Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt visited East Chicago on Wednesday to assure residents, state and local leaders that Washington is meeting its commitments to protect citizens from lead contamination.
“Their concerns were heard loud and clear, and I am committed to ensuring that the EPA works with our federal, state and local partners to find solutions that protect the health and safety of East Chicago,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt was joined by Indiana’s Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, along with Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly and Republican Sen. Todd Young of the Hoosier State. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., was also in tow, along with Democratic State Sen. Lonnie Randolph and State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., also a Democrat, from East Chicago.
Pruitt visited U.S. Steel’s lead works in East Chicago, which is about 30 miles from Chicago, Ill. The lead facility is designated a clean-up site by EPA under the Superfund program, and has been blamed for increased occurrences of lead contamination in the town. About 1,000 residents had to be evacuated from their homes last year due to lead contamination.
EPA is getting “back to the basics of protecting human health and the environment,” Pruitt said in a statement. He said one of his “top priorities” is “delivering real results for the people of East Chicago.”
The visit came amid continued speculation in the media that Pruitt is considering closing the EPA’s Region 5 office based in Chicago, which EPA refutes as a baseless “rumor.”
The office was at the center of EPA’s response to the lead contamination crisis in Flint, Mich., last year, and continues to pursue other public health problems, like those in East Chicago.
Nevertheless, reports continued ahead of his visit, one in particular said he would skip the visit to Region 5 in order to attend a Chicago Cubs game. Not only did Pruitt meet with the Region 5 office, but he was the first EPA administrator to visit the lead Superfund site, according to the agency.
Pruitt also said that funding under his watch has increased to aid East Chicago’s drinking water infrastructure.
“Since I was sworn in as administrator, funding has been secured for drinking water infrastructure upgrades in East Chicago, filters and bottled water have been provided to residents and cleanup of contaminated soil has resumed,” he said.
Pruitt said he witnessed some of that work firsthand on Wednesday, even hearing from residents “who are rightfully concerned with the cleanup of their community.”
