“One child affected by lead poisoning is too many, and this problem has persisted for far too long,” said Arnold Mikolo, Environmental Justice Advocate at CLF. “Our children deserve to grow up free from this toxic threat. The creation of this commission is a major step towards ending this injustice once and for all and protecting Manchester’s children.”
We are helping to make our built environment healthier for all.
CLF pushes for more robust standards for clean water regionwide.
We are helping to make our built environment healthier for all.
Long recognized as a dangerous toxin that can result in serious health problems, lead was removed from our gasoline and paint decades ago. But the problem of lead poisoning in children has unfortunately not gone away, especially in Manchester, NH.
Long recognized as a dangerous toxin that can result in serious health problems, lead was removed from our gasoline and paint decades ago. But the problem of lead poisoning in children has unfortunately not gone away, especially in Manchester, NH.
I grew up in communities that needed environmental justice the most. I also lived in neighborhoods that already had the resources and ability to make change. Still, I didn’t understand the difference or know what the environmental world called the movement until later in life. I could only connect the dots when I had more access to education and a framework for understanding the issue.
At a time of great concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential risks posed to students, teachers, and families, it’s important not to lose sight of a lingering, ongoing health problem – one that can have lifelong consequences for our kids, but that is easily preventable: lead-contaminated drinking water.
In times of change and upheaval, there is also room for hope and inspiration. While we collectively have much hard work ahead of us, we also have much to commend. Our hope is that this report offers insight into the work that your support makes possible – and inspiration for what we know we can accomplish together.
Even as we mourn the lives lost to COVID-19 and absorb the heavy toll it has taken on our economy, we must recognize that the old “normal” left too many communities unhealthy and especially vulnerable to the pandemic. Replicating that old “normal” will squander an opportunity to reduce climate danger while building healthier and more just communities for all.
