(Click to enlarge GIS map of Flint)
“It’s
Not Just Flint:” Lead Emitters and Contamination Maps
A
state of emergency has been declared by Mayor Karen Weaver in Flint, Michigan,
due to the dangerous levels of lead found in the water since the city switched
from the Detroit water system to the Flint River as its water source in
2014. According to a Flint medical
study, the proportion of infants and children with above-average levels of lead
in their blood has nearly doubled during this time.
While
the situation in Flint is making news, the Natural Resources Defense Council
reports that “more than 16,000 lead polluters exist in communities
across the country, and their harmful emissions are found in every U.S.
county." The Council created an online
interactive Google mapping tool so users can locate lead polluters nearby.
Vox reports that the soil of urban areas has been contaminated by lead for decades, sometimes at dangerous levels. “…The biggest problem is inner-city soil
contaminated by decades-old gasoline.
Gas went unleaded in the mid-1970’s, but all the old lead burned in the
past was dumped into the air and then fell back to earth.” And unfortunately “the tiny lead particles
don’t biodegrade.” Maps included in the
article show the lead contamination in New Orleans, the District of Columbia,
and New York City—especially Brooklyn.
For
more information about these online cartographic resources, please contact the Ball
State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) at
765-285-1097.
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