On this edition of Your Call's media roundtable, we discuss a USA Today investigation exposing why a popular and cost-effective method for repairing broken pipes that has been around since the 1970s is making people sick.
Cured-in-place pipe lining is an increasingly popular method of repairing old and damaged sewer and stormwater pipes without having to dig up streets, reroute traffic or haul away debris, but noxious fumes created during the process can escape the job site and sicken people in their homes, schools and businesses.
Inside the chemical plume released from cured-in-place pipe projects lurk compounds like styrene, benzene, methylene chloride and phenol, along with bits of uncured resin, partially cured plastic and hazardous air pollutants, according to scientific research funded by the US National Science Foundation and cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The industry has downplayed and government regulators have all but ignored the risk to public health, even as the list of exposures continues to grow, a USA Today investigation found.
Guest:
Emily Le Coz, award winning senior investigative reporter at USA Today
Web Resources:
USA Today: A common way of fixing pipes is making people sick. Here's how fumes can enter your home.
USA Today: A popular, but noxious, piping fix is sickening people. And it's throughout America's sewers.
