Congressional report prompts fear and anger over lead in D.C. water

[Celebration]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/20/AR2010052005173.html

Federal and local political leaders, D.C. parents and health advocates reacted Thursday with a mixture of anger and fear to news that a federal agency misled them about the harm that lead in the District's water had caused -- and might still be causing.

The furor came as a House investigative subcommittee released a report showing that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention knowingly used flawed data when telling D.C. residents that their health hadn't been harmed by spikes in lead in the drinking water in 2004. The investigation, the subject of a congressional hearing Thursday, also disclosed new cause for alarm: Internal CDC research shows that an effort to fix the lead problem since 2004 puts residents in 9,100 D.C. homes at much higher risk of lead poisoning.

Some city parents, along with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), accused the CDC of engaging in a coverup to shield the water utility and federal regulators from blame.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, which distributed the tainted water from late 2000 to 2004 and had trumpeted the CDC's calming assurances for six years, held conference calls Thursday to prepare for customers' new concerns. At the WASA call center and Web site, fearful residents were offered free tests of tap water, recommendations to run their faucets and vigilant monitoring of water quality.

"Today's findings raise questions about the past actions of one of the most reputable public health agencies in the world," said WASA General Manager George S. Hawkins. "Our agency is committed to maintaining the public trust in today's water supply."

I may remember this the next time the CDC makes a determination about something.