wokeculture:The Flint Water Crisis by Sam Slockbower. The current crisis in Flint, Michigan
wokeculture: The Flint Water Crisis by Sam Slockbower. The current crisis in Flint, Michigan has been making headlines for the past few months, yet many people are unaware of what is actually going on. Essentially what happened is that, as a result of dwindling funds, an emergency manager appointed by the state decided that Flint’s water source should be changed to the Flint River. Flint had previously sourced its water from the Detroit system, but officials had decided that it had become too costly. This change occurred in April of 2014 and had drastic consequences on the population of Flint. The water from the Flint River was incredibly high in salt, which caused the aging pipes that make up Flint’s water system to corrode and leech lead into the water (source). Lead is extremely toxic to the human body; it causes lead poisoning, to which children are exceedingly vulnerable. According to research, lead poisoning can cause a reduction in IQ, affects growth, and causes behavioral issues such as attention issues, reduced fine motor control, and issues with aggression and violence (source). Despite the levity of the situation, officials have showed little concern for residents of Flint. One state nurse told a mother “It is just a few IQ points. … It is not the end of the world,” in response to her concerns for the elevated level of lead in her son’s blood (source). Overall the state has been doing very little to alleviate the problem in Flint. The crisis was brought to Governor Snyder as early as May of 2014, yet in February of 2015 the government was still telling people that the water was safe to drink. However, tests had done by this time, which showed that the water contained up to 900 times the recommended EPA limit for lead (source). Despite the apathy shown towards residents, some solutions have been created for corporations. General Motors has an engine plant in Flint and, because of the toxicity of the water, its engines were being corroded. However, GM was able to switch to the Detroit Water System before the rest of Flint due to the fact that it used to be part of a neighboring township. This meant that its infrastructure allowed it to be hooked into that township’s water supply. In order to do this, the company had to lobby for the privilege. They were eventually allowed to make the switch in December of 2014 (source). This brings up important questions, such as: why was a solution found so quickly for a corporation while residents were left unaware there was even a problem? In addition, non-English speakers were left uninformed about the crisis and the toxicity of the water. The official water response team created by Flint only printed flyers alerting residents to the crisis in English despite the fact that 3.9% of the population is of Latina or Hispanic descent (source, source). As a result, many people were still drinking the water and using it to bathe. Also, donated water is not making it to many people because of their immigration status. An undocumented resident describes her experience at a distribution center, “I got close to see what they were giving out, and it was water. And the first thing they asked me for was my license” (source). Because of requests for identification, many immigrants are not going to distribution centers and ultimately, they are relying on the poisoned water. This means that there are at least 1,000 people relying on toxic water (source). Currently, residents are still paying for water even though it is unusable. Governor Snyder proposed a $30 million plan in an effort to resolve this issue. The bill will refund residents for costs involving water used for drinking, cooking, or bathing, meaning that their bills would be cut by only about 30%. However, according to state representative Phil Phelps, the people of Flint should not be paying for water that destroyed their pipes and appliances in addition to poisoning their children (source). Finally, in January of 2015 state officials were given clean water options before residents were alerted to the problem. Emails sent between public officials show that water coolers were placed next to water fountains in state offices (source). In addition, Attorney General Bill Schuette will be leading an investigation into the disaster while simultaneously defending Snyder and the state in civil cases. This investigation is part of a $1.2 million dollar contract, which would be paid for by taxpayer dollars (source). Schuette’s involvement represents a clear conflict of interest and it is ridiculous to expect his contract to be paid for by state money. This disaster and the lack of effective government response have social implications. The population of Flint is 56.6% percent Black and the median income is $24,679. It is important to ask if, had Flint been a wealthier and Whiter town, would this issue have been resolved much more quickly? These are important questions to ask during the ongoing election season. -- source link