Indiana governor to visit East Chicago over lead problems
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) – Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is set to visit East Chicago and meet with local leaders and residents about the city’s lead contamination problems.
Holcomb’s Friday trip comes after he issued a state disaster declaration last week over the decades-old lead pollution that’s forcing more than 1,000 people to move from a public housing complex. The governor’s office says Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch will meet with East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland and others.
Holcomb says the 30-day declaration focuses on helping find new homes for residents who must move and discussing options with new federal agency leaders.
Vice President Mike Pence faced criticism for not approving a disaster declaration while he was governor and not visiting the city after the contamination’s extent gained attention last summer.