UNITED STATES NEWS

EPA staff slow to report health risks from lead-tainted Benton Harbor water, report states

Sep 7, 2023, 11:16 AM | Updated: 11:50 am

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Health risks due to high lead levels in drinking water in a majority Black and impoverished Michigan city were not taken quickly to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leadership, according to a report released Thursday.

The EPA Office of Inspector General said staff monitoring the state’s response to lead levels and compliance in Benton Harbor failed to “elevate” the issue of health risks to the city’s residents, per an EPA policy that encourages staff to do so. The issues met several EPA elevation policy criteria, including the appearance of a substantial threat to public health and that normal enforcement and compliance tools seemed unlikely to succeed in the short term, the report said.

In October 2018, the state notified the Benton Harbor water system it had exceeded 15 parts per billion in water samples — the federal threshold for taking action.

Those levels stayed high. In 2021, activists ramped up pressure for more action, and state leaders responded as the lead issue attracted national attention. State officials promised to rapidly remove the city’s lead pipes and instructed residents to switch to bottled water for basic needs like cooking and drinking.

Lead, which can leach from aging pipes into residential drinking water through taps, is a potent toxin that can damage the cardiovascular and reproductive systems. It is particularly harmful to children, causing lower IQ and behavioral problems.

The EPA’s 2016 Policy on Elevation of Critical Public Health Issues followed the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Flint, which was under state-appointed managers, used the Flint River for water in 2014 and 2015, but the water wasn’t treated the same as water previously supplied by a Detroit-area provider. As a result, lead leached throughout the pipe system.

Benton Harbor is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Chicago. Federal auditors announced an investigation in February 2022 into how the government dealt with lead contamination of Benton Harbor drinking water. The probe followed a petition for federal help from groups that accused local and state governments of dragging their feet.

“Because the elevation policy was not used, the Office of the Administrator’s senior-level team did not have an opportunity to assess and recommend steps for resolving elevated lead levels in the Benton Harbor water system,” the report stated.

The EPA has disagreed with a recommendation that it determine how the policy can be more effective but did agree to develop and implement a strategy to help staff understand when and how to use the policy.

Cyndi Roper, senior policy advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council, called the response in Benton Harbor “another abject failure of the EPA to protect an environmental justice community.”

“The EPA must do better to end the public health disaster linked to lead-contaminated drinking water, starting with issuing and enforcing a new federal lead and copper rule that will finally tackle the lead crisis, so no other community is poisoned by leaded tap water,” Roper said Thursday in a release.

About 87% of Benton Harbor’s roughly 9,100 residents are Black. The city’s median household income was about $24,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census.

Much of the city’s water distribution network is around 100 years old. The city’s water system has added corrosion control chemicals to prevent lead from leaching into the drinking water.

Lead levels finally dropped below the 15 parts per billion action level in December 2021. Millions of dollars in state and federal funds have been used to replace thousands of lead service lines. After about a year — an incredibly fast timeline to replace lead pipes in any city — officials announced nearly all of Benton Harbor’s lead pipes had been replaced.

United States News

In this photo provided by the Morgan & Morgan law firm, utility contractors remove a charred Hawaii...

Associated Press

Takeaways from AP report on Maui fire investigation

Investigators are trying to solve a mystery about the origin of last month’s deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare up again hours later into a devastating inferno that killed at least 97 people? Here are the key takeaways of an Associated Press investigation […]

4 hours ago

This photo provided by the Morgan & Morgan law firm shows a charred Hawaiian Electric utility pole ...

Associated Press

How did the Maui fire spread so quickly? Overgrown gully, stubborn embers may be key to probe

Melted remains of an old car tire. Heavily burned trees. A charred stump of an abandoned utility pole. Investigators are examining these and other pieces of evidence as they seek to solve the mystery of last month’s deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare […]

5 hours ago

FILE - Damarra Atkins pays respect to George Floyd at a mural at George Floyd Square, Friday, April...

Associated Press

Black Americans express concerns about racist depictions in news media, lack of coverage efforts

NEW YORK (AP) — In a new study, Black Americans expressed broad concerns about how they are depicted in the news media, with majorities saying they see racist or negative depictions and a lack of effort to cover broad segments of their community. Four in five Black adults say they see racist or racially insensitive […]

5 hours ago

FILE - Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, accused of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in March 2021,...

Associated Press

Expert ruling that Colorado supermarket shooting suspect is competent for trial set to be debated

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A hearing begins Wednesday to determine if the man accused of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 is mentally competent to stand trial. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 24, was found mentally competent by experts at the state mental hospital in August, but his defense attorney Kathryn Herold asked […]

6 hours ago

FILE-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks with Strider Technologies, an AI-powered strategic intelligen...

Associated Press

Race to replace Mitt Romney heats up as Republican Utah House speaker readies to enter

Republican Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson is poised to formally announce at a Wednesday night rally that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mitt Romney, who recently announced he won’t run for reelection. Romney announced earlier this month that he won’t seek a second term, saying younger people needed to […]

6 hours ago

Follow @ktar923...

Sponsored Content by Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sponsored Articles

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

EPA staff slow to report health risks from lead-tainted Benton Harbor water, report states