The Effect of Leaded 100LL Aviation Fuel on Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) of Over 1 Million Children in Michigan
Hopefully Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud (html)(html), Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy (html) (html), Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (MIAG), Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler (MAG), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Public Corruption Program (PCP) are well aware of this dire situation directly linked to the Flint Lead Poisoning Debacle.
The Effect of Leaded Aviation Gasonline [sp] on Blood Lead in Children html() (pdf) by Associate Professor Shawn P. McElmurry (html), Wayne State University (WSU), Detroit, Michigan et al. First published in August 2014 right in the middle of the Flint Lead Poisoning crisis / debacle as it was unfolding. It certainly makes anyone wonder WHAT did then Governor Snyder, and now MDOT and MDHHS know and WHEN did they know it. Many in the community believe that this looks like part of the same or perhaps yet another attempted Lead Poisoning related coverup. As they say, when something walks like a duck, quacks like duck, and looks like a duck, it probably IS a duck. It is so surprising that highly respected Michigan based research results and reporting using official BLL data from over 1 million Michigan children (!) supplied by the State of Michigan would go unnoticed by so many for so long. Unfortunately, only the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (MIAG) or maybe the Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler (MAG) have the power and access required to really uncover the truth! This is way beyond our pay grade!
An updated version was published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (home): Vol 4, No 2, April 11, 2017 (html) (https://doi.org/10.1086/691686) with the corrected spelling title “The Effect of Leaded Aviation Gasoline on Blood Lead in Children”
To address an EPA request for more evidence, the authors constructed a novel dataset that links time and spatially referenced Blood Lead Level (BLL) data from 1,043,391 children to hundreds of nearby airports in Michigan, as well as a subset of airports with detailed data on the volume of piston-engine aircraft traffic. The Michigan Department of Community Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Project [State of Michigan] provided the blood Tetraethyl Lead data used in this study, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars Program (home) provided financial support. Additional Michigan Lead Poisoning Prevention resources [Wayne County] [Oakland County] [Washtenaw County] [Detroit] [Ingham County].
The evidence shows that Piston Engine Aircraft (PEA) (including helicopter) traffic imposes a substantially higher burden on children within 2 km of an airport, as compared to children living beyond 2 km of an airport. More precisely, the likelihood of a child’s BLL exceeding 5 μg/dL for a standard deviation in PEA traffic is higher for children residing <2km relative to children residing >2km from an airport. Additionally, damages from [exposure to Tetraethyl Lead and other chemicals] were calculated to be at least $10 per gallon, which can be compared to a pump price [at the time] of about $6 per gallon. BTW: 2 kilometers is over 6500 feet, this amounts to a moderate walk for ~20 minutes in any direction. Additionally, NOTE: that the CDC now states that there is NO safe BLL for Tetraethyl Lead in children, period!
References
Transparency International (home), defines Corruption (html) as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Too often whistleblowers face retaliation after bringing corruption, fraud, negligence, and financial malpractice to light. These attacks are sometimes professional, sometimes legal, and can even be directed against the whistleblower’s family, property or physical and mental well-being as discussed for World Whistleblower day.
Wayne State loses public records lawsuit over Flint water crisis documents
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/07/25/wayne-state-loses-public-records-lawsuit-over-flint-water-crisis-documents
Is Summer Air Pollution Making You Sick? – Consumer Reports
https://www.consumerreports.org/pollution/is-summer-air-pollution-making-you-sick/
After decades of declines, air pollution may be on the rise again. Here’s how to stay safe on “air quality alert” days.
Michigan’s worst environmental injustice areas ID’d by new U-M tool
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/07/25/michigan-environmental-injustice-pollution/1829162001/
And this doesn’t include the hundreds of Michigan MDOT owned, operated, or controlled airports and airstrips with severe Tetraethyl Lead, Ethylene Dibromide, and PFAS contamination and poisoning!
Time in court isn’t over for 3 state officials who cut Flint water plea deals
https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2019/07/time-in-court-isnt-over-for-3-state-officials-who-cut-flint-water-plea-deals.html
MSU, Flint water cases show difficulty of holding public officials criminally culpable
https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/06/msu-flint-water-cases-show-difficulty-of-holding-public-officials-criminally-culpable.html
Professor Steven Winter (html), a Wayne State law (html) professor whose expertise includes legal theory, says he thinks public officials were criminally negligent in the Flint and MSU cases, and they should be charged accordingly. Particularly in the Flint water crisis, “at some point, public officials went on path of being negligent to reckless to malevolent,” he said. “We’re talking serious culpability.”
From ‘awful’ to hopeful, dismissal of Flint water cases prompts mixed reaction
https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2019/06/from-awful-to-hopeful-dismissal-of-flint-water-cases-prompts-mixed-reaction.html
“There were millions of documents and a lot of devices that should have been turned over that would have aided in getting the justice that we seek,” Flint (html) Mayor Karen Weaver (html)(Wikipedia) added. “How can our [any] community regain any trust and respect from all branches of government when all levels failed them, then you allow the people you are prosecuting to decide what evidence they want you to have? This is once again an entire administrations clear lack of respect for human life and common decency, another attempt to cover up what should have never happened to begin with.”
“Restorative justice is critical for healing. Today’s news that prosecutors are dismissing Flint water crisis criminal cases to restart discovery is painful,” said Mona Hanna-Attisha (book)(TEDMED)(Twitter)(MSU). “I urge prosecutors to make public all Flint water crisis investigative documents. Flint deserves the truth.”
Flint’s Water Crisis Started 5 Years Ago. It’s Not Over
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/flint-water-crisis.html
Why new prosecutor wants a do-over in Flint
https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/brian-dickerson/2019/06/13/flint-water-investigation-do-over/1446870001/
Conflict in Michigan AG’s office over Flint water records
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/government/conflict-michigan-ags-office-over-flint-water-records
A civil war of sorts is developing in the Michigan attorney general’s office over 23 boxes of records found in a state basement and what role — if any — they have in the Flint water criminal investigation.
All Flint water crisis criminal charges dismissed by AG’s office
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/06/13/flint-water-crisis-criminal-charges-dismissed/1445849001/
All Flint water crisis criminal charges dismissed by attorney general’s office
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/13/flint-water-crisis-criminal-charges-dismissed/1446372001/
The statement from Hammoud and Worthy said the team ‘has already identified additional individuals of interest and new information,” and “these investigative leads will be aggressively pursued.”
A “community conversation” is set for June 28 in Flint, at which Hammoud and Worthy will speak and answer questions.
“Legitimate criminal prosecutions require complete investigations,” Hammoud and Worthy said in their statement, adding they would not answer questions from the media about the dismissal decisions until after the Flint meeting.
However, “we recognize the only acceptable remedy is the vigorous pursuit of justice, which demands an uncompromising investigation … and professional prosecution of all those criminally culpable.”
Rick Snyder, GOP Lobbyist Teamed Up to Make Polluting Easy
https://splinternews.com/michigan-republicans-worked-together-to-make-polluting-1835122099
House transportation budget proposes selling off Blue Water Bridge, state-owned airports – mlive.com
https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/06/house-transportation-budget-proposes-selling-off-blue-water-bridge-state-owned-airports.html
More than 40 public and private officials charged in federal investigations in Michigan… so far
https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/more-than-40-public-and-private-officials-charged-in-federal-investigations-in-michigan-so-far/Content?oid=20647059
Sotomayor denies officials’ request to block lawsuit over Flint water crisis
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2019/06/15/sotomayor-denies-officials-request-to-block-lawsuit-over-flint-water-crisis/1463522001/
Residents were unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels of lead, which officials were aware of but hid from the public. “It is alleged that these defendants acted with deliberate indifference to the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to bodily integrity and at a minimum were plainly incompetent.”
Docket Supreme Court of the United States
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/18a1308.html
Circuit Assignments – Supreme Court of the United States
https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/circuitassignments.aspx
Application (18A1308) to recall and stay mandate (html) (pdf)
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Appeals Court Opinion Denial (html) (pdf)
EPA should oversee Metamora gravel mine, Rep. Paul Mitchell says
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/06/24/paul-mitchell-epa-oversight-metamora-gravel-mine/1423139001/
On Friday, MDOT director Paul Ajegba, who took office Jan. 1, ordered an audit of the contracting process, saying “even the appearance of impropriety is unacceptable.”
New corruption scandal hits Detroit Metro Airport
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2018/04/16/new-corruption-scandal-hits-detroit-metro-airport/33893521/
Detroit airport manager indicted in kickback scheme
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2018/05/23/detroit-airport-manager-indicted-kickback-bribery-scheme-ate-evidence/638313002/
Flint water scandal prosecutor Todd Flood out after 3 years!
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/government/flint-water-scandal-prosecutor-todd-flood-out-after-3-years
Flood’s firing fallout from recent discovery of 23 boxes of records
They didn’t sign a letter supporting Metro Airport’s next CEO, then they lost their jobs!
https://www.wxyz.com/news/local-news/investigations/they-didnt-sign-a-letter-supporting-metro-airports-next-ceo-then-they-lost-their-jobs
Wayne County Airport Authority (WCCA) had four CEOs in 2 yrs!
Contractor pleads guilty in $5M Detroit Metro Airport bribery scheme
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2018/07/16/detroit-metro-airport-corruption-scandal/36919765/
Consultant guilty in Detroit airport scandal
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2018/10/30/consultant-guilty-detroit-airport-scandal/1823530002/
State employees charged with Flint water crimes could be back on the job next week
https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2019/06/state-employees-charged-with-flint-water-crimes-could-be-back-on-the-job-next-week.html
Suspended state workers invited back after Flint dismissals
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/18/suspended-state-workers-flint-return/1492757001/
Engineer charged with $1.5M Detroit airport fraud
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/engineer-charged-with-15m-detroit-airport-fraud/522904/
Detroit Metro Airport bribery scandal widens as second contractor charged
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2018/05/22/detroit-metro-bribery-scandal-widens-second-contractor-charged/633083002/
Gravel lobbyist steered MDOT report on gravel shortage
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/06/06/michigan-gravel-shortage-mdot-report/1269110001/
Many Michigan communities are angry about losing local control. MDOT’s major contribution was paying for the nearly $50,000 study with taxpayer dollars, records show. That’s really underhanded political dealing, people think. Many find it disgusting that MDOT employeesare able to utilize the power of MDOT to give them a leg up on any legislation at all. Washtenaw County’s Lyndon Township Supervisor said he’s not surprised to hear that MDOT sees its interests as aligned with industry, over residents. MDOT defends study even as one official says it promotes a ‘hostile land grab’
Deadline Detroit – MDOT let the gravel industry steer a report that benefits the gravel industry
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/22523/mdot_let_the_gravel_industry_steer_a_report_that_benefits_the_gravel_industry
Lobbyists are known to wield a fair amount of influence in Michigan, but a new Free Press report on how gravel industry reps were able to ultimately hijack a report in an effort to shape policy to their benefit stuns even the most jaded among us. MDOT officials have reportedly defended the corrupted study.
PFAS pollution already costing Michigan communities millions of dollars
https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/03/pfas-pollution-already-costing-michigan-communities-millions-of-dollars.html
PFAS contamination in Ypsilanti Township unlikely to harm public, state says (Nobody Trusts MDOT!)
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2019/06/pfas-contamination-in-ypsilanti-township-unlikely-to-harm-public-state-says.html
Willow Run Airport, a 500-plus acre property that is home to the Yankee Air Museum and American Center for Mobility, was recently added to a list of nearly 60 Michigan sites found to have PFAS contamination. BTW: PFAS contamination at airports is common knowledge and is well known in the aviation, aerospace, and defense industry. MDOT should have been well aware of this for well over a decade, identical to Tetraethyl Lead Poisoning!
Water at a site is considered contaminated if it has PFAS greater than 70 parts per trillion. Groundwater at Willow Run, where heavy industrial manufacturing occurred since it opened as a Ford Motor Co. bomber plant in 1941, was measured at 380 ppt [over five times government limit!]. BTW: current PFAS tests are only able detect about 24 of up to nearly 5,000 known PFAS chemicals.
‘Astronomical’ PFAS level sets new Michigan contamination milestone
https://www.mlive.com/news/2018/09/astronomical_pfas_contaminatio.html
References: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tetraethyl Lead (TEL) Poisoning
The Association between Lead and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388268/
The Role of Lead Exposure on Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: A Systematic Review (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4888135/
Childhood Blood Lead Levels and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Cross-Sectional Study of Mexican Children. – PubMed – NCBI
Brisa N Sánchez, Karen E. Peterson; University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510067 (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf) (EHP html) (EHP pdf) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26645203
Understanding the Link Between Lead Toxicity and ADHD | Psychiatric Times (html)
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/special-reports/understanding-link-between-lead-toxicity-and-adhd
Lead Exposure Causes ADHD in Children, New Study Finds (html)
https://www.additudemag.com/link-between-lead-exposure-and-adhd-confirmed/
The Ongoing Rise in Autism: What in the World Is Going On? | Psychology Today (html)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intuitive-parent/201805/the-ongoing-rise-in-autism-what-in-the-world-is-going
The Real Reasons Autism Rates Are Up in the U.S. – Scientific American (html)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-reasons-autism-rates-are-up-in-the-u-s/
Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder | CDC (html)
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
Heavy Metals and Behavioral Disorders in Children | Chris Kresser (html)
https://chriskresser.com/heavy-metals-and-behavioral-disorders-in-children/
Environmental Chemical Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence (pdf) [PubMed] [PubMed Central html] [PubMed Central pdf]
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/people.uwm.edu/dist/6/356/files/2016/12/Publication-3.1.4.-Kalkbrenner-et-al.-2014-Environmental-Chemical-Exposures-and-Autism-review-sg30c9.pdf
Environmental Chemical Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855851/
Exposure to Specific Toxins [Tetraethyl Lead] and Nutrients During Late Pregnancy and Early Life Shapes Autism Risk | The Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (html)
http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/lautenberglab/elemental-imaging/press-release-exposure-to-specific-toxins-and-nutrients-during-late-pregnancy-and-early-life-shapes-autism-risk/
Assessment of Hair Aluminum, Lead, and Mercury in a Sample of Autistic Egyptian Children: Environmental Risk Factors of Heavy Metals in Autism (html) (pdf), Behavioral Neurology, Volume 2015, Article ID 545674, 9 pages, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/545674,
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bn/2015/545674/
Low-level lead exposure and autistic behaviors in school-age children. – PubMed – NCBI (PubMed html)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26877220
Low-level lead exposure and autistic behaviors in school-age children – ScienceDirect (html).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161813X16300146?via%3Dihub
Conclusion: Even low blood lead concentrations at 7–8 years of age are associated with more autistic behaviors at 11–12 years of age, underscoring the need for continued efforts to reduce lead exposure.
Lead Exposure and Developmental Disabilities in Preschool-Aged Children 2017 (pdf)
http://www.chris.miami.edu/publications/research/Delgado%20et%20al%202017%20JPHMP.pdf
Author Affiliations: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida; Division of Community Health Promotion, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida.
Prenatal lead exposure impacts cross-hemispheric and long-range connectivity in the human fetal brain (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6451829/
The Impact of Low-Level Lead Toxicity on School Performance Among Children in the Chicago Public Schools: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study – PubMed – NCBI (html) (html) (pdf) (html) (pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25889033
Recent Developments in Low-Level Lead Exposure and Intellectual Impairment in Children | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. 112, No. 9. (html) (pdf)
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.6941
Autism and Autistic Symptoms Associated with Childhood Lead Poisoning — CiteSeerX (html) (pdf)
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.418.4633
Environmental factors associated with autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review for the years 2003–2013 (PubMed html) (PubMed pdf)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5480297/
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Multiple Airborne Pollutants and Autism Spectrum Disorder (html) (pdf), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161851
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0161851
Exposure to heavy metals may increase risk of autism (html)
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317754.php
Practical Guidelines for Evaluating Lead Exposure in Children with Mental Health Conditions: Molecular Effects and Clinical Implications: Postgraduate Medicine: Vol 123, No 1 (html) [PubMed html] [pdf]
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3810/pgm.2011.01.2256
https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/burke_postgraduate_med.pdf
What Gave This Little Boy Lead Poisoning? – WebMD (html)
https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/lead-dangers/20170906/lead-poisons-austin-poteet
States Fail to Act: Under the law, an elevated level of lead in the blood is a “notifiable condition”– one that is required to be reported to government authorities. Highlights the Relationship Between Lead and Autism
New evidence that lead exposure increases crime – Brookings (html)
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2017/06/01/new-evidence-that-lead-exposure-increases-crime/
Childhood lead exposure linked to poor adult mental health – ScienceDaily (html)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190123112330.htm
Association of Childhood Lead Exposure With Adult Personality Traits and Lifelong Mental Health. JAMA Psychiatry, 2019 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4192
Social challenges amplify negative effects of childhood lead exposure: Research shows poverty increases impact of blood lead levels on preschoolers’ cognitive and language development – ScienceDaily (html)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170504083126.htm
Childhood lead poisoning: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis – UpToDate (html)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/childhood-lead-poisoning-clinical-manifestations-and-diagnosis
Health Education Materials, California Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (html)
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/CLPPB/Pages/edmatls.aspx
Training Curriculum: Child Care lead Poisoning Prevention, Third Edition (2018), California Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (pdf)
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/CLPPB/CDPH%20Document%20Library/ChildCareCurriculum.pdf
Early Childhood Lead Exposure among Cleveland Kindergarteners by Neighborhood and School Enrollment, October 2018: Case Western Reserve University (pdf)
https://case.edu/socialwork/povertycenter/sites/case.edu.povertycenter/files/2019-01/Lead%20Report%20CMSDFinal_0119.pdf
Thousands of U.S. Areas Afflicted with Lead Poisoning beyond Flint’s – Scientific American (html)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thousands-of-u-s-areas-afflicted-with-lead-poisoning-beyond-flints/
The cost of complete lead cleanup in the United States – Vox Jun 12, 2019 (html)
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/12/18661193/lead-pipes-paint-flint-michigan-usa-cost-fix
There is too much lead almost everywhere, and the Federal Government does not require States to submit Lead exposure data!
What are the symptoms of lead poisoning? (html)
http://www.utoledo.edu/nursing/research/lead-poison-prevention/symptoms.html
It can be as simple as difficulty paying attention or a prior diagnosis of ADHD
Lead and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis, University of Southern Mississippi (pdf)
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7b57/e95d1b743ffed04b7857800b9074c1c44eda.pdf
Lead Poisoning | CS Mott Children’s Hospital | Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan (UMich)
https://www.mottchildren.org/posts/your-child/lead-poisoning