A community meeting to be held Tuesday will serve as a forum for local residents to learn about the long-term health effects of lead exposure.
Hosted by the Puente Learning Center, the forum will start at 6 PM on June 18th. A free screening of the short documentary PLUME: The L.A. Exide Contamination will be presented at the event alongside a short film by the Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital.
Although the Exide Technologies battery recycling plant in the City of Vernon was shut down four years ago, several Eastside communities are still dealing with the effects of its widespread lead contamination. The plant was closed in 2015 following a history of violating air pollution and hazard waste laws.
State data released late last year found Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles to have the highest rate of homes with hazardous levels of lead contamination. A recent USC study revealed high amounts of lead in the teeth of children in five Los Angeles communities including Boyle Heights. The toxic metal is known to cause neurological problems and developmental delays in children.
Lead experts will hold discussions on the dangerous effects of the substance and what can be done to protect oneself from exposure. The event is sponsored by El Centro de Ayuda, the Weingart East LA YMCA, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Councilmember José Huizar, and the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council.
