This is pretty alarming. The news service Reuters did a nationwide survey on lead exposure in children. The findings locally are very scary. On the north and west side of Michigan City elevated lead levels were found in nearly 20% of those surveyed. To put this into prospective, the findings in Flint Michigan were a fraction of that total. Please see the chart enclosed in the story.
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/specia...a-lead-testing/
Full Version: High lead levels found in City kids
QUOTE(Southsider2k12 @ Dec 23 2016, 03:39 PM) 
This is pretty alarming. The news service Reuters did a nationwide survey on lead exposure in children. The findings locally are very scary. On the north and west side of Michigan City elevated lead levels were found in nearly 20% of those surveyed. To put this into prospective, the findings in Flint Michigan were a fraction of that total. Please see the chart enclosed in the story.
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/specia...a-lead-testing/
Doesn't surprise me, when I redid the pipes in my moms former old house that was built in 1875, we took out old active lead supply lines and replaced with copper. We did that work in the early 1990's, and I am sure there is lead in many of the old homes in the downtown area ( north and west) side of Michigan City. Seems like this would be something the health dept would get involved with. Anything built pre 1900 should be checked. It would depend on what time period the plumbing was installed, but starting with the house age would be a good indicator.
QUOTE(exsteel5 @ Dec 24 2016, 11:30 AM)
Doesn't surprise me, when I redid the pipes in my moms former old house that was built in 1875, we took out old active lead supply lines and replaced with copper. We did that work in the early 1990's, and I am sure there is lead in many of the old homes in the downtown area ( north and west) side of Michigan City. Seems like this would be something the health dept would get involved with. Anything built pre 1900 should be checked. It would depend on what time period the plumbing was installed, but starting with the house age would be a good indicator.
Looking at the coverage map, I would be willing to bet that lead paint is a big thing as well. I really think the City should get involved here. I mean we are talking about a public health crisis. There should be an investigation launched by the City Council, especially into rental properties.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publi...c195998f2f.html
QUOTE
There’s nothing in the water,” said LaPorte County Health administrator Tony Mancuso.
Nevertheless, Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer is putting together a committee to review the report and make sure there are no other sources.
He’s already had talks with both the water department and sanitary district to begin the process.
“We’re not alarmed that there’s some crisis going on in Michigan City or anything like that,” Meer said. “However, as the leader of the community, I think I have the responsibility to look into this.”
A Reuters news investigation revealed nearly 3,000 areas in 21 states with recorded lead poisoning rates at least double those in Flint, Michigan during the peak of that city’s water contamination crisis.
And more than one-third of the areas had a rate at least four times higher than what was found in Flint.
The data was obtained from state health departments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Reuters report.
Statistics provided by Reuters on an interactive web page shows 19.4 percent of the 160 children tested on Michigan City’s west side had elevated lead levels, as did 18.6 percent of 199 children tested on the north side.
A large area on the east side had more than 10 percent of the children tested with elevated lead levels.
All three of those areas have a good percentage of aging housing stock.
Nevertheless, Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer is putting together a committee to review the report and make sure there are no other sources.
He’s already had talks with both the water department and sanitary district to begin the process.
“We’re not alarmed that there’s some crisis going on in Michigan City or anything like that,” Meer said. “However, as the leader of the community, I think I have the responsibility to look into this.”
A Reuters news investigation revealed nearly 3,000 areas in 21 states with recorded lead poisoning rates at least double those in Flint, Michigan during the peak of that city’s water contamination crisis.
And more than one-third of the areas had a rate at least four times higher than what was found in Flint.
The data was obtained from state health departments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Reuters report.
Statistics provided by Reuters on an interactive web page shows 19.4 percent of the 160 children tested on Michigan City’s west side had elevated lead levels, as did 18.6 percent of 199 children tested on the north side.
A large area on the east side had more than 10 percent of the children tested with elevated lead levels.
All three of those areas have a good percentage of aging housing stock.
Again, I am very happy to see the the City taking a lead in this important public safety issue. But again, I wouldn't wait for the City to do everything for you. Lead poisoning is a dangerous issue, especially for children. If you are living in a very old house, where things like paint and pipes could be older than 40 or 50 years, call the health department and get things started yourself.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...campaign=LEEDCC
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...campaign=LEEDCC
QUOTE(Southsider2k12 @ Feb 7 2017, 03:38 PM)
Again, I am very happy to see the the City taking a lead in this important public safety issue. But again, I wouldn't wait for the City to do everything for you. Lead poisoning is a dangerous issue, especially for children. If you are living in a very old house, where things like paint and pipes could be older than 40 or 50 years, call the health department and get things started yourself.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...campaign=LEEDCC
There would be no lead in the public water system up to the point of delivery. It is good they are checking the sanitary effluent, but who knows what is being put down the sewers. They need to check point of delivery in people's old homes. That is where they will find the lead. It is the customer supply lines in the old homes that are lead. It is not the City's fault, it is what they used back then to hook up to the City's steel pipes. I would not have believed it, unless I saw it myself.
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