill first graders. The response is to teach students and teachers defense tactics. The money changers have bought and sold the temple where our children are sacrificed daily.
7
What do you mean spend money fixing the school's infrastructure? That is socialism, next you will want education to be free as well as healthcare. There is simply not enough money for that. Do you know how much a war costs? Sorry, no money left... (irony warning)
5
Chris Christie should get his posterior back home asap, instead of being an absentee Governor/opportunist looking for his next job grimacing behind Trump, and earn his taxpayer paid salary for a change. And if he can't clean up the water problem, he should walk the plank like Michigan's derelict governor. Hopefully, since he is no longer a candidate, NJ should not have to provide out of state security while pandering for his next job. And hopefully, NJ has a statute for taxpayer suits against state officials who squander state funds on inappropriate purposes, as NY has.
33
What does NJ Senator Cory Booker have to say about all of this and what is he doing? I'm sure he cares.
10
How many millions of dollars of Zuckerberg money did Cory Booker and Chris Christie pay to consulting firms for flashy school reform proposals while these kids were being poisoned with lead, known to cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems that limit student opportunities and make the jobs of educators significantly harder?
50
Hmmmm... I wonder if exposure to lead through drinking water had something to do with the unusually high numbers of lead poisoning cases in children we have been seeing in Newark hospital. This is scary, as lead exposure can easily change the trajectory of a young life. Having to explain to parents the potential damage caused by lead exposure is heart breaking. I also wonder how many other communities could be affected.....
22
The school did EXACTLY what the EPA required - Public Education to flush the water for two minutes if it was sitting in the pipes for more than six hours:
http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P10058C5.txt
Who is to blame? The voters that accept an infrastructure that is graded a "D" by American Society of Civil Engineer. A Public that expects clean water and bridges that don't fall down, but take no interest in infrastructure, unless it involved higher taxes, then say it must be waste. We get the municipal services we pay for.
http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P10058C5.txt
Who is to blame? The voters that accept an infrastructure that is graded a "D" by American Society of Civil Engineer. A Public that expects clean water and bridges that don't fall down, but take no interest in infrastructure, unless it involved higher taxes, then say it must be waste. We get the municipal services we pay for.
110
I live in NJ and already pay more than half my income in taxes, but that goes to support corrupt officials and corrupt churches. Let's get the church out of the system, and get the money directly to the people who need it.
3
True, however it is incumbent upon municipal officials, especially city health department leaders, to inform the public of the issue and do all they can to solve the problem by building support for effective long term fixes. It is negligent not to do so.
The Republicans have been draining money from infrastructure (including schools) since Saint Ronnie arrived on a white horse with the message that government is inherently wasteful and definitely not able to solve problems that are better left to the market.
Do rich people still live in the same country as poor (therefore lazy) people? I think not. I'm not saying it ever was egalitarian; but, at the ballpark, rich and poor used the same restrooms and a wealthy man might be doing his business next to a gardener. Nowadays, the classes are physically separated, treated differently, and a phalanx of security keeps it that way.
I liked it better before.
Do rich people still live in the same country as poor (therefore lazy) people? I think not. I'm not saying it ever was egalitarian; but, at the ballpark, rich and poor used the same restrooms and a wealthy man might be doing his business next to a gardener. Nowadays, the classes are physically separated, treated differently, and a phalanx of security keeps it that way.
I liked it better before.
53
The key words are: "it should have been a wake-up call." If we can assume that lead in the water supply comes from a distribution system that contains lead, why is this happening now and not years before? It is because source water is more polluted than ever before and requires additional treatment, some of which causes the lead problem. It is not about removing lead pipes, it's about proper water treatment at source, but this costs money. The bottom line is that people don't want to pay. The wake up call is, our infrastructure is falling into decay due to lack of funds and inadequate funding can be traced back to politics. As long as politicians refuse to raise taxes, more and more problems will surface and more and more people will be harmed due to inaction.
23
I live in NJ, and already pay more than half my income in taxes, but it goes to support the Essex County executive, who can collect two pensions when he doesn't even need one. PS: I'd be willing to pay more but I don't make much money to begin with. The only reason I have anything left is due to $10,000 in dividends, and that all goes to pay the taxes on my house, which is in a lousy neighborhood.
2
I recall my custodian telling me it was always advisable to run that water, so do we have a problem nationally? It was pretty old school school. Like the 1920s.
12
Since the banks blew our lunch money. I've been asking why we don't do what we've needed done for decades and enjoy both the stimulus and the reward of a better infrastructure, but no...The GOP prefers we drink up.
72
The GOP all has brain damage from drinking the water, just like the rest of us who continue to support the capitalist / feudalist system.
2
Running the water isn't going to solve the problem. Ignoring basic infrastructure needs for 40 years has consequences. I know--wars and violent video games are more exciting! But eventually, a grown-up's gotta do what a grown-up's gotta do. The hard question is: are there any left in America?
89
If this does not highlight the sorry and dangerous state of our country's infrastructure, I do not know what else will.
Sadly, only two candidates acknowledge the problem and want to spend our tax money for our country than elsewhere -- Sanders and Trump.
Sadly, only two candidates acknowledge the problem and want to spend our tax money for our country than elsewhere -- Sanders and Trump.
20
Mark Zuckerberg gave $100 million to Newark Schools: $20 million paid consulting groups and $30 million funded teacher union back pay. They could have at least used the other half to buy some bottled water...
21
If the governor's office knew of this, there is no question that Christie needs to be recalled.
7
lead will continue to leach from th pipes until water is no longer able to dislodge it or th lead is completely gone
letting water run will do no good unless you let it run for 50 years
letting water run will do no good unless you let it run for 50 years
19
much of the lead is from the last foot of pipe, the brass fixture itself, and the solder used to attach the fixture and elbows to the pipes. lead leaches into the water very slowly, the amount that would leach into running water is miniscule, but when it sits in the pipe a few hours, then it accumulates.
5
It takes time for it to leach out. If you flush the pipes every morning it really does reduce the amount of lead in the water, although it doesn't eliminate it entirely.
Still, the dose makes the poison.
Still, the dose makes the poison.
3
Lead leeches out of pipes at a constant rate so running the water to flush out the water that has been standing in contact with the lead overnight, since the supply water is good, is a recommended practice supported by science. Lead pipes have been safely used since the Roman empire. Proper additives to coat the pipes and prevent the lead from leeching out should be added at to the supply.
2
America for you these days we are too busy worried about profit over the humanity. How can anyone want to come to a country that supposedly the greatest only to be poisoned and plundered for profit. I would tell everyone dont come to America. Canada would be your best bet at least they treat folks better over there then here in America.
53
And yet we keep singing the praises of capitalism, and keep giving billions in tax dollars to support WalMart employees (instead of making the Waltons PAY their employees), billions in tax dollars to churches (who don't have to write a tax form to tell you how they spent it) and billions to the Pentagon, not to mention all the tax breaks for the rich.
8
While it's highly unfortunate that the pipes are in such a sorry state, letting water run for a few seconds before drinking it is good practice in general. There's always some risk of contamination in the pipes, and letting the water run for a bit will significantly reduce exposure to such contaminates.
29
Nathan Kayhan, The point of the story is that the pipes need to be replaced, not that running the water before drinking might reduce the level of lead in it to some extent. It's more than "highly unfortunate" that the pipes are in a "sorry state".
6
Can't the story have more than one point? I agree the pipes need to be replaced, but if people learned from this story to generally let water run a bit before drinking it, that can't be a bad thing.
When we find that our kids are being poisoned and altered for life like this... the school administrators, city leaders and politicians must immediately install safe, water dispensers, e.g. Poland Springs. Then the old lead pipes must be replaced, ASAP. No, 'just run the water a bit.' Make Flint and Newark showcases to the nation of the cost of lax care for our kids.
17
Chris Christie. I don't think he will address this. Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the political aspect of it.
5
I'm pretty sure this is a national problem. When are we going to commit the resources to repairing and upgrading our infrastructure?
100
That is socialism, next you will want education to be free as well as healthcare. There is simply not enough money for that. Do you know how much a war costs? Sorry, no money left... (irony warning)
4
I think it may indeed be somewhat national. In Syracuse, although we get water from pristine Skaneateles Lake, nevertheless about 15-20 years ago, we were advised to let the tap water run fifteen or so seconds before we started filling our coffeepots, etc., for use.
This was shocking for a few days, and then forgotten. But I do remember they did give us that warning. I didn't personally heed it much, because I was already getting somewhat old, nor did I have any small children that would be affected. But I do remember the announcement.
Funny, sort of, how little attention it received.
This was shocking for a few days, and then forgotten. But I do remember they did give us that warning. I didn't personally heed it much, because I was already getting somewhat old, nor did I have any small children that would be affected. But I do remember the announcement.
Funny, sort of, how little attention it received.
1
The Los Angeles Unified School in the past ten years tasked custodians in some schools with the same run-the-water-in-the-drinking-fountains for a few minutes before students arrived. Unsettling, but not unusual. The fixtures leaching lead were eventually replaced. It's about doing what you can until you have the money to do it right. Keep cutting taxes for billionaires and cutting school budgets. The list of what isn't available in our schools and what's tolerated would eclipse Flint and Newark. Infrastructure projects are good for employment, good for our future and good for business.
2
This is just criminal. The schools knew, the state knew, the barest of minimum was done, and parents must now be beside themselves. Rather than coordinating a response to make sure no child came in contact with a toxic contaminant while at school, the Governor was gallivanting around the country on a moonshot.
Chris Christie should resign. New Jerseyans deserve far better than what he has given them.
Chris Christie should resign. New Jerseyans deserve far better than what he has given them.
83
Swm
Are you saying that those pipes haven't been there for decades of Democrats too?
Are you saying that those pipes haven't been there for decades of Democrats too?
10
Any Republican or Democratic governor who fails to respond to lead in water crises is negligible, in my mind to a criminal degree, and I would call for their resignation.
Since when did children's drinking water become a partisan cudgel?
Since when did children's drinking water become a partisan cudgel?
11
Resign??? How about jail time?
6
The "reformers" give enormous contributions to politicians who, in return, starve and strangle the public schools in an effort to kill them (but not too obviously).
The "reformers" stand waiting with their own version of school (generally a stripped-down, kids-in-front-of-computers-all-day version).
Finally, lead-poisoned children begin to show up at the reformer schools (we'll call the "charters") and the "reformers" get the tax dollars. Thy hardly spend a dime of it on their schools, and get crazy-rich.
People involved in the "reformer" scheme are Bill Gates, Eli Broad, the Walton family, TFA, Arne Duncan, Pearson Testing, Common Core Testing, and Eva.