Toxic Nightmare

The lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan: The damage done by misguided decisions and the callous apathy on the part of officials to quickly admit their error and work expeditiously to correct it, displays a staggering level of ineptitude, if not criminal negligence. Lawsuits are sure to spring up by the thousand. It’s not clear whether anyone will be held criminally responsible, however, it is highly likely that civil suits for damages could be successful, so much so that they could bring the state to its knees.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, facing protests and lawsuits into the state’s handling of contaminated drinking water in Flint, apologized to the people of Flint for the crisis over lead-contaminated drinking water in the city and said he would work to fix the problem during his State of the State speech on Tuesday (January 19). “No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe. Government Failed You - Federal, state, and local leaders by breaking the trust you placed in us. I’m sorry most of all that I let you down. You deserve better. You deserve accountability. You deserve to know that the buck, buck stops here with me. Most of all. You deserve to know the truth. I have a responsibility to tell the truth. The truth about what we’ve done. And what I will do to overcome this challenge,” Snyder said. Snyder, a Republican, asked lawmakers to authorize $28 million in spending on diagnostic tests, health treatment for children and adolescents, replacement of faucets and fixtures in Flint schools and day care centers and a study of the city’s water pipes. He also said additional funding would be needed. Criticism of the state and federal response has grown in recent days over the crisis in Flint, a financially strapped city of just under 100,000 residents about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Detroit. Flint was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager when, seeking to save money, it switched its source of tap water from Detroit’s system to the nearby Flint River in 2014. Flint returned to using Detroit’s water in October after tests found elevated levels of lead in the water and in the blood of some children. Lead contamination can cause brain damage and other health problems. The more corrosive water from the Flint River had leached lead from the city pipes more than Detroit water did, leading to the contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was reviewing its handling of the crisis and acknowledged it did not respond fast enough. The environmental agency said Tuesday that “while EPA worked within the framework of the law to repeatedly and urgently communicate the steps the state needed to take to properly treat its water, those necessary (EPA) actions were not taken as quickly as they should have been.” The U.S. environmental agency said its oversight was hampered “by failures and resistance at the state and local levels to work with us in a forthright, transparent and proactive manner.” Snyder promised to release on Wednesday (January 20) Flint-related emails from 2014 and 2015. He has rejected calls for his resignation by some protesters. “You will have answers to your questions about what we’ve done and what we’re doing to make this right for the families of Flint. Anyone will be able to read this information for themselves,” Snyder said in his speech at the Capitol building. About a 1,000 people protested at the Capitol on Tuesday (January 19), some holding baby bottles filled with brown water. At least three lawsuits have been filed over the crisis. The latest on Tuesday (January 19) in Genesee County court seeks an injunction to stop Flint from issuing shutoff notices to residents, who are still receiving bills for water declared undrinkable. The lawyers have heard from more than 500 people. Some have reported rashes, hair loss, seizures, unexplained miscarriages, psychological breakdowns, and financial hardship, attorney Cary McGehee said. Other Flint residents in November filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city and state of endangering their health. On Saturday (January 16), Obama declared a federal emergency over the Flint water crisis but denied an additional request for a major disaster declaration sought by Snyder. Snyder said during the State of the State he would appeal that ruling.