Left Over Residues In Krainzwood, Detroit Michigan

1. Left Over Residues In Krainzwood, Detroit Michigan Lucina Sandoval URBS 515: Race, Poverty, and the Urban Environment Professor Raquel Pinderhughes, Urban Studies and Environmental Studies Programs, San Francisco State University Public has permission to use the materiel herein, but only if author, course, university, and professor is credited.

2. Introduction This presentation focuses on the neighborhood in Detroit Michigan, Krainzwood. It is designed to describe the damaging effects that the Master Metals Smelter has had on the Krainzwood residents. It analyzes and describes the left over lead poisoning left by the former smelter, Master Metals, paying particular attention to the social, environmental, and public health impacts of the processes associated with the former smelter. I will start by a photo of Detroit. This will be followed by a brief physical description of the neighborhood of Krainzwood. Next will be a description of the Master Metals Smelter. I will then give a short summary of the social, public health, and environmental impact of Master Metals . I will then answer the question, “ Why and how did the lead poisoning from Master Metals inc. develop into such a huge problem?” Following will be a description of how Krainzwood residents reacted to discovering that the source of the lead poisoning problem was the Master Metals Smelter. Lastly I will explain the present conditions of Krainzwood. A bibliography is inserted on the final slide.

3. City of Detroit

4. Neighborhood of Krainzwood

5. What’s Located in Krainzwood? Sojourner Truth Projects Atkinson Elementary School About 16 Parks Eight other schools 5,600 children under the age of 5

6. Where Neighborhood Lies in Regard to Master Metals Smelter The Master Metals Smelter is located near a housing project, Sojourner Truth Projects, and near an elementary school, Atkinson Elementry School. There is also a park next to Atkinson Elementary School.

7. What is a Smelter? An establishment or apparatus for smelting. Smelting: To melt or fuse in order to separate metallic constituents

8. Short Description of Master Metals Inc. Master Metals Smelter was opened in 1955 The Master Metals Lead smelter collected and processed and recycled scrap lead-acid batteries by heating them in a furnace. The facility was abandoned and torn down in 1983. It is now a hazardous, polluted location.

9. Master Metals Smelter

10. Overall Impact of Master Metals Smelter’s Lead Poisoning on the Neighborhood of Krainzwood: Social, Public Health, and Environmental Master Metals Smelter has damaged the people of Krainzwood, predominantly low-income African-American families, day to day lives by damaging their physical and mental health. Not only are the people harmed by the left over lead residue left behind by Master Metals but the physical environment is damaged as well. Example of health damage on residents : A quote from Dr. Regine Aranow, a pediatrician who directed the poison control center at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, “ The city tested kids for lead at the Sojourner Truth Projects and found children poisoned far beyond the blood lead level that was the standard then-25 micrograms per deciliter.”

11. Demographic of Krainzwood Low income families Children African American

12. Families Affected by Lead Poisoning

13. How does lead poisoning physically affect Krainzwood residents? Abdominal pain is a common symptom Headaches, poor sleeping, constipation are other common symptoms At high levels lead damages the kidneys, central nervous system, causes anemia, coma, convulsions and even death In adults it causes problems during pregnancy, high blood pressure, digestive and nerve disorders, and joint pain

14. Behavioral and Intellectual Effects of Lead Poising on residents Hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, and loss of recently acquired behavior in young children are some common symptoms Reduced attention spans Some other behavioral symptoms include temper tantrums, crankiness, and change in eating habits Memory problems is a common symptom in adults.

15. A Study Shows Evidence of the Negative Effect Lead Exposure Has on the Intelligence of Children A study conducted by De La Burde and Choate, “Subjects Identified by Presumed Source of Exposure”, November 1980, showed that control groups, children with out lead exposure, significantly outperformed the lead-exposed participants on the measures of intelligence, fine –motor skills, and behavior.

16. Effect the Master Metals Smelters has had on the surrounding environment Soil contamination: Lead is a naturally occurring element found in soils at low concentrations. Living systems have no known biological use for lead contamination. Air born contamination: Wayne County air pollution data, from the smelter collected in the 1970’s, showed lead was drifting over the residential areas across the street.

17. How and why did this develop into such a huge problem? There was severe neglect on the part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA had knowledge of the Master Metals Smelter contaminating the neighborhood of Krainzwood. They only did minimal soil testing. According to the EPA official who over saw the clean up, “ The emissions ceased 20years ago. What might have been there is gone.” However, according to the Toxic Disease Registry, “ Lead does not dissipate, biodegrade or decay.” Which means that lead contamination would still be present after 20 years. Pat Thorton, the project manager for the state DEQ, said she felt the EPA didn’t push for more testing in the neighborhood because “it would open a can of worms.” It was not until the City of Detroit pushed for more testing, because the city wanted to use the land area to make profit, that the EPA did further testing. The EPA discovered the severity of the lead contamination produced by the abandoned plant as testing increased.

18. Public Reaction Thirty years prior to the EPA conducting lead testing local community groups blamed the smelter for health problems. February 2003 the EPA held a public meeting to address the lead contamination from the plant. Residents were surprised because of the lack of awareness of the smelter’s destructive effects on Krainzwood residents. For example, Kelly King, a resident and Sojourner Project has a son, Malik, who was diagnosed with lead poisoning at the age of 1. She did not understand why her son had lead poisoning if the walls in the apartment complex had no lead contamination. Kelly King quotes, “ I never knew there was a lead plant and I wonder if my son struggles in school and has asthma because of the plant.” Natasha Bridges, a resident who lives three blocks away from the abandoned smelter also had no idea of the lead contamination. When she discovered that there was lead contamination in the dirt and the area surrounding the smelter she said, “ That’s not a good thing, kids play in the grass and the dirt here all the time.”

19. Present Conditions of Krainzwood As of June 2003: The EPA is currently in it’s second phase of lead contamination testing. The plan is to replace the soil with new soil. Clean up is also occurring in the Master Metals Smelter site. Currently, contaminated concrete pads are being demolished and prepared for shipping, along with contaminated soil, to an approved waste facility. Companies who formally sent their equipment to Master Metals to be smelted will be paying for clean up, under an EPA agreement. However according to the Detroit Free Press there is still a vast amount of lead contamination left behind by the smelter. As of 2003, testing showed lead levels as high as 67800 ppm. Krainzwood residents continue living in a toxic area.

20. References 1) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Public Meeting of the Detroit Lead Deposition Screening Project, Fact Sheet 200302, <www.epa.gov/region5/sites/detroitlead/pdfs/factsheet200302.pdf> February 2003 2) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Lead Deposition Screen Program, <www.epa.gov/region5/sites/detroitlead/-20-k>3- 7 March 2003 3) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Fleming, John, Detroit Free Press, Smelter Detroit, <www.free.com/lead/pdfs_day2/smelter_detroit.pdf> 4) Lam, Tina and Windsor Shawn, “Families in Danger from Smelter Fallout” Detroit Free Press, 22 January 2003, <www.freep.com/news/childrenfirst/smelt22-20030122.htm> 5) United States Environmental Protection Agency EM:/Master Metals Detroit, By Alex & Associates, <www.greatl-lakes.net>, 25 August 2003 6) .McCann, Joseph, More “Lead Tainted Soil Found at Super Fund Smelter Sites”, American Metal Market, 19 June 2003, <www.findarticles.com, > 7) Watson, Debra, “Lead Poisoning Imperils of Detroit’s Children”, International Committee of the Fourth International, World Socialist Website, March 2003 <www.wsws.org/articles/2003/mar2003/lead-m14.shtml, > 8) Michigan Environmental Science Board Medical Report, 16 May 1994, < www.michigan.gov/documents/pb-> 9) Hamel, Stephanie, PhD, The State University of New Jersey Rutgers Cooperative Extension New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, Lead Contamination Soil Minimizing Health Risks, <www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/pdfs/fs336.pdf> 10) Henry Ford Health System, Health Encyclopedia 5 May 2003, <www.henryfordhealth.org/12739.cfm > 11) Bornschien, Robert, Dela Bourde and Choate, “Subjects Identified by Presumed Source of Lead Exposure,” Behavioral Effects of Model Lead Exposure on Children and Animals, International Lead Zinc Research Organization Inc, 292 Madison, New York, NY 10017, November 1980 12 ) Ayten, Karacag et al., Soil Science Department Faculty Agriculture Ankara University, Ankara, Soil Science Department Faculty Ondokuz Mayrs University Samsun, <www.toprak.orgtr/isd/isd_75.htm,> Effects of Different Lead and Cadium Compounds on Soil Catalse and Enzyme Activity 13) Picture of Detroit, Google Images, The View of Windsor, UNKEI Legand Images, <web.beol.net/unkei/view%20windsor.html> 14)Yahoo Maps, Map of Krainzwood, <maps.yahoo.com 15)Picture of families, Michigan Lead Safe Partnership (MLSP)www.bridges4kids.org.html 16) Recycling Today, Master Metals Clean Up Continues in Detroit, January 6, 2003, www.recyclingtoday.com/news/news.asp?ID=4219&AdKeyword=Krainzwood 17) Askari, Emilia, Photo by Somodevilla, Chip, Detroit Free Press, “City Officials Pledge to Help Families, January 22, 2003,<www.freep.com/pdf/2003/01/22/page9a.pdf 18) Lam, Tina & Windsor, Shawn, Photos by Somodevilla, Chip. Detroit Free Press, Smelter-Hazards Remain in and Around Lead Processing Site, www.freep.com/pdf/2003/01/22/page6a.pdf