Everything I said in my last post is true — except who is to blame. The publishing of faulty statistics is likely not the Journal Star’s fault, but the State of Illinois’ Department of Public Health (IDPH) itself. If so, my apologies to the newspaper of record.

I just ran across the State of Illinois’ Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Childhood Lead Poisoning, published in July 2004. It’s very possible that this is the document from which the Journal Star got their information. In it, on page 12, the IDPH claims “Illinois Ranks No. 1 Nationally in Blood Lead Levels.” However, they base that statement on the CDC report I analyzed at length in my last post. The conclusion is still faulty, regardless of who came to it.