Hard Numbers; It Pays to Keep Lead Away
Why is it so expensive to clean up the lead contamination crisis
in America? A recent report was published by a cabinet-level task force said it
would cost $25 billion for 10 years to clean up all the lead in America's
paint. It would cost up to $50 billion to clean up the lead pipes across the
country. Soil contamination costs reach $10 billion for 10 years of work, but
no one truly knows where exactly the contamination is so it could be
more.
For more stats, click here: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/12/18661193/lead-pipes-paint-flint-michigan-usa-cost-fix
(move this to the bottom)What we do
know is that hundreds of billions of dollars need to be spent to clean up all
of the lead found in the paint and pipes around the nation. Billions more needs
to be spent on cleaning up the contaminated soil that occurred from the lead-filled
gasoline that has seeped into the soil decades earlier.
However investing in the cleanup of lead payoff in the long-term.
Lead poisoning contributes to healthcare bills, increased crime rates, special
education costs and reduced earnings over a life time. Lead poisoning has also been linked to higher
rates of teen pregnancy; reckless drinking and a decrease in children test
scores in primary and secondary school.
This all may seem impossible and too expensive, but our children
are our future and it is more cost effective and just, to make the investments
we need to make to keep our kids safe and healthy.
