After hearing complaints from advocates who expressed concerns about the drinking water in Benton Harbor , Michigan , Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a plan to replace all lead pipes by April 2023. Benton Harbor is made up of more than 84% Black people, according to World Population Review. The directive, issued on Thursday, comes a month after advocates filed a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency and demanded a federal intervention to resolve the crisis, ABC News reported . Whitmer said lead service line replacements are now scheduled to be completed in 18 months, expediating the process which was originally expected to take up to five years. "For six consecutive sampling periods over the last three years, the Benton Harbor water system has failed to meet the regulatory standard for lead," Whitmer stated on Thursday. Last week, city officials urged residents to use bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing their teeth due to elevated levels of lead in...
