Photo / Valerie Jean
BENTON HARBOR, MI — Let the truth be known. It is simple matter of law that the people of Benton Harbor, Michigan deserve safe clean drinking water. For over three years, Benton Harbor has had contaminated water unsafe to drink, but nobody told the residents of Benton Harbor.
The city of Benton Harbor, and especially the mayor, the city manager and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have been aware of the shockingly high level of lead for years, but none has taken meaningful, competent or timely action to correct the problem.
There is no immediate solution to reduce levels of lead contamination in the water system.
Tests during the last six months sampling period found lead levels at 24 parts per billion (ppb) with a reporting range of 0 to 889 parts per billion, nearly 60 times the federal action level of 15ppb.
Michigan and the city of Benton Harbor’s response to this lead in water crisis has been plagued by delay and failure. We need an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. A real ‘hands on deck’ approach, not just words.
The Benton Harbor Community Water Council has a ‘hands on desk’ approach. We have been distributing water for over two years to every citizen of Benton Harbor. The Benton Harbor Community Water Council has been going door to door to make sure every resident of Benton Harbor has clear, safe water.
We must immediately require safe water for schools and childcare facilities. We must review the state’s determination regarding water treatment for the lead reduction and order optimal corrosion control treatment, requiring the city to conduct continued and improved monitoring for lead and to submit a Quality Assurance Project plan for monitoring. We must order the city to comply with required public education and supplemental monitoring.
Let the truth be told, these are only a few of the things that need to done. Let’s make sure this never ever happens to another city in this country.
