This week: Lead Pipe Replacements for Chicago Residents + Flint Officials Still Liable + Rising Water Levels Caused by Spring Rain, NOT Plan 14.
Lead Pipe Replacements for Chicago Residents?
The City of Chicago may soon be forced to replace lead-pipes for thousands of residents, according to a recent decision by the Illinois Appellate Court. Warning signs of lead contamination have been evident for years but were largely ignored by the previous mayor’s administration. Chicago’s newly elected Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledged during her campaign to add lead-pipe replacements to municipal construction projects.
Flint Officials Still Liable
A recent decision by the full Sixth Circuit means Flint officials can still face liability for their role in in the Flint water crisis. The full court ruled last week not to vacate a January decision of the three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit to refuse to grant immunity to Flint officials, in a case brought by a family who drank lead-contaminated water.
Rising Water Levels Caused by Spring Rain, NOT Plan 2014
Residents along the shoreline of Lake Ontario are struggling with rising water levels for the second time in three years. And while some are pointing to Plan 2014, which was adopted in late 2016 and aims to regulate water levels in Lake Ontario, the real culprit is record-setting wet springs in 2017 and 2019. “No regulation plan can make high water out of nothing,” said Jacob Bruxer, a senior water resources engineer with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “It’s been wet.”
A draft of the 2018-2022 Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) for Lake Ontario has been developed by the Lake Ontario Partnership and is available for public comment until June 13, 2019.