Bohlke, Lily. (October 8, 2021). Michigan community faces water crisis, calls for lead pipe replacement. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from Michigan community faces water crisis, calls for lead pipe replacement | Detroit News | Detroit | Detroit Metro Times

 

Many drinking water systems across the US contain lead pipes. However, communities primarily made up of people of color are being disproportionately affected by this. Removing these lead pipes would be incredibly beneficial; since lead can affect children’s ability to read and write, removal of the pipes would benefit children’s education. Environmental agencies have been working to get safe drinking water for primarily black communities in southwestern Michigan, as the area has reported extremely high lead levels over the past few years. Many areas like this, with mainly people of color inhabitants, have been losing investments over the years, so it is crucial they get the support that they need.

 

This article is really closely tied to the topic of environmental justice, as it focuses on black communities (and other communities made up of people of color) being disproportionately affected by environmental crises. Lead contamination of drinking water is incredibly dangerous, and to make matters worse, some of these communities have been without safe water for years, and yet little has been done to fix this. I found the article to be really eye opening. I had heard of the “lead in water” issue in the past, such as what happened in Flint, Michigan, but I hadn’t realized that the crisis wasn’t one faced by all communities in the area. Upon learning about this, I’m upset to hear that our federal government hasn’t done much to fix this, despite multiple campaigns from environmental activists and the government’s general knowledge of the issue.