In a development reminiscent of the troubles in Flint, Mich., residents of a housing complex in East Chicago, Ind. have found themselves in a bind over high levels of lead in their soil.
The topsoil in some of the lawns at the West Calumet Housing Complex contains levels of lead 30 times higher than what the EPA considers safe; deeper down, it’s much worse. Of the 474 residents screened since July, 29 were found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood; 19 of them were children under the age of 8, the New York Times reports.
The EPA has been monitoring the lead levels for several years, but efforts to clean up the contamination have obviously not been successful. While that is sorted out, Mayor Anthony Copeland announced last month that residents—a majority of whom are black and poor—will have to find somewhere new to live so the complex can be demolished.
Many parents of young children are eager to get out, and some in the complex have filed a discrimination complaint saying the East Chicago Housing Authority’s relocation plan violates their civil rights.
[NYT]
- The Case for Mediocrity
- How Russia Is Recruiting Cubans to Fight in Ukraine
- Paul Hollywood Answers All of Your Questions About The Great British Baking Show
- Meet the 2023 TIME100 Next: the Emerging Leaders Shaping the World
- Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks: How to Separate Work From Your Identity
- How Canada and India's Relationship Crumbled
- You Don’t Have to Like Wrestling to Love Netflix’s Excellent Wrestlers
- The Most Anticipated Books, Movies, TV, and Music of Fall 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time