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Interviews with news makers and discussion of topics important to Southwest Michigan. Subscribe to the podcast through Apple itunes and Google. Segments of interview are heard in WestSouthwest Brief during Morning Edition and All Things Considered

WSW: Should Flint Be The Catalyst For Removing All Lead Lines?

Joe Mabel
/
Wikimedia Commons

Flint’s drinking water crisis has brought more attention to the issue of lead in drinking water. Mae Wu, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council says a big national effort is needed to eliminate the risk. 

Wu argues in her post on the NRDC’s Switchboard Blog that lead water lines need to be replaced. She acknowledges that would be a big, expensive project.

A lack of corrosion control was blamed for lead contamination in Flint’s drinking water. But Wu says even if corrosion control is done, it doesn’t guarantee that lead won’t get into the water. That’s why she says lead service lines should be removed.

Wu says that would take about $1-trillion over at least a decade. But she says the issues of water safety and the infrastructure that carries drinking water is getting greater attention.

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.
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