Lead In Flint Mich.

[LAGS]

I think it might be a good time to make friends with the scrap dealers in Flint Mich.
With their recent Lead in the water situation, they will be replacing all the lead pipes in one Massive Move.
I would venture to say, there will be a Glut of lead on the market in that area.
And if you live in that neck of the woods, it might not be a bad idea to make friends with the underground contractors that will be replacing the pipes, and maybe buy the scrap pipe directly from them, and eliminate the middleman.

[Beagle333]

Agreed. Attention Michigan Plumbers!!! I want to be your friend!!! :grin::grin::grin:

[StuBach]

30 minutes down the road and hadn't thought about that. Will see what I can find and let you guys know.

[trapper9260]

I was thinking the same also.it will be alot of lead to get.

[nagantguy]

About an hour from me,but the local scrap yard has plenty at good prices so I'll continue to avoid Flint at all possible costs.

[Electric88]

I am also nearby. I wish I had a scrapyard near me with lead at a good price :( Since the price of scrap bottomed out, I've actually seen a scrapyard shut their doors until it comes back up.

[StuBach]

About an hour from me,but the local scrap yard has plenty at good prices so I'll continue to avoid Flint at all possible costs.

It appears you and I live close, any chance you'd share the scrap yard you mentioned so I can give them a try? In the market looking for a local lead source.

[wv109323]

That lead will be treated as toxic waste. I saw a local plumber handle an example of the lead pipe with sterile gloves. It will be way too dangerous to allow it back in the public domain.

[RogerDat]

One of the benefits of long commute is lot of time for the news. I guessed (and posted) back during the summer/fall that there might be pipe removal in the future for Flint and folks in the area should keep an ear open for that happening. I'm guessing any replacement would mostly focus on lines feeding schools and other public places, especially those frequented by a high number of children. It is a total carp shoot if the pipe will end up in a scrap yard that will sell lead (or anything else for that matter) to the public.

Not even clear that the pipe will be replaced. With proper anti-corrosion control the levels of lead in the water should fall as the pipe gets lined with sediment and build up. Would probably release higher concentrations of lead if the remaining pipe is disturbed unless entire run from main to house were replaced as lead free. That aspect of things has been in the news and so far little drive for a massive replacement. But as they say watch this space.

[Grump]

Not sure myself how much of the dissolved lead is from pipes, and how much is just from solder joints.

Read a safety tip like 20 years ago that if your house has copper pipes with solder joints, run the water for 5 minutes whenever you've been gone for a week or more. Or something like that.

[Mitch]

I doubt they will remove much of the lead pipe.they will leave it be and just run new lines

[vzerone]

All these years and I come to find out I'm a lead vulture like the rest of ya!!

[quail4jake]

The most prevalent problem for Flint has little to do with lead and more with pH, acidity and cation exchange capacity of their water, all of which can be controlled a the MUA level...Oy Vae! The most prevalent problem nationally is political correctitude and ignorance of reality. I think this may all tie in together as fear mongering and a political agenda...anyway, I will buy some of that lead pipe. We shall forge lead pipe into musket balls, as plowshares to swords!

[RogerDat]

The readings they are getting are too high to be from solder joints in non-lead pipe. Municipal systems replace lead pipe from time to time but typically it is simply a result of going to replace a line for age, damage or to expand capacity and it turns out to be lead.

Yep the water "problem" could have been totally dealt with if handled up front. Or at least reduced considerably, possibly to the point where no harm would have resulted from having things that way for the two years it was going to take to get the Lake Huron source connected.

[LAGS]

I f they do dig up some or all of the lead pipes, then it will find it's way to the scrap yards.
Listed as Toxic or not, there is money to be made by someone.
They have to Pay to displose of Toxic material.
So tons of what they call toxic, but really isn't if properly handled, will be skimmed off and sold to the scrap dealer.
I worked in Demolition for years, and selling scrap was the name of the game.
So, the price locally should go down if the supply goes up.

[chaoticmachinery]

I'd be interested if anyone finds the scrap yards that as them. Please post the yards.

I'll do the same if I find them.

[Whiterabbit]

Anybody more worried about the public domain example it sets for shooting ranges? All the statements we make or might make to the effect of lead not leeching out from rain or contact with ground water, and BOOM, here we have a situation where (now) clean water is flowing through pipes in contact with lead, and lead is leeching out.

Sounds like two news stories away from your favorite range getting closed by the EPA for concerns over environmental lead release.

[RoGrrr]

Many Romans died off due to Lead Poisoning. Maybe they shipped all their aqueduct lead to Flint just to prove that Lead IS poisonous.
Yeah, it's STILL Bush's fault.
And he's a racist, on top of that....
[sarcasm mode: /OFF/]


RogerDat
If you look at the layout of water lines, you'll notice they don't run a dedicated water line to schools (just bcuz they are schools). All taps come off the main and if the end customer happens to be a school, or that of a 'little ol lady' they don't care. It's simply someone(s) who needs a drink. Or a shower....
If they KNEW lead was poisonous and decided NOT to run lines to schools, do you think they would lay ANY lead supply lines ?!?


I think it's all just a scare tactic by the obama administration to spend more $$$$ in a continuing effort to bankrupt the country. After all, he has and only EVER has had one goal - to DESTROY THE USA !
Can you say - "Cloward and Piven" ?
Don't understand that reference ? Look it up.


I also have to wonder why there is ANY human life in the area around Galena Illinois ? That's where many of the lead mines are. If lead IS toxic, there should be a dead area like there is around Chernobyl. Right ?

[LAGS]

Let me tell you about lead in the water.
20 some years ago, I was packing to move to Arizona.
My mother called me, and said the water pipe to her house broke.
I said call my brother, I didn't have time to fix it.
She said, I had a plumber fix it already.
But he took out a 1/2" galvanized pipe and put in a 3/4" copper pipe.
I said, that is better.
She said No it isn't.
He screwed this Thingy into the old galvanized pipe and soldered the copper pipe into it.
I said , that is a Male adapter, and that is the way you do it.
She said, But he Soldered it, solder contains lead, and lead in the water causes brain damage.
I told her the plumber uses Lead free solder.
She went out to my dads garage, and picked u a roll of solder that has been in the garage as long as I can remember.
She said, the Label says, 50% lead and 50% tin
I told her that was old 50/50 solder that they do not use for plumbing any more, and the solder looks almost black from age, and the solder your plumber used was shiny silver.
She said, Well a plumber isnt going to bring OLD solder to my house, that is why it was still shiny.
Giving up arguing with her, I said.
Where did you grow up.
Ohio she said.
I asked , how old thas the house you grew up in was, and where were the water pipes.
She said, the house was 100 years old, and the pipes were bolted to the walls in the basement.
So I asked, What were those pipes made out of.
She said Lead, and they were really heavy.
I told her, Yes Mom, You are right, Lead in the water does cause brain damage.

[Mitch]

Great story LAGS

I Just do not believe they will dig up and remove all the lead pipe in Flint or any other city.Yes they would get tons and tons of lead.But that would mean some one has to pull the stuff then haul it to the scrap yard.Then all the damge from the diging would have to be repaired.And they would get what 20 to 30 cents a pound.Besides Obumer sure is not going to put the lead back into the Public system to begin with.I agree it will all be labled toxic and sent off where no one will ever be able to use it for ammo.If any is dug up at all.

[Whiterabbit]

yes. All pipes that get dug up with federal money will end up at a superfund site. And used to produce data that rainwater runoff causes further water table lead contamination.

That's assuming they get dug up en masse at all. Which they won't.

[RogerDat]

To those who think that lead water lines don't end up in the scrap yard you are very much mistaken. More than one person on this forum has noted finding major lead pipe removal scores. So the claims that the current administration or some other entity will be all over declaring this a toxic waste hazard site is so much blowing smoke. Now it is possible that local poser politicians or even those further up the food chain of politics (or further down) might stand in front of cameras and talk about "proper disposal" or "safely disposed of" but in the end the removal company (an excavator) is going to factor in recycle yard payment for lead and take it there for disposal. Where some nice caster will probably buy some of it. Unless the yard already has a policy against selling to public which some do.

Main lines that happen to have schools on them would be an obvious priority line to replace. How far they would carry that replacement either down the road or into the building is anyone's guess.

[LAGS]

Even the Old A.C.P (Asbestos Clay Pipes )we have to replace on my jobs is classified as Toxic, and we have to pay for disposal.
But these contractors know people who will buy it to be recycled into some other form, especially since the Aspestos market or use of it has been banned.
You cant get the raw materials, so they resort to using recycled material, then there is no record of asbestos being used.
But there are many Safe Uses for the toxic materials.
Like making Boolits out of old lead pipe.
They didn't Dig lead up By The Ton because it was Toxic to the water, but now in very small amounts like boolits, it is Pure Poison

[RogerDat]

Asbestos is not a material that a scrap yard will take. Actually I think it would be on the list of stuff our local scrap yard would refuse to take. Surprised to hear that anyone would re-use it. In any event I doubt asbestos is like lead which has a regular purchaser stream where manufactures purchase scrap lead from the yards on a regular basis. Now in India they have people blowing asbestos fiber in as insulation wearing nothing more for PPG than a rag tied over mouth and nose so who knows.

Every so often I find that the yard will have shipped off all of the on hand lead, or had a company come through and purchase all they have on hand. I have a feeling any lead main water lines will be pretty cruddy with corrosion inside and out. Good lead but heavy with crud too.

[Whiterabbit]

its a fantastic material for making blown glass neon signs. You draw on the surface then place the glass tube on it and hit it with the torch. No worries about torching your worksurface.