12, January 2016 Flint, Michigan
There has been
growing concern in Flint Michigan of lead contamination in the drinking water.
The poisoning of the water began after an unelected emergency manager appointed
by Governor Snyder switched the city’s water source to the heavily polluted
Flint River in a bid to save money. Lead is an extremely hazardless contaminant
that can cause permanent health damage including memory loss and developmental
impairment. Tests at Virginia Tech reported that the water could have been
treated for as little as $100 a day. The mayor of Flint revealed that it would
cost $1.5 billion to fix the city’s crumbling water infrastructure. State
officials have ignored residents’ complaints for over a year. Last February,
tests showed alarming levels of lead but officials told residents there was no
cause for concern.
Numerous emails
from the EPA were ignored. Governor Snyder’s chief of staff, Dennis Muchmore,
email sent to health officials admitted Flint residents were, "basically
getting blown off by us."
In a futile effort
at damage control, Governor Snyder declared a state of emergency after learning
federal prosecutors had opened an investigation into Flint’s drinking water.
The scandal reeks of bureaucratic ineptness and there have been growing calls
for Governor Snyder to resign or face impeachment.
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