lead poisoning

Published on: June 14, 2016

Lead Paint Danger Much Greater Than NYC Housing Authority Previously Reported

The next time you hear the head of the New York City Housing Authority tell you not to worry about the widespread presence of lead paint in public housing developments, don’t believe her.

When over 200 children living in public housing were found to have high lead levels in their blood, NYCHA CEO Shola Olatoye evaded responsibility by announcing that only 17 of the housing authority’s apartments contained dangerous levels of lead paint. Directly contradicting this data were the city Health Department’s findings that 63 of those apartments tested positive for lead paint.

What could account for the enormous discrepancy between these figures?
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Published on: April 20, 2016

Lead Contamination in NY Schools; How Many Years Did It Go Unnoticed?

By Caesar, Napoli & Spivak PLLC

Over 80 New York drinking water systems contain lead levels over the federal action limit, say Environmental Protection Agency records. The largest of these systems, located in Tarrytown, NY, supplies water to over 11,000 people. 16 of the systems supply schools and day care centers.

New York has become more diligent in its testing in the wake of the catastrophic findings in Flint, MI and Newark, NJ.

In September of last year, the proportion of children with elevated lead levels in Flint was found to have doubled since the city switched water sources in 2014. Because the effects of lead poisoning can sometimes take years to become apparent, Michigan chief medical executive Eden Wells has recommended considering all 8,657 children in Flint under the age of 6 exposed, “regardless of what their blood level is on Jan. 11.” Because of the mass exposure to lead by the city’s children, Flint mayor Dayne Walling anticipates a greater need for mental health services and special education in years to come.
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Published on: January 25, 2016

Complaints of Rashes, Lead Exposure by Residents Went Ignored for Months

By Caesar, Napoli & Spivak PLLC

“Government failed you — federal, state and local leaders — by breaking the trust you place in us,” Michigan Governor Rick Snyder conceded in his State of the State address last week after months of ignoring Flint residents’ complaints about contaminated water. “I’m sorry, and I will fix it.”

The Governor’s apology, and the $28 million emergency fund subsequently granted to the city of Flint by the Michigan House of Representatives may seem like adequate reparations, but to many residents of the poor, mostly black community of Flint, the government response is much too little too late.
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