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Lead Contamination in City Water
Dear EarthTalk: I find it hard to believe that Flint, Michigan is the only city or town in the U.S. with lead contamination of its water system. Has anyone looked at where else this could be a problem? — Jason K., Clearwater, FL
A new analysis of data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 18 million Americans live in communities where water systems contain unsafe levels of lead. In “What’s In Your Water: Flint & Beyond,” NRDC reports that 5,300 different water systems across the country either shirked responsibilities to treat their water supplies to reduce lead levels, failed to monitor water supplies for lead, or neglected to report unsafe lead levels to the public or regulators. “These violations were recorded because the systems were not doing everything that they are required to do to protect the public from lead issues,” added NRDC.
“Imagine a cop sitting, watching people run stop signs, and speed at 90 miles per hour in small communities and still doing absolutely nothing about it—knowing the people who are violating the law…” said Erik Olson, NRDC’s health program director. “That’s unfortunately what we have now.”
Even more surprising to NRDC is the fact that Flint didn’t even show up as having violations for lead in the EPA’s database, illustrating “the serious problem of underreporting and gaming of the system by some water supplies to avoid finding lead problems, suggesting that our lead crisis could be even bigger.”
Of course, Flint is far from the only metropolitan area with contaminated water supplies. Researchers believe thousands of water supplies across the country have been “gaming” the system for decades, with the EPA turning a blind eye to the situation.
“Cheating became something you didn’t even hide,” Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech researcher credited with exposing water supply management issues in Washington DC and later Flint, recently told CNN. Some of the most common “bad practices” by water supply managers include testing only homes that are unlikely to have high levels of lead, asking residents to “pre-flush” their taps, and taking water samples slowly to reduce lead levels.
For its part, the EPA says that individual states are responsible for the majority of drinking water enforcement actions and should continue to be “the first line of oversight” of drinking water systems. The agency adds that “many of the drinking water systems that NRDC cites in its analysis are already working to resolve past violations and return to compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.”
So what’s to be done? According to NRDC, fixing Flint—with both emergency relief and long-term infrastructure and systemic improvements—should be priority #1. Beyond Flint, NRDC says that the EPA should be taking a hard look at the rest of the country’s water infrastructure, removing lead service lines and fixing other water problems, especially in underserved communities.
To find out if your community is affected, check out NRDC’s interactive map showing which communities’ water systems were in violation of the EPA’s “lead action level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb) and which have failed to monitor or report on lead levels.
CONTACTS: NRDC’s “What’s In Your Water: Flint & Beyond,” www.nrdc.org/resources/whats-your-water-flint-and-beyond; EPA, www.epa.gov.
EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of the nonprofit Earth Action Network. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org. Send questions to: [email protected].
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Bowie Boost program 3 explores marketing post-pandemic
“Memorable marketing in the post-pandemic era” will be the feature for the third installment of the Bowie Business Boost on April 16.
Lorie Vincent, certified economic developer, will bring the program that begins at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and the program 8-9:30 a.m. at the Bowie Community Center.
Registration is $49 which includes all four sessions. The final program is May 21. Register at accelerationbydesign.com/event-details/bowiebusinessboost.
Call the Bowie EDC office at 940-872-4193 for additional information.
Vincent is a professional trainer, writer and economic developer with a focus on community and business marketing. She will share how your audience has changed in the post-pandemic era. Vincent will show you how easy and innovative adjustments to your marketing goals can grow your bottom line and result in strong customer engagement.
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Water line break sprays water to the sky
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Vera Rae
Vera Rae
April 19, 1940 to October 29, 2023
AUSTRALIA – Vera Rae, 82, passed away peacefully after a set of health issues following a fall on Oct. 7, 2023.
Vera was born in Stockport, England to John “Jack” and Alice Gooch. They migrated to Australia following the Second World War, settling in Western Australia.
Vera met the love of her life in 1957, Robert John Rae, and they married on May 30, 1959. They were blessed with two daughters, Jenny and Debby.
Vera loved the Lord, had a strong faith, and was a prayer warrior. Throughout her various illnesses in life, she remained cheerful, gracious, and loving.
Vera was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Alice Gooch; in-laws, Don and Amy Rae, and nephew, Justin Gooch.
Vera is survived by her loving husband, Robert Rae, Port Kennedy, Western Australia; daughter, Jenny Rae Rizzolo and partner Paul, Bowie, TX, and Debby Rae Harvey and husband Ian, Waikiki, Western Australia; grandchildren, Mandy Jones, Jodie Ehle, Jacilyn Kenny and Bronwyn Has; and great grandchildren, Tahlia, Tanaya, Shelby, Khy, Jordyn, Mollie, Bryce, Brett, Kobe, Lilly, Caitlin, Morgan and Olivia.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Greenfield’s Funerals, Port Kennedy Western Australia.
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