Social Justice
Flint Michigan Water Crisis : “It’s Toxic” Residents Say
A state of emergency has been declared by President Barack Obama, where residents have been drinking toxic water
A state of emergency has been declared by President Barack Obama in Flint Michigan where residents have been drinking toxic water that may have irreversibly damaged their children with lead poisoning.
Flint Michigan lies about 70 miles from the shores of the Great Lake. So, how did the water become toxic?
Two years ago, the state decided to save money by switching Flint’s water supply from Lake Huron (which they were paying the city of Detroit for), to the Flint River, a notorious tributary that runs through town known to locals for its filth.
The switch was made during a financial state of emergency for the ever-struggling industrial town.
The switch was intended to be temporary while a new state-run supply line to Lake Huron was ready for connection.
The project was estimated to take about two years. But soon after the switch, the water started to smell, look, and taste funny.
Residents said it looked dirty.
The Flint River is highly corrosive: 19 times more so than the Lake Huron supply, according to researchers from Virginia Tech.
According to a class-action lawsuit, the state Department of Environmental Quality wasn’t treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent, in violation of federal law.
Therefore, the water was eroding the iron water mains, turning water brown.
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The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis that started in 2014 and lasted until 2019, after the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.
On January 5, 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Genesee County, of which Flint is the major population center.
Shortly thereafter, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency, authorizing additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.