For three years Mayor Barrett has resisted any attempt by the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC) to highlight lead in water playing a more sinister and major role in the elevated blood lead levels of Milwaukee’s children than previously thought.
In 2015, during his Mayoral campaign, Barrett insisted that Milwaukee’s water was completely safe. In 2016, the Mayor conceded to pressure and put out a call to the public to use filters. In 2017, Barrett’s Health Department fought tooth and nail to prevent passage of the “Lead Transparency” resolution which was ultimately passed by the Common Council late that year. In 2018, the Mayor and attorney Peter Earle are now trying to sway public opinion into thinking that the lead paint industry has instigated and initiated a campaign to shift public concerns away from lead paint as the primary cause for elevated blood lead levels in Milwaukee children. In fact, the former Chief of Staff for the Mayor, Patrick Curley released a public statement casting aspersions against FLAC as working secretly with the paint industry.
What is the real issue? The most intriguing aspect of the lead in water issue in Milwaukee is the city’s long-standing decision to not test the water in homes with elevated blood lead levels. Why? Clearly by 2004 more studies were out indicating corrosion control treatment methods were not adequate to stop the leaching of lead.
The 2006 Housing & Urban Development (HUD) study indicated there was a problem in Milwaukee water supply with lead, according to Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech when he gave his keynote speech at Marquette University in 2016. Could it be that Mayor Barrett and Attorney Peter Earle are concerned that if water from lead laterals is determined to be a considerable source of the lead poisoning Milwaukee’s children, it could compromise an already settled amount of $1.2 billion lawsuit payout by the paint manufacturers?
If water from lead laterals are scientifically tested, if elevated lead blood levels data are collected and if lead in water is found to be a significant source of lead poisoning of children, then Barrett’s and Earle’s damages claim could be lowered significantly and would not only reduce the amount of damages being sought but would also impact Earle’s legal fees and shift the blame of willingly and knowingly exposing Milwaukee’s children to lead poisoning on their shoulders.
The actions by the Mayor and attorney Peter Earle may also explain why Earle recently filed a lawsuit against the lead paint manufacturers charging them with attempting to create a “controversy” over contaminated water to avoid liability for lead paint. Casting more aspersions against FLAC as being a tool for the lead paint industry.
“We used to not worry at all about soil or water, and we are finding now that more and more cases cannot be explained by lead-based paint,” said Brian Magee, a Massachusetts-based toxicologist who serves as an expert witness on the risks posed by various chemicals. “So the view of childhood lead exposure has become more complicated in Milwaukee, as well as other places”, said Magee in an article published by the Associated Press.
“Milwaukee historically has been a world leader in covering up water lead problems”, said Dr. Marc Edwards during his keynote speech at a water symposium held at Marquette University in September 2016.
Not only is the cover up continuing, but it seems that the Mayor has enlisted the services of attorney Peter Earle to add more obfuscation to the issue of lead in water as well.
