You may have seen the “Flint Michigan Water Crisis” in the news a few years ago. Have you ever wondered what actually happened to the citizens of Flint? Well, keep on reading to find out.
The Flint Water Crisis first started in 2014 when the city switched its drinking water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint river as a cost saving move. The water wasn’t regulated properly and resulted in major health issues for the residents of Flint. These issues were predominantly ignored for nearly 2 years even as complaints mounted that the water was foul-smelling, discoloured and off-tasting. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission concluded that the lack of Governmental response was a “result of systemic racism”.
Studies revealed that the contaminated water contributed to a tripling of elevated blood lead levels in the city’s children.
How could such a scandal been allowed to happen?
The Flint river has a lengthy history of being used as a dump for many industries, leading to its extreme pollution. In 2013, Governor Snyder decided the cheaper alternative was to temporarily pump water from the river through the aging pipelines, without sufficiently treating it (it was highly corrosive). Paediatrician Hanna-Attisha noted that “lead is one of the most damning things you can do to a child”, and in Flint nearly 9,000 children were supplied lead-contaminated water for 18 months. Essentially, the governor chose a dangerous path for Flint’s water supply, just to save money.
An outbreak of a disease called “legionnaires” (severe form of pneumonia) killed 12 people and sickened a further 90. The citizens were forced to unite and took the city to court. After being refused help for nearly two years, a federal judge sided with Flint residents and ordered the implementation of door-to-door delivery of bottled water.
Although the lead levels have gone under government action threshold, the city is continuing to use lead pipes for its water supply, the EPA and other health authorities agree that there is “no safe level of lead in the water”. The FAST start program is changing this, by replacing thousands of lead and galvanized steel pipes that connect Flint. Who is to blame?
Over the past few years, 15 people have been charged as criminally responsible for causing or contributing to the crisis.
Rick Snyder, the Governor, was charged for his role in the crisis. A report by the University of Michigan School of Public Health concluded Snyder "bears significant legal responsibility" for the Flint water crisis.
The residents of Flint are continuing to fight for their rights against a government prone to overlooking their predominantly black community.
Here’s a helpful video of the crisis at the time in 2016:
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