Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, other officials to be charged for role in Flint water crisis
(The AEGIS Alliance) – Reports have emerged that former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and other administration officials are expected to be charged in connection with the years-long Flint water crisis. The crisis that started in 2014 has caused many problems for the residents in that area, including an outbreak of legionnaire disease. The water crisis has also led to many members of the black community having been exposed to dangerous amounts of lead.
Specific details on the case have not been released yet. However, what is clear is that Rick Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon, Rich Baird, and other officials are expected to face charges for the crisis. Since the problem began, a minimum of 15 officials has been indicted. Some of the previous charges were dropped, but the current ones are expected to remain because of new investigations by the current administration.
According to spokeswoman Courtney Covington Watkins from the attorney general’s office, investigators worked hard on the case, though couldn’t give further details on the subject.
This news comes after several probes were done to determine the governor’s role in the crisis. Several lawsuits had also been filed against the city and state after a medical facility discovered that the kids there had more than 50% of lead in their system than their peers. The discovery was traced back to the water crisis.
The problem began when Flint city started getting water from the Flint River instead of Detroit’s treated water. The move, which was supposed to help the city save money, only resulted in problems because the city didn’t treat the water properly. Large amounts of lead from the pipes ended up in people’s homes.
When residents were alarmed by the water’s color and smell, the city officials reassured them that it was safe. A doctor discovered exposure to lead after examining over 14,000 kids. Federal officials conducted another investigation in 2016 and declared the crisis.
“Let me be blunt, this was a failure of government at all levels,” Snyder said during a 2016 Congressional hearing. “Local, state, and federal officials — we all failed the families of Flint.”
Years later since it all began in 2014, numerous Flint residents still don’t trust their drinking water. Parents are still seen buying bottled water by the gallon, a pricey precaution that has only become more difficult since the coronavirus pandemic started.
In August 2020, $600 million was given to affected residents as a settlement. The residents still don’t trust the water and opt to buy bottled drinking water, which is expensive.
“It’s almost like we got PTSD with the water because we don’t really drink it comfortably, like, you know what I’m saying?” one Flint resident told CBD News. “People actually lost their lives to it.”
Kyle James Lee – The AEGIS Alliance – This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
