Lead 101: Flint Crisis Is Latest Example Of America's Lead Problem

More than four months after Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced a 10-point plan to remedy the drinking water crisis in Flint, the source of the problem remains present. Like many older cities, Flint is full of lead pipes.

As lead poisoning captures the attention of presidential candidates, Gerald Markowitz reminds Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd that the problem is anything but new. Despite regulatory efforts that span decades, lead persists in paint, pipes and many other places.

Guest

• Gerald Markowitz, public health historian and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. He’s also co-author of the book “Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America's Children.”

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