Following revelations that Governor Rick Snyder’s administration knew about severe water quality problems in Flint, Michigan and assured residents there that the water was safe, concerned activists and residents convened today for a rally in front of Flint City Hall to demand that the federal government step in and arrest Governor Snyder.
In 2014, Flint's emergency manager disconnected the city from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and started providing residents with water from the Flint River in order to cut costs.
Almost immediately after the switch, residents noticed changes in the smell, color and taste of the water coming out of their taps. Tests showed high levels of bacteria that forced the city to issue boil advisories. The city then upped the amount of chlorine it used to treat the polluted river water to kill pathogens, resulting in high levels of potentially carcinogenic disinfectant byproducts. Worse, the city failed to put in place proper corrosion controls, so lead leached into Flint's drinking water, poisoning residents for over a year.
"Since Flint started providing us with water from the Flint River, my water has turned bluish-green from all the copper in the water, the levels of lead have quadrupled and we have been notified about high levels of toxic chemicals,” said Flint resident Melissa Mays. “Members of my community have been reporting cases of lead poisoning, and many neighbors have reported that their hair is falling out because of our toxic water. Due to the high levels of copper in my water, I am suffering from osteoarthritis and bone spurs at the age of 36."
Although Flint residents like Mays complained, the Snyder administration and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ignored the people of Flint for months as they reported issues with their tap water. Despite knowing that there was a problem with lead, the state kept telling residents that the water was safe to drink.
Flint finally switched the system back in October, but the city now must replace thousands of lead water pipes, and its residents face a lifetime of healthcare costs from lead exposure.
“This is the very definition of a man made, intentional, public health crisis,” said Lynna Kaucheck, a Food & Water Watch organizer who has been working to hold the Snyder administration accountable while calling on the federal government for support.
“It’s hard to believe that in 2016, people in the United States have to contend with poisoned drinking water, but that’s the sad situation that many Flint residents are contending with. Flint’s water pipes are permanently damaged, and some residents continue to receive water that is undrinkable, due to lead contamination.”
State relief will likely fall far short of the up to $1.5 billion that the city will need to fix its broken water system and give Flint children the healthcare they need. That's why the Obama administration must step in and give residents the help that they desperately need.
Unfortunately, Flint is not alone in its water woes. Emergency management also exacerbated problems in Highland Park and Detroit. In Highland Park, people lost access to their homes and safe water, because water bills were put on residents’ tax lien. In Detroit, an emergency manager tried to privatize the water system, and pushed through an aggressive water shut-off policy that is still happening today. Tens of thousands of Detroiters have lost access to safe water.
Emergency management and the Snyder administration have failed these communities, first stripping them of their democracy, then their access to a basic human right. It is completely unacceptable. That’s why the Obama administration should declare a public health emergency in Flint to marshal federal resources and to help make Flint’s water safe again.