Flint is Still Broken – 10 Years Later

One month earlier, a federal judge held Flint in contempt for its slow action on replacing the lead water pipes. While thousands of pipes have been replaced, this work has not been completed, despite a lawsuit in which the city pledged to replace all lead pipes four years earlier.

The city had also agreed to repair curbs, sidewalks, and lawns damaged during the replacement work. Yet over 2000 residents have been left living in busted-up yards, waiting for their property to be repaired.

Secondly, the financial settlement, a meager $626.25 million to compensate over 90,000 residents poisoned by lead in their water, has failed to reach anyone. Lead causes damage to a body’s organs that will last a lifetime, with the most serious damage occurring in young children, whose brains are still growing. Yet it’s been ten years and the funds have done nothing to assist them.

And third, no one has been charged with committing these crimes. Where is the justice for this terrible crime against a majority black population?

It should be remembered that in 2014 an Emergency Manager (EM) was appointed over Flint by Governor Snyder. This EM made the decision to save some money by switching Flint’s water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. This river had been the dumping ground for industrial chemicals for decades. It should never have been considered as a source of drinking water. Yet after that terrible decision to switch the source of water, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality compounded the problem by neglecting to ensure the treatment of the water with corrosion control to prevent lead from leaching into the drinking water.

Flint is still broken. Don’t let this be buried in silence. The fight for justice must continue for the Flint residents!