Following this test, the MDEQ placed Flint on violation notice but did not reveal the information to residents until January 2015. On January 5, 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Genesee County, of which Flint is the major population center. [271] On March 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to expand its Head Start Program to more Flint children affected by the crisis. The Journal/MLive reported that the city had "disregarded federal rules requiring it to seek out homes with lead plumbing for testing, potentially leading the city and state to underestimate for months the extent of toxic lead leaching into Flint's tap water. Children outside of Flint had a younger average age (1.86 years) compared to areas inside Flint (2.04-2.09 years). [182] On March 11, 2016, Governor Snyder ordered an investigation of the MDHHS regarding the outbreak. Its writers said of it, "Policy makers, government leaders, and decision makers at many levels failed the residents of Flint," said Agustin Arbulu, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. [207], On January 15, 2016, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced that his office would open an investigation into the crisis, saying the situation in Flint "is a human tragedy in which families are struggling with even the most basic parts of daily life. That is, the upward blip during the water switch sits on a rapid declining curve (presumably because of the many lead mitigation projects that have been initiated nationally) so that blood lead levels during the crisis are actually lower than those two years earlier. Hedman said the EPA did not go public with its concerns earlier because (1) state and local governments have primary responsibility for drinking water quality and safety; (2) there was insufficient evidence at that point of the extent of the danger; and (3) the EPA's legal authority to compel the state to take action was unclear, and the EPA discussed the issue with its legal counsel, who only rendered an opinion in November. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water. The lawsuit accuses Veolia and LAN of professional negligence and public nuisance. [500], Platinum Equity's FlintNOW Foundation, in conjunction with Huntington Bank, started a $25 million economic development program to loan aid money to Flint businesses affected by the water crisis. al", "4 families sue over lead in Flint water", "After Flint water crisis, families file lawsuit", "Two Flint water lawsuits dismissed by same federal court judge", "Plaintiffs' lawyers wary of taking on Flint water scandal", "3 people file class action lawsuit against Gov. December 20 – Four officials are charged with felonies of false pretenses and conspiracy. "[396], In the aftermath of the water crisis, it was noted that elevated blood-lead levels in children are found in many cities across Michigan, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Adrian. [216] On February 12, 2016, Governor Snyder released additional emails between his office and the MDEQ which about the Legionnaires' outbreak. [528], On May 31, 2017, the PBS show Nova aired an episode about the water crisis called "Poisoned Water". [129][132] In June 2014, Flint's Emergency Manager Darnell Earley finalized the sale of a nine-mile (14 km) section of water pipeline to Genesee County for $3.9 million. "[136], In March 2015, Flint voted to switch back to the DWSD. [542][543], In the spring of 2016, Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Colorado Boulder, Andrea Ramsey, in reaction to the Flint water crisis, composed a choral song titled, "But a Flint Holds Fire". (10/4/2017) - The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is urging people to take precautions when eating fish from more of the Flint River. [420][421] Later, after hearing of the Legionnaires' outbreak, Moore termed the state's actions "murder". ", "Donald Trump believes the United States can get $1 trillion in new roads — for free", "Trump says he can fix Flint's pipes for free. [152], In January 2015, a public meeting was held, where citizens complained about the "bad water. June 24 – Del Toral states in a memo that, July 13 – In response to Del Toral's memo, a. September 8 – Virginia Tech's water study team reports that 40% of Flint homes have elevated levels of lead. The New York Times summarized, "the documents provide a glimpse of state leaders who were at times dismissive of the concerns of residents, seemed eager to place responsibility with local government and, even as the scientific testing was hinting at a larger problem, were reluctant to acknowledge it. September 11 – Virginia Tech recommends that the state of Michigan declare that the water in Flint is not safe for drinking or cooking. [141] Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, an environmental toxicologist based in Ann Arbor, said this level of lead exposure is comparable with what the Iraqi people have experienced since the U.S. occupation in 2003. The DWSD expected that Flint would reimburse the investments for the water system that benefited regional customers. [11], On January 11, 2016, the Virginia Tech research team led by Edwards announced that it had completed its work. September 9 – MDEQ spokesman Brad Wurfel states that Flint needs to upgrade its infrastructure but is skeptical about Virginia Tech's water study. April 13 – The Natural Resources Defense Council announces the results of tests of 92 homes with lead service lines show the 90th percentile for lead is 4 ppb. January 21 – Flint residents complain of health issues caused by city water. In January 2015, following a breakdown in communication between the city and the county on the Legionnaires' investigation, the county filed a FOIA request with the city, seeking "specific water testing locations and laboratory results ... for coliform, E-coli, heterotrophic bacteria and trihalomethanes" and other information. During that time period, MDEQ had insisted the water was safe to drink. Require water systems to replace water service lines to a home if they are contaminated with lead, and if the homeowner chooses to replace the piping. May 16 – Flint Department of Public Works Director Robert Bincsik sends a letter to the EPA saying there are still 14,000 lead service lines in the city, 15% more than previous projections. [137], Prior to August 2014, additional chlorine had been added to eliminate bacteria from the Flint River. October 10 – The EPA proposes updates to the Lead and Copper Rule, which has remained relatively unchanged since 1991. Rather, the response is the result of implicit bias and the history of systemic racism that was built into the foundation of Flint. [366], In addition, early-life exposure to lead may increase risk of later-life neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease,[367] and this risk is likely to persist into late life long after lead has been removed from the body. [495], A group of students from Ohio State University donated 10,000 pounds of water to Flint's Catholic Charities USA. [238], On January 14, it was announced Mona Hanna-Attisha will lead a Flint Pediatric Public Health Initiative that includes experts from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Hurley Children's Hospital, the Genesee County Health Department, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to help Flint children diagnosed with lead poisoning. [431], On April 28, 2018, Michelle Wolf was the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. [405], The Michigan Civil Rights Commission later reiterated this belief in a 138-page report titled "The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint". [280] On May 4, 2016 Glasgow accepted a plea deal with prosecutors, admitting to filing false information about lead in Flint water and agreeing to cooperate in other prosecutions. [388], In early September 2020, Republican former Governor Rick Snyder endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden for president. In the survey, respondents had to rate the quality of their tap water (taste, smell, appearance), rate the quality of their sleep, list the duration of sleep in a typical night, and fill out basic demographics. [12] It later signed a 30-year contract with the new Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) on November 22, 2017.[13]. September – The city begins using a machine learning model developed by two University of Michigan professors, which uses various data about the home and neighborhood to predict its likelihood of having a lead service line. Acidic water makes it easier for the lead found in pipes, leaded solder, and brass faucets to dissolve and to enter a home's drinking water. "[222], On April 16, 2020, an article was published giving details of evidence of corruption and a coverup by Snyder and his "fixer" Rich Baird, and stating that the statute of limitations on some of the most serious felony misconduct-in-office charges would expire on April 25, 2020. January 2 – In her first act as governor, Whitmer signs an executive directive requiring state employees to immediately report to their department or agency director any threat to public health or safety, an action inspired by the decisions made by her predecessor's administration that led to the water crisis. 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