Call to Action: Flint, Michigan
Joe Fowler, staff writer
In 2010, the United Nations recognized that clean drinking water is a necessary human right, which serves as a “prerequisite for the fulfillment of other human rights.” Within five years of that proclamation, the citizens of Flint, Michigan received toxic amounts of lead and other materials, as corrosive water from the Flint River flowed through pipes and into their homes.
The origins of the systemic failure in Flint date back to April, 2014, when the state and local officials switched the water supply from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in order to cut costs, according to the New York Times. Soon after, residents began reporting health problems, including rashes, hair loss, and mood changes.
The Michigan Department of Environmental quality refused to add an anti-corrosive agent to the water supply despite immediate complaints about the smell, taste and appearance of the water because to do so would cost $100 a day. Instead the department stated that an anti-corrosive agent would not be necessary for at least two six-month monitoring periods.
During the summer of 2014, Flint fell under an E. coli advisory. The town added chlorine to the water, which in turn, increased the level of corrosion in water pipes, and the city needed to issue a boil advisory to residents. The boiling served to concentrate the excessive amount of lead already in the water, according to Forbes.
In October of 2014, a General Motors plant in Flint stopped using the Flint River because it was damaging car parts. The plant switched to a clean water pipeline, according to NBC. While GM switched to a different water line, Flint Michigan did not because the city manager refused an offer from Detroit to again use its water supply because it was too expensive to do so, another fact reported by NBC.
In Michigan, a city manager is an official appointed by the governor in lieu of a democratically elected mayor, as outlined in the Local Financial Stability and Choice Act (Act 436).
The the purpose of Act 436 is “to preserve the capacity of local units of government and school districts to provide or cause to be provided necessary services essential to the public health, safety, and welfare; to provide for review, management, planning, and control of the financial operation of local units of government and school districts and the provision of services by local units of government and school districts.”
Act 436 remains in effect until the resolution of a city-wide financial crisis, such as the 40 percent poverty rate in the bankrupt Flint. Apparently, neither Act 436 nor the appointed leader that resulted from the Act’s existence accomplished anything except complicating an already desperate situation, as demonstrated by constant news coverage on what has become known as the Flint Water Crisis.
In regards to Flint, the city manager made the decision to continue using water from the Flint river without approval of the town council. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, however, blamed the town council for the decision, despite the fact that his appointed official acted without approval from the town council, according to Congressman Elijah Cummings during a hearing on the crisis.
While Flint citizens drank poisoned water, the state of Michigan downplayed the tragedy, despite physical evidence that the situation was out of control, according to CNN. “Public servants, public institutions, not only failed to prevent the crisis, their decisions created this crisis,” a CNN correspondent said during the introduction to a debate held in Flint.
Michigan officials also knew of the emergency as early as July, 2015, according to several news sources, including NBC and the New York Times. During an oversight committee hearing, Cummings cited an email sent to Snyder from the chief of staff in March of 2015, which said, “If we procrastinate any longer on doing something direct, we’ll have real trouble.”
Dr. Marc Edwards, a professor at Virginia Tech, led a team of researchers to investigate the water in Flint after receiving a sample with extremely high levels of lead. After being brushed off by the EPA in July, 2015, his team headed for Flint since no one else seemed interested in working on the problem, according to the Washington Post.
Edwards revealed that the state tested homes in areas not affected by the increased lead levels and altered reports by omitting two homes that would have shown toxic lead levels. “They fabricated a report that made it appear like Flint was passing the lead and copper with flying colors,” he said, according to CNN.
Who is to blame for all of this? Too many to count, but many people, ranging from Gov. Snyder to EPA officials have received a great deal of scrutiny and criticism. However, now is not the time for blame; now is the time for damage control and plans for the future, including preventative measures and studies of cities like Flint that may be experiencing the same crisis to a lesser degree. Many have answered that call.
While the system blatantly failed Flint, the spirit of America and the American people have not. According to the Huffington Post, celebrities, musicians, several charities from various religions, Native American tribes, corporations, football teams and girl scouts have given aid.
American citizens have the right to exercise their freedom of expression under the first amendment. Along with those rights come certain responsibilities. Should citizens act outside the limits of their rights, those individuals are accountable for any consequences that may result.
Many believe that America is indeed a great nation. Arguably one aspect of greatness is to admit flaws and work to overcome them, be it on an individual level or a national level. Perhaps the greatest aspect of America is the right of any one of its citizens to act for positive change. As of March, 19, over 323 million people in the United States have the opportunity to become that positive change for Flint, and for us all.
Assistant Professor of Sociology Todd Platts, offered a list of organizations providing aid to the citizens of Flint.
Flint Child Health and Development Fund
Catholic Charities of Genesee County
“While these organizations are far from perfect, they have the much needed presence in the area,” Platts said about the various organizations.
