Lead Pipes Removed in the U.S. May Result in Poisoning Abroad
/Old lead pipes pose export hazard to countries with weaker pollution controls
April 20, 2022. San Francisco, Seattle and Guadalajara – Efforts to replace lead pipes may end up causing lead poisoning in Mexico, India and other countries if steps are not taken to recycle these materials in the U.S. As most of the lead scrap from the U.S. is exported to countries with weaker environmental standards for recycling, the removal of old lead pipes can contribute to significant emissions from smelters in other countries.
The federal Infrastructure law provides $15 Billion dollars over the next 5 years to replace lead water pipes in addition to state and local appropriations. It is estimated that there are up to 10 million service lines in the U.S. that will need to be replaced over the next decade. However, environmental organizations in the U.S. and abroad are concerned that this will result in a massive increase in lead scrap being exported to polluting smelters in developing countries.
Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International, said "We are calling on federal, state and local government programs to require that all lead pipes that are removed, be recycled in smelters in the U.S." He added that "If the EPA and state governments fail to act, this waste streams will end up poisoning children and workers in Mexico, India and other countries with weaker pollution controls."
In a letter sent out this month, an international partnership of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state and local water agencies to require that lead pipes removed under these programs be recycled in the U.S. These environmental organizations have demanded that Environmental Justice must not stop at the U.S. border.
"Although the Biden Administration has rightly focused on Environmental Justice at home, dumping toxic waste on developing countries is not seen as a being a concern," said Jim Puckett Director of the Basel Action Network (BAN) which fights global waste trade. "Lead scrap exports are an environmental and human rights disaster."
In 2021, 50% of lead scrap exports went to India and Mexico for recycling. The other half went to more than 40 other countries including China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Bangladesh and Indonesia. These countries have much weaker pollution controls for air emissions, occupational exposures and few resources for enforcement.
It is estimated that if all the lead service lines serving 8 million homes are replaced, this could double annual U.S. exports of lead scrap over the next ten years.
In addition to the well-established harmful neurological effects of lead exposure for both children and adults, lead exposures increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths around the world. A recent study from Mexico showed that 14.7% of newborn children had elevated blood lead levels greater than 5 µg/dl. The equivalent rate in the U.S. is less than one percent. Sofia Chavez, Executive Director of the Mexican NGO Casa Cem, said "Mexico should not have to suffer further lead poisoning from exported lead pipes and other scrap that is melted down in polluting smelters contaminating the air, water and soil." She added that "Mexico needs to do much more to upgrade smelters to meet U.S. air emission standards."
Lead emissions from recycling plants can contaminate soil and cause ongoing exposures to children. Lead can damage a child's brain resulting in lower school performance, reduced IQ and behavioral problems. Several studies have also linked childhood lead exposures to future criminal and violent behavior.
For more information:
Jim Puckett, Executive Director
Basel Action Network
email: jpuckett@ban.org
phone: +1(206) 652-5555
Mr. Perry Gottesfeld, M.P.H., Executive Director
Occupational Knowledge International
email: info@okinternational.org
phone: +1 (415) 221-8900
About Basel Action Network
Founded in 1997, the Basel Action Network is a 501(c)3 charitable organization of the United States, based in Seattle, WA. BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Today, BAN serves as the information clearinghouse on the subject of waste trade for journalists, academics, and the general public. Through its investigations, BAN uncovered the tragedy of hazardous electronic waste dumping in developing countries. For more information, see www.BAN.org.
About Occupation Knowledge International (OK International)
OK International is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that works to build capacity in developing countries to identify, monitor, and mitigate environmental and occupational exposures to hazardous materials in order to protect public health and the environment. The organization seeks to address inequities in environmental standards between developed and developing countries by working in partnership with industry, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For more information, visit www.okinternational.org.
About Casa Cem
Casa Cem is a not-for-profit organization based in Guadalajara that works to improve the environmental health conditions in Mexico through training, awareness, advocacy, education, research and cultural projects related to the lifecycle of natural resources, harmful chemicals and their interaction with the human health.