Join our newsletter

Sign up today for free and stay informed.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Posted inEnvironment, Opinion

Can new organization make lead safety a priority for New Orleans?

Halloween disappointed me; I didn’t see any kids dressed up as lead-poisoned blood. They missed a real opportunity too, because high blood-lead levels scare me more than witches or zombies. Nonetheless, this week I was delighted to learn about a new organization dedicated to raising awareness of the city’s lead problem and finding solutions to […]

Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion

To fight violent crime, New Orleans may need to get the lead out

In one of his many fine recent columns on crime, Times-Picayune columnist Jarvis DeBerry wrote (my emphases): [New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal] Serpas and his predecessor have both struggled to explain why things are particularly bad here. [Former Superintendent] Warren Riley wondered if there isn’t something in the water. Serpas hasn’t said anything so bizarre, […]

Posted inEnvironment

The toxic numbers game

In my recent article about the slow release of money from the state for a program to address lead contamination across New Orleans, I wrote about arsenic levels in soil that are supposed to trigger a clean-up under state Department of Environmental Quality policy. In a document sent to me from DEQ entitled “Arsenic sampling […]