Sludge Tested As Lead-Poisoning Fix in Poor, Black Neighborhoods

Lawmakers and the NAACP are calling for an investigation into reports that federally funded scientific experiments in 2000 spread sewage sludge on yards in poor, black neighborhoods to test if it could fight lead poisoning in children. The Associated Press reported Sunday that researchers spread a mix of human and industrial wastes from sewage treatment plants on the lawns of nine low-income families in Baltimore and a vacant lot next to an elementary school in East St. Louis, Illinois. The families were told the sludge was safe and not informed about the toxic ingredients the sludge could contain. The report implicated researchers and funders from Johns Hopkins University, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Housing and Urban Development Department, and the Agriculture Department.

The researchers say the experiment successfully reduced the amount of lead in the soil. But some scientists question the findings as well as the choice of neighborhood and lack of transparency with the residents. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee will convene a hearing on the subject next month.

I’m joined in Washington DC by John Heilprin. He’s the Associated Press reporter who broke this story.

John Heilprin, Associated Press reporter.

Related Links

• AP Article: Sludge Tested As Lead-Poisoning Fix

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