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
The View from Windsor, UNKEI Legend
Imaging,ltweb.beol.net/unkei/view20windsor.htmlgt
4
Neighborhood of Krainzwood

• Yahoo Maps, Map of Krainzwood
• ltmaps.yahoo.comgt

5
Whats 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
Photos by Chip Somodevilla/ Detroit Free Press,
ltwww.freep.com/pdf/2003/01/22/page 6a.pdfgt
10
Overall Impact of Master Metals Smelters 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 Childrens
  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

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/ Detroit Free
Press,ltwww.freep.com/pdf/2003/01/22/page9a.pdfgt
12
Families Affected by Lead Poisoning
Michigan Lead Safe Partnership (MLSP),
ltwww.bridges4kids.orggt
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/ Detroit Free
Press,ltwww.freep.com/pdf/2003/01/22/ page 9a.pdfgt
From an article written by Debra Watson,
ltwww.wsws.org/articles/2003/mar2003/lead-m14.shtml
gt
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
  1970s, 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 didnt 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 smelters 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, Thats 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 its 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,
  ltwww.epa.gov/region5/sites/detroitlead/pdfs/factsh
  eet200302.pdfgt February 2003
• 2) United States Environmental Protection Agency.
• Lead Deposition Screen Program,
  ltwww.epa.gov/region5/sites/detroitlead/-20-kgt3- 7
  March 2003
• 3) United States Environmental Protection Agency.
• Fleming, John, Detroit Free Press, Smelter
  Detroit, ltwww.free.com/lead/pdfs_day2/smelter_detr
  oit.pdfgt
• 4) Lam, Tina and Windsor Shawn, Families in
  Danger from Smelter Fallout Detroit Free Press,
  22 January 2003, ltwww.freep.com/news/childrenfirst
  /smelt22-20030122.htmgt
• 5) United States Environmental Protection Agency
• EM/Master Metals Detroit, By Alex Associates,
  ltwww.greatl-lakes.netgt, 25 August 2003
• 6) .McCann, Joseph, More Lead Tainted Soil Found
  at Super Fund Smelter Sites, American Metal
  Market, 19 June 2003, ltwww.findarticles.com, gt
• 7) Watson, Debra, Lead Poisoning Imperils of
  Detroits Children, International Committee of
  the Fourth International, World Socialist
  Website, March 2003
• ltwww.wsws.org/articles/2003/mar2003/lead-m14.shtml
  , gt
• 8) Michigan Environmental Science Board
• Medical Report, 16 May 1994, lt
  www.michigan.gov/documents/pb-gt
• 9) Hamel, Stephanie, PhD, The State University of
  New Jersey Rutgers Cooperative Extension New
  Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, Lead
  Contamination Soil Minimizing Health Risks,
  ltwww.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/pdfs/fs336.pdfgt
• 10) Henry Ford Health System, Health Encyclopedia
  5 May 2003,
• ltwww.henryfordhealth.org/12739.cfm gt
• 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, ltwww.toprak.orgtr/isd/isd
  _75.htm,gt Effects of Different Lead and Cadium
  Compounds on Soil Catalse and Enzyme Activity