Milwaukee Lead Pipe Lateral Scandal Ignites Campaign For City To Remove Toxic Hazard From Homes

The City of Milwaukee, Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett are facing the biggest scandal to hit City Hall in decades, the lead pipe toxic laterals being used in at least 70,000 area homes.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

June 27, 2016

Milwaukee, WI - Today, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Common Council are facing the biggest lead pipe laterals toxic poisoning scandal to hit City Hall in decades. At least 70,000 homes in the City of Milwaukee still have the federal banned lead pipe toxic laterals connected to homes allowing fresh water to flow into homes for bathing, washing and drinking. 

Last week, the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC) called for Mayor Barrett to suspend all street and sidewalk construction in areas where 70,000 homes with lead pipe laterals are still being used for fresh water flow into residential areas. FLAC requested that city officials test those areas with lead pipe laterals where construction is taking place to see, if a protective phosphorus compound introduced into the water flow to serve as a protective cover to prevent lead from getting into the fresh water flow is still intact and has not been loosen causing a health lead toxic hazard. It seems that the City hasn't been complying and residents in street construction zones have not been notified before repairs began. Water flow into most homes in the street construction zones hasn't been tested in a weekly basis to determine how much lead is contaminating the drinking residential water.

In the Southside of Milwaukee, Alderman José G. Pérez hasn't even informed the residents along S. 13 Street between W. Rogers and W. Becher Streets of the potential lead pipe hazards and possible lead poisoning of the water. Alderman Pérez including fellow aldermen haven't even decided to schedule public forums in aldermanic districts to inform their residents of the lead toxic lateral pipes connected to the area homes.

The lead pipe toxic laterals should be replaced as soon as possible and taxpayers should contact City Hall and let their aldermen to provide funding to begin to remove the lead toxic pipes from homes. Will the City of Milwaukee continue to cover up the lead pipe toxic lateral scandal, its practice to stall the removal of toxic pipes and to allowed to poison Taxpayers? Taxpayers should demand for the City to replace the toxic lead pipe laterals as soon as possible.

Find City of Milwaukee properties with lead pipe laterals by address at http://goo.gl/poY5yv