Milwaukee, WI – “The city says it was not for them, the state and feds say it is. …it is shameful that the largest city in our state with the worst lead lateral problem has failed to take advantage of the Biden/Harris program!” – Sen Lena Taylor
In January 2023, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson attended a major White House spectacular announcing an initiative that will assist cities with support to remove of lead pipes harming Americans with lead-in-water. See link showing Johnson endorsing the program: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/
The Environmental Protection Agency launched a lead service line replacement accelerator program in partnership with Wisconsin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Labor. The technical assistance program is designed to address everything from identifying lead pipes needing replacement to applying for grant funding to perform the work. See link for details: https://www.epa.gov/
The problem is that, while most of Wisconsin’s communities are taking part in the program, after his photo-op with POTUS and VP Harris, Mayor Johnson has left Milwaukee holding the bag while all other Wisconsin cities are taking advantage of the goodies POTUS Biden is offering to remove lead pipe hazards from supplying lead tainted water.
“Milwaukee historically has been a world leader in covering up water lead problems,” stated Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech University during a Water Summit hosted by the president of Marquette University in September 2016. See link.
https://law-media.marquette.edu/Mediasite/Play/b68ff5fd1fb8478d8510c834a6081fd41d
The biggest cover up occurred in when in the winter of 2013-2014 record-breaking, long periods of extreme cold, caused a record number of water main breaks to occur (over 930).
https://www.cbs58.com/news/milwaukee-is-reporting-a-record-226-water-main-breaks-this-month
Subsequent years 2015, 2016 and 2017 saw dramatic spikes in blood lead levels in children. A direct link could be made to those water main breaks and the spike in blood lead levels.
Starting in late 2017 lead blood poisoning leveled off to its usuall numbers. No warning was issued to the public that pointed out water main repairs cause lead leaching into tap water. Homes that have a lead service line connected to the water main being repaired never provided filters or instructions to take precautions. As usual, the city blamed the spike of blood lead levels during to those years on lead paint, soil and dust.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson understands if lead pipes are removed in 10-years or less, a dramatic drop in blood lead poisoning will show in subsequent data. Opening the door for lead paint industry to review and contemplate lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee who started the lead paint lawsuit against the lead paint industry in the 1990s. Hence Johnson’s initial call for 60-70 years to remove pipes and now his 20-year removal plan. The delay slows the data lead-in-water plays in blood lead levels where 10 years or less makes it obvious. The suit was started under Norquist and inherited by Barrett.
The lawsuit focused on lead paint being the primary cause of blood lead levels being extremely high in Milwaukee. Lead paint industry pointed to lead-in-water as a cause as well but because of lack of data was unable to prove it’s argument.
The industry lost the case a couple of years ago but rebounded after the defendants appealed and a panel from the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals cleared Sherwin-Williams, and ordered new trials for the other two, Armstrong and DuPont. No challenge to the reversal has been filed as of yet. Johnson is walking a tight rope.
See link for details: https://www.jsonline.com/
If a challenge is filed, the lead paint industry will produce this Public Health Foundation Audit released in 2021 most likely. The audit would help to prove the lead paint industry’s assertion that the data Milwaukee government was using to base its legal argument and as well as its public policy (that lead paint was solely and primarily the cause of high blood lead levels in Milwaukee) was all based on insufficient data. See report here: https://city.milwaukee.gov/
In fact, when Freshwater For Life Action Coalition (FLAC) initiated our lead pipes removal campaign in 2015, the campaign eventually caused Barrett’s Chief of Staff to accuse FLAC of being working/lackeys for the lead paint industry. See link for statement: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/
After two years of constant attacks by FLAC of the Barrett administration’s lead pipe cover up, Barrett brought in the lawyers working on the lead paint lawsuit and in a press conference accused FLAC of being part of a lead paint industry ATTEMPTS to shift blame on lead poisoning. See link below:
Why? Because data is showing how much lead-in-water is playing a significant role in lead blood poisoning in other cities. And if lead paint industry catches on to Milwaukee legal underhandedness, Norquist, Barrett and now Johnson could be held to account.
WATER IS LIFE! REMOVE THE PIPES! 10-YEARS OR LESS
