VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse protesters speak out on city’s lead crisis
Cedric Derecho: Outside the steps of Syracuse City Hall, signs of protesters dominate the scene. A new
National Resources Defense Council report revealing that 14,000 water service lines are
bringing unsafe levels of lead into the tap water of homes in the city. Maureen Murphy, of
nearby Baldwinsville, says she is beyond frustrated.
Maureen Murphy: Not only do we have a lead paint crisis, that has gone, has been insufficiently addressed for decades, but now we have a lead water crisis.
Derecho: The lead water crisis harms the most vulnerable neighborhoods of the city, and there are
fears children will be endangered.
Murphy: People should be morally outraged that we are continuing to poison children in the city of
Syracuse.
Derecho: Residents who live in neighborhoods directly affected by the contaminated water service
lines, like Charles Pierce-El, says city officials need to act quickly.
Charles Piece-El: The children, I put them first. You know, they’re getting blood poisoning, lead through the water. It needs to be, we need to pay for it and eliminate it. Get rid of it and find out exactly
where it came from, how it was created and stuff. And go from there.
Derecho: The mayor’s Chief Policy Officer Greg Loh says the reports revealing the high lead levels
are flawed — two city water department workers receiving suspensions last month for
improperly gathering sample tests. Despite these claims, city officials addressing the
protesters outside acknowledge they have a lot of work to do to ease fears and ensure the
safety of citizens. Cedric Derecho, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Protesters gathered outside City Hall on Tuesday and demanded local officials act on the city’s reported lead crisis.
A report released on Oct. 16 by the National Resources Defense Council revealed that over 14,000 water service lines providing tap water to Syracuse homes contained unsafe levels of lead. The amounts of lead reported exceed cities like Flint, Michigan — where lead levels in drinking water received national headlines.
Nearby residents like Maureen Murphy, of Baldwinsville, said they are beyond frustrated.
“Not only do we have a lead paint crisis, that (has been) insufficiently addressed for decades, but now we have a lead water crisis,” Murphy said.
The most vulnerable neighborhoods of the city are at risk, and there are fears children will be endangered.
“People should be morally outraged that we are continuing to poison children in the city of Syracuse,” Murphy said.
Residents living in neighborhoods directly affected by the contaminated water service lines, like Charles Pierce-El, called on city officials to act quickly.
“The children, I put them first. You know, they’re getting blood poisoning, lead through the water,” Pierce-El said. “It needs to be, we need to pay for it and eliminate it. Get rid of it and find out exactly where it came from, how it was created…and go from there.”
The mayor’s chief policy officer, Greg Loh, says the reports that revealed the high lead levels are flawed. Two city water department workers were suspended last month for improperly gathering sample tests.
Despite these claims, city officials addressed the protesters outside and acknowledged there is a lot of work to do to ease fears and ensure the safety of citizens.