Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb told East Chicago officials that the state will do all it can to address the city's lead contamination problems.
Holcomb traveled Friday to East Chicago for a meeting with U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, Mayor Anthony Copeland and representatives of local community groups. The Northwest Indiana Times reports Holcomb said he feels the city "will be in a better place" once the decades-old lead pollution is addressed.
About 80 of 340 families remain at a public housing complex that residents must move away from because of lead- and arsenic-contaminated soil. Holcomb issued a state disaster declaration city last week that focuses on helping find new homes for the remaining residents.
Vice President Mike Pence faced criticism for not approving a disaster declaration while he was governor.
