'We were paying to poison our kids': lead in Michigan city's water hits children

[wehateporn]

Flint declared a public health emergency this week after a dangerous spike in its water?s lead levels. But parents say they?ve been ?screaming? about the issue for months in an area where water prices are among the country?s highest

When Lee-Anne Walters learned in March that her son?s immune system was compromised after being exposed to lead in the city of Flint?s water supply, she did what any parent would likely do: break down and cry.

?Shocked, angry ? I was hysterical,? Walters told the Guardian. Barely able to speak, the 37-year-old called her friend Melissa Mays.

?I just couldn?t believe that we were paying to poison our kids,? Walters said.

A spate of kids are experiencing elevated blood-lead levels in Flint, and some drinking water lead levels are so high they are defined as hazardous waste, according to several local studies.

Residents also pay some of the highest water rates in the US, in the community known for its economic decline.

After months of resisting complaints about the water, and even a press conference by local doctors warning of potential effects, officials relented this week, declaring a public health emergency.

The spike in lead occurred last spring after Flint changed the source of its drinking water. Conducted by a pediatrician with Hurley Medical Center, the newest study examined the lead levels of hundreds of children, comparing blood tests taken before and after April 2014, when Flint stopped using Detroit water and started drawing water from the Flint River as a temporary cost-saving measure.

Continued 'We were paying to poison our kids': lead in Michigan city's water hits children | US news | The Guardian

[Relic]