Lead poisoning sickens 600 kids in China

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

It said lead levels in children were as high as 506 milligrams per liter of blood ¡ª more than 10 times the level considered safe by China.

 

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090814/ap_on_..._lead_poisoning

[warpedbored]

In another lifetime I lived in the pan handle of Idaho. Not far away is Kellogg, Idaho. One of the worst super fund toxic messes in US history. Kellogg was a lead smelter town and the whole area was dependent on the mine and smelter for their livelihood. It took some grade school children getting sick before they realized that the whole area was polluted with lead. Bunker Hill mining company tried to cover up what their own research showed was dangerous levels of lead in the water supply. In their private investigation Bunker hill even did urine test on local children without the parent's consent. They even went so far as to threaten to close down the facility unless pollution restriction levels were eased. Finally in 1982 they closed the mine and smelter. 35 years later they are still trying to clean it up. Lake Coeur d’Alene 35 miles away still shows dangerously high levels of lead.

Here is a write up of the history of the area on the subject.

http://www.class.uidaho.edu/kpgeorge/issue...hill/bunker.htm

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Don't forget or Love Canal disaster in Niagara Falls, NY.

[amberjack1234]

In another lifetime I lived in the pan handle of Idaho. Not far away is Kellogg, Idaho. One of the worst super fund toxic messes in US history. Kellogg was a lead smelter town and the whole area was dependent on the mine and smelter for their livelihood. It took some grade school children getting sick before they realized that the whole area was polluted with lead. Bunker Hill mining company tried to cover up what their own research showed was dangerous levels of lead in the water supply. In their private investigation Bunker hill even did urine test on local children without the parent's consent. They even went so far as to threaten to close down the facility unless pollution restriction levels were eased. Finally in 1982 they closed the mine and smelter. 35 years later they are still trying to clean it up. Lake Coeur d¡¯Alene 35 miles away still shows dangerously high levels of lead.

Here is a write up of the history of the area on the subject.

http://www.class.uidaho.edu/kpgeorge/issue...hill/bunker.htm

1917-1982 that is like ancient history or something isn't it? This Chinese incident is taking place today in modern times. Did we even know what lead pollution was in 1917? I think that the EPA does a fairly good job of controlling these kind of things now in the USA. I am not foolish enough to think that some pollution of this type is not still done but not to the grand extent that it use to go on.

 

I was written up once in my office for disposing of used eye glass cleaning lens papers in the routine trash. I was told that I would have to dispose of them as hazardous wast. I think that we have gone to doing nothing, like China, to the opposite extreme.

 

Larry

[amberjack1234]

There is pollution in China? You gotta be kidding....right?

But only just a little.

 

Seriously though they will come on line with protection for it's citizens but only ofter China had reached it's goal of their anticipated place as a world leader but until then its will be full speed ahead and damn the torpedo's. I am sure they will get there too.

 

Larry

[warpedbored]

Perhaps China is about where we were at in the 70s and 80s. They are still an emerging nation. I think it's a good idea to examine our own mistakes before we get too carried away criticizing China. Some of our own messes aren't completely cleaned up yet. Here in Portland marine biologists still find mutated fish and other aquatic wildlife due to poluted waters.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J_FabKwqDxE/RqsdNLsmptI/AAAAAAAABJQ/6SbT2ykfbLI/s320/Rare+Mutant+Frog.jpg

[amberjack1234]

Perhaps China is about where we were at in the 70s and 80s. They are still an emerging nation. I think it's a good idea to examine our own mistakes before we get too carried away criticizing China. Some of our own messes aren't completely cleaned up yet. Here in Portland marine biologists still find mutated fish and other aquatic wildlife due to poluted waters.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J_FabKwqDxE/RqsdNLsmptI/AAAAAAAABJQ/6SbT2ykfbLI/s320/Rare%20Mutant%20Frog.jpg

Calm down Carl I don't see anybody getting carried away. I won't say anything else about it. I would not want to be the one to cause your blood pressure to go up.

 

Larry

[warpedbored]

It's OK Larry I took my medicine today.

[amberjack1234]

It's OK Larry I took my medicine today.

That's great Carl. I contend that I will not say anything else on the matter. I know that there are still some here, some gone, that can not stand to hear anything ever so slightly askew about the mother land without coming back with something equally terrible about America. So I'll shut up. No problem and no hard feelings it is just the way it is here. B)

99% of this has died down on this site let's keep it that way what do you say?

 

Larry

[warpedbored]

It's OK Larry I took my medicine today.

That's great Carl. I contend that I will not say anything else on the matter. I know that there are still some here, some gone, that can not stand to hear anything ever so slightly askew about the mother land without coming back with something equally terrible about America. So I'll shut up. No problem and no hard feelings it is just the way it is here.

99% of this has died down on this site let's keep it that way what do you say?

 

Larry

I'm not against posting about these things happening in China. I just wanted to point out that we have our own skeletons in the closet as well. As Don said there is a growing awareness in China about the environment. They will eventually follow some of the same steps we have. What burns my ass is how the media gets a hold of some of these stories and paints China as some sort of monster who wants to poison our children and pets.

 

I have seen rivers in Nanning I don't think I would want to get close enough to poke a stick in let alone swim in or eat fish out of. The air polution is terrible. I also noticed how much cleaner Nanning is now than it was on my previous visit 5 years earlier.

[dnoblett]

Don't forget or Love Canal disaster in Niagara Falls, NY.

You beat me to it I was just thinking about that.

[knloregon]

Well, Carl hit the nail on the head with Kellogg smelter. Its exactly what I though about when I read this story.

 

-- In the late 60's---early 70's it was a classic struggle---pollution or jobs--- they know full well lead was a by-product of silver smelting, but it was making a lot of money.

 

I was in college with the son of one of the highest managers of the Kellogg operation, and he was very defensive... but as Carl points out, this is one of those examples where, in its industrial evolution, China is grappling with issues the US was involved in---40 years ago---pollution vs. jobs...

[NewDay2006]

Not quite as bad as the prior post.. Still I'm not sre if I beleive this.

 

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