Article yesterday said Chicago had just confirmed a lead pipe project expected to finish in 2077.
TF is wrong with administration around the lakes? How can they be allowed to have so little progress and so slowly as a normal course of business? Insulated career politicians? Bribes?
2077 seems pretty outrageous, but if we’re talking replacement of every lead service line and meter connection in the city of Chicago, the logistics around a project of that magnitude are absurd and difficult to grasp. Even just the sheer number of replacements would be astronomical, let alone the logistics involved in performing the construction in some pretty cramped areas, including shutting down streets and businesses.
Dunno about 2077, but I could see it taking at least a decade… They’d probably do it in phases, rather than one massive project, which could also stretch things out.
2077 is just in time for the nuclear apocalypse.
Holy shit, it’s only been, what? At least 20 years?
The problem started in 2014, when a state-appointed administrator took over and stopped measures which had been used to limit corrosion, sharply increasing peoples’ exposure to lead from the old pipes.
It feels like it’s been 20 years since I first heard about Flint and their water.
I guess it was when I was just in high school ten years ago. Damn.
Friend, don’t even start us older folks down that path lol
According to the article, this all started in 2014 when the city cut corners on the water quality to save money.
Yes, but the city officials had their boss replaced by state with one who had a mandate to cut spending. Wikipedia does a better job of getting that part right:
In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint’s water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River.[7] Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply, exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels.
Trump administration: “We are having the DOJ investigate all Democrats involved in removing flints Great Lead Pipes! This was a wonderful Roman tradition that the Democrats DESTROYED because they’re Marxists. We’re removing all lead regulations and returning the lead to the people!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!!”
Don’t tell republicans, or Trump will start trying to make them reinstall the lead ones.
If the EPA/state DEP didn’t exist, this never would have been such a big issue! Let’s just stop testing water for lead. Boom, problem solved.
🔫
I’d like to apply the same problem-solving technique to many other issues afflicting the country…
Perhaps to Air Force One’s fuel tanks next time Trump is flying?
New pipes nice!
Can they drink the water yet or is it still flammable?
And you think the current administration cares about lead in pipes? Lead is their friend! It keeps people dumb and aggressive, they need that
Aye! Silver lining is that the project is done before DOGE decided it was a government waste project and the feds investigate it for DEI.
