By Susan Heavey
Lead contamination and its health consequences have re-emerged as a critical issue in the wake of the Flint municipal water crisis in Michigan. Reporters from Philadelphia to Cleveland and beyond are taking a deeper look at the presence of the contaminant in their communities and how it is affecting residents.
National tracking of this public health crisis is limited, however, and many localities follow their own course. A recent AHCJ’s webcast covered the challenges in tracking down reliable data on lead contamination and its effects.
Here are some additional sources for your reporting:
Federal data resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC’s Surveillance Data contains nearly two decades’ worth of state and local health department data. However, the data is limited to 35 areas funded by the CDC, which includes 29 states and six cities: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. County-level summary data and state data are available. However, because of varying methodologies across local areas, the CDC warns that users “cannot compare across states or counties.” It adds: “Some statistics could underestimate the number of children with lead exposure because not all children are tested.” Note: Because the CDC relies on states and cities to send the information, there can be delays in getting up-to-date numbers. However, the data does offer a good starting point to look at overall lead levels, especially using its National Surveillance Data, which compiles all of its available local data to provide a country-wide picture.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not offer local lead data at its lead resources page. It does list related laws, regulations and policies related to lead in water, air and paint, as well as clean-up guidelines. There is data at its Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) website, although the agency has warned of data discrepancies.
State and local resources
- Contact local health offices in your state and county. You may need to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. If you need guidance, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press offers a thorough tutorial, as well as a FOIA letter generator to help you create your request.
- Some school districts also test their water and facilities for lead and may have results you can obtain.
- Vox’s Sarah Frostenson and Sarah Kliff produced a useful map of the leads risks in neighborhoods across the United States.
- USA Today pulled EPA’s drinking water data into a searchable database.
- The National Conference of State Legislatures also maintains a list of state lead control programs on lead as well as other resources.
- Toxicdocs.org: The brainchild of Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner, two New York-based public health historians and authors of Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children, this website houses historical documents on lead as well as other toxic substances such as PCBs, asbestos and silica. The website is a project of Columbia University’s Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health and City University of New York’s Graduate Center. It offers a sign-up list for email updates.
Susan Heavey is AHCJ’s topic leader covering the social determinants and disparities that impact health. Based in Washington, D.C., Heavey covered health care for more than a decade, reporting on health care regulation and policy before later focusing on the intersection of health, poverty and demographics. She can be reached at determinants@healthjournalism.org or @susanheavey.
