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Flint water crisis

Flint water crisis
The Flint River in Flint, Michigan, United States of America
TimeApril 25, 2014 – February 1, 2019 (2014-04-25 – 2019-02-01)[1][2]
DurationFive years
LocationFlint, Michigan, United States
Coordinates43°0′36″N 83°41′24″W / 43.01000°N 83.69000°W / 43.01000; -83.69000
Type
Outcome
  • 6,000–12,000 children exposed to lead[3]
  • Public health state of emergency
  • 79 lawsuits[4]
  • Several investigations
  • 4 resignations
  • 4 firings
  • 5 suspensions
  • 15 indicted
  • 1 found guilty
Deaths12 fatalities from Legionnaire's disease[5]
Accused15 face charges
Convicted1 – Corinne Miller
SentenceCorinne Miller – a year of probation, 300 hours of community service, and fine of $1,200.[6]

The Flint water crisis is a public health crisis that started in 2014 after the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.[2] In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint's water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River.[7] Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply, exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels.[8] A pair of scientific studies confirmed that lead contamination was present in the water supply.[9][10] The city switched back to the Detroit water system on October 16, 2015.[11] It later signed a 30-year contract with the new Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) on November 22, 2017.[12]

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.[13]

Between 6,000 and 12,000 children were exposed to drinking water with high levels of lead.[3] Children are particularly at risk from the long-term effects of lead poisoning, which can include a reduction in intellectual functioning and IQ, increased issues with mental and physical health, and an increased chance of Alzheimer's disease. The water supply change was considered a possible cause of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the county that killed 12 people and affected another 87, but the original source of the bacteria was never found.[14][15][16]

Four government officials—one from the city of Flint, two from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and one from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—resigned over the mishandling of the crisis, and one additional MDEQ staff member was fired. In January 2021, former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and eight other officials were charged with 34 felony counts and seven misdemeanors—41 counts in all—for their role in the crisis.[17] Two officials were charged with involuntary manslaughter.[18] Fifteen criminal cases have been filed against local and state officials,[19] but only one minor conviction has been obtained, and all other charges have been dismissed or dropped. On August 20, 2020, the victims of the water crisis were awarded a combined settlement of $600 million, with 80% going to the families of children affected by the crisis.[20] By November, the settlement grew to $641 million.[21]

An extensive lead service pipe replacement effort has been underway since 2016. In early 2017, some officials asserted that the water quality had returned to acceptable levels, but in January 2019, residents and officials expressed doubt about the cleanliness of the water.[22][23][24] There were an estimated 2,500 lead service pipes still in place as of April 2019.[25] As of December 8, 2020, fewer than 500 service lines still needed to be inspected.[26] As of July 16, 2021, 27,133 water service lines had been excavated and inspected, resulting in the replacement of 10,059 lead pipes.[27] After $400 million in state and federal spending, Flint has secured a clean water source, distributed filters to all who want them, and laid modern, safe, copper pipes to nearly every home in the city. Politico declared that its water is "just as good as any city's in Michigan." However, a legacy of distrust remains, so residents often refuse to drink the tap water.[28]

  1. ^ Roberston, Derek (December 23, 2020). "Flint Has Clean Water Now. Why Won't People Drink It?". Politico. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021. In a city synonymous for half a decade with disaster, something remarkable happened in February 2019. A team of researchers reported that Flint's homes—even the ones at the highest risk for undrinkable, lead-poisoned tap water—finally had clean water running through their pipes.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference startdate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Keller, Andrew (January 18, 2016). "United Way estimates cost of helping children $100M". WNEM-TV. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 79suits was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know Archived October 24, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, NRDC
  6. ^ "Former state health worker sentenced to probation in Flint water crisis". WJRT-TV. March 13, 2017. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Fleming, Leonard N. "Darnell Earley: The man in power during Flint switch". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Clearfield, Chris; Tilcsik, András (2018). Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It. New York: Penguin Press. pp. 121–128. ISBN 978-0-7352-2263-2.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hanna-AttishaSpatialAnalysis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference vatech was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference switchback was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference glwa30 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "President Obama Signs Michigan Emergency Declaration". whitehouse.gov (Official White House press release). January 16, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2016 – via National Archives.
  14. ^ Shamus, Kristen Jordan (May 30, 2018). "State: McLaren Flint was primary source of Legionnaires' outbreak". The Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference legionnaires was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Smith, Anya F.; Huss, Anke; Dorevitch, Samuel; Heijnen, Leo; Arntzen, Vera H.; Davies, Megan; Robert-Du Ry van Beest Holle, Mirna; Fujita, Yuki; Verschoor, Antonie M.; Raterman, Bernard; Oesterholt, Frank (December 2019). "Multiple Sources of the Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Genesee County, Michigan, in 2014 and 2015". Environmental Health Perspectives. 127 (12): 127001. doi:10.1289/EHP5663. ISSN 1552-9924. PMC 6957290. PMID 31799878.
  17. ^ "Nine Michigan Leaders Face Charges in Water Crisis that Roiled Flint". The New York Times. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "2 ex-health officials charged with manslaughter in Flint". Fox 40. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference thirdcriminal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ "Youngest Flint water crisis victims to get 80 percent of historic $600 million settlement". The Flint Journal. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2020 – via MLive.com.
  21. ^ Proposed Flint $641M water crisis settlement includes 30 claim process categories Archived December 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine The Flint Journal via MLive.com, November 18, 2020
  22. ^ Manchester, Julia (January 9, 2019). "Michigan congressman says Flint's water still not safe to drink". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  23. ^ The Hill (August 3, 2019). "Status Coup Journalist Jordan Chariton exposes wrongdoing in Flint water testing". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  24. ^ Fleming, Leonard N. (December 4, 2018). "Flint: Water line replacement won't be done till 2019". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  25. ^ Ahmad, Zahra (April 11, 2019). "Roughly 2,500 lead service lines left to replace in Flint". The Flint Journal. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020 – via MLive.com.
  26. ^ Officials: Flint makes progress toward ending water crisis Archived December 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine The Detroit News, December 8, 2020
  27. ^ "Service Line Replacement Program". City of Flint. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  28. ^ Robertson, Derek (December 23, 2020). "Flint Has Clean Water Now. Why Won't People Drink It?". Politico. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

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