By Eric Lutz and Erin McCormick, The Guardian, October 15, 2021
Residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, a predominantly Black city that has dealt with elevated lead levels in its water for at least three years, have welcomed an announcement by the governor that all lead lines in the city would be replaced over the next 18 months.
The governor, Gretchen Whitmer, promised an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to addressing the water crisis that has been plaguing this impoverished city since at least 2018.
Whitmer had previously proposed removing the service lines within five years – a timetable residents and environmental groups said was unacceptable. On Thursday, amid growing uproar from those who say Benton Harbor residents had lived with poor water quality from far too long, Whitmer issued a directive to speed up the removal process and to launch an “all-of-government” to ensure the south-west Michigan city has access to safe water.
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