IS IT TRUE we hope that todays IS IT TRUE will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning a major health issue that we as responsible citizens of this community need to address in a rational and responsible way? …that the EPA has declared that the downtown Jacobsville area is one of the highest lead contaminated sites in America? …its time that our elected officials and the EPA become more pro-active and aggressive in ridding of the contaminated lead in the soil of the Jacobsville area?
 IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville has allowed the EPA to pussyfoot around with the lead contamination issue in the Jacobsville area for 17 years?  …because of that about half of the contaminated sites have been cleaned up? …the real tragedy is that lead poisoning can be treated, but any damage caused by contaminated lead cannot be reversed?
 IS IT TRUE that lead poisoning is a very serious health issue that should be dealt with in that most rapid way possible once it is discovered?… lead poisoning is a serious and sometimes fatal condition that occurs when lead builds up in the body?…lead is found in lead-based paints, including paint on the walls of old houses? … lead is also found in art supplies, toys, contaminated dust from being blown by the wind, and some gasoline products?…lead poisoning usually occurs over a period of months or years and can cause severe mental and physical impairment?
 IS IT TRUE young children are most vulnerable because they get lead in their bodies by putting the lead containing objects in their mouths, touching the lead and then putting their fingers in their mouths, or by playing barefoot in places with contaminated soil?…lead is more harmful to children because their brains and nervous systems are still developing?…places with heavy metal contamination in the soil like lead have been documented to be autism clusters?
 IS IT TRUE lead can lead to intellectual disability and symptoms may include behavior problems, low IQ, poor grades at school, problems with hearing, short- and long-term learning difficulties, and growth delays?…a high, toxic dose of lead poisoning may result in emergency symptoms including severe abdominal pain and cramping, vomiting, muscle weakness, stumbling when walking, seizures, coma, and encephalopathy, which manifests as confusion, coma, and seizures?
 IS IT TRUE symptoms of lead poisoning are varied and may affect many parts of the body?…most of the time, lead poisoning builds up slowly following repeated exposures to small quantities of lead?…lead toxicity is rare after a single exposure or ingestion of lead?…signs of repeated lead exposure include abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, aggressive behavior, constipation, sleep problems, headaches, irritability, loss of developmental skills in children, loss of appetite, fatigue, high blood pressure, numbness or tingling in the extremities, memory loss, anemia, and kidney dysfunction?
 IS IT TRUE that if you or any of your loved ones who spent considerable time in or around a lead contaminated neighborhood or in a former industrial sites that is contaminated with lead, you owe it to yourself and love ones to seek a medical opinion to determine if you have lead exposure issues?
 Todays “READERS POLL†question is: Should our elected officials and the EPA become more aggressive in ridding of the contaminated lead in the soil of the Jacobsville area?
Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS†and “LOCAL SPORTS†posted in our sections.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.
EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted by our reader’s in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City County Observer or our advertisers.
