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Biden administration announces plan to replace 100% of lead pipes in US homes
The Biden administration on Thursday announced a "whole of government strategy" to remove dangerous lead from Americans' drinking water, including billions of dollars to begin replacing 100% of the lead pipes servicing the nation's homes.
Environmental groups praised the plan, which includes a promise to begin the process of strengthening the nation's drinking water standards to reflect the science showing that lead is toxic for children at any level.
But lawyers at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has been leading efforts to fight lead, said they worry that the plan lacks a solid timeline and fails to deliver enforceable requirements.
The set of actions announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) included the release of the first $2.9bn of $15bn approved in Biden's infrastructure plan for local water agencies to begin replacing lead pipes and called for the efforts to focus on the low-income communities who face the most risk of lead poisoning. It also listed 15 new actions across 10 federal agencies to address lead dangers from both water and paint.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Beryllium Sphere (r) on Saturday December 18 2021, @01:00AM (5 children)
We know what lead does to developing brains -- poor impulse control and aggression.
Look what happened when we phased out leaded gasoline: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/01/03/how-lead-caused-americas-violent-crime-epidemic/?sh=44d8464f12c4 [forbes.com]
Not just us. Every place that phased out leaded gas had a violent crime rate decline when the next generation reached early adulthood.
This is an anti-crime initiative.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Thexalon on Saturday December 18 2021, @01:26AM (2 children)
The lead-crime hypothesis definitely has a decent amount of research behind it, although another argument that has been made seriously is that crime started declining the time that kids who could be aborted thanks to Roe v Wade would have become 16-20 years old. The idea is that abortions would be concentrated among people who would end up with kids in really bad circumstances that create all sorts of psychological problems, so abortion was providing a sort of unintentional eugenics.
But yeah, lead poisoning is bad. You'd think this wouldn't be a controversial idea after thousands of years of science behind it.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @07:34AM
Roe vs Wade only applies to America. Australia had the same violence reduction when we banned leaded petrol. I think the UK did too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @05:52PM
Eugenics is not the right word. Has nothing to do with genetics, it is preventing births into bad situations.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @06:00PM (1 child)
"We know what lead does to developing brains -- poor impulse control and aggression."
what a coincidence, poor impulse control and higher aggression is also higher in blacks when compared to any other group, with or without the lead scapegoat.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 19 2021, @05:39AM
When you say poor impulse control, first thing I think of is Capitol Hill tourists.
(Score: 4, Funny) by EJ on Saturday December 18 2021, @05:59AM (1 child)
What is he going to replace them with? Candlesticks? Rope? Perhaps a revolver?
Did he consult with Colonel Mustard first?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @01:25PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @01:28PM (4 children)
lead-acid battery. are recycled but still need replacement every few years...
at least 500 million of 'em globally?
lots of lead but no real use for it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @01:43PM (3 children)
What?! Lead is insanely useful industrially. Electrodes, roof flashing in areas without acid rain, bullets, intermediate reagent in drug synthesis, and on and on...
Lead is valuable for its physical properties. It's toxic--like a good chunk of the periodic table, so maybe don't make lead acetate and dissolve it in your wine?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @04:21PM (1 child)
oh okay. thanks for the clarification. didn't know it was required in those HUGE metric butt ton loads of volumes...
i guess it's also useful as the end of the radiaoctif uranium decay-chain :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18 2021, @05:39PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 19 2021, @07:33AM