What's the deal with the water in Flint?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > What's the deal with the water in Flint?

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

Epic High Five posted:

I live in District 5 but thankfully I live in Bloomington, IN where I've been here over 6 months now and I haven't met a single person who doesn't closely follow the water supply and have strong opinions on it. It's the strangest thing, but now I'm glad that if anybody is going to get poisoned from neglect it's not going to be here because there's probably hundreds of people doing home testing as a hobby. Lake Monroe is apparently an extremely good source and locals are very proud/protective of it

Yeah one of the good things about this story going national is everyone taking an uneasy look at their own water supplies and some folks finding out they're in a similar boat. Get mad, people. It means you're finally paying attention to poo poo that actually matters instead of who's winning American Idol or whatever the gently caress.

# ? Jan 30, 2016 03:01

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 21:36

Neo Rasa: Mar 8, 2007; Everyone should play DUKE games.

Quorum posted:

This article really should've just stopped at the part where it was pointing out that the alarming situation in Flint helps to emphasize the remarkable gains in water quality we've made over the past few ~~years~~ decades, but it blew right on past that mark into god knows where.

e: timespan clarification

quote:

David Mastio, the deputy editorial page editor of USA TODAY, was an environmental reporter for The Detroit News.

Hmm...

# ? Jan 30, 2016 03:13

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

# ? Jan 30, 2016 07:41

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

Snyder gets heckled at local Ann Arbor bar.

http://markmaynard.com/2016/01/snyder-watch-2016-dinner-at-old-town/

Prank the governors office into thinking someone gave them flint water in a pitcher at a public event.

# ? Jan 31, 2016 00:29

Thesaurasaurus: Feb 15, 2010; "Send in Boxbot!"

Lamebot posted:

Give the governor and his staff Flint water in a pitcher at a public event.

# ? Jan 31, 2016 01:54

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

The old adage 'there is always more and it is always worse' holds up...

quote:

In 2014, Ambrose was deposed in a civil lawsuit brought by retired Flint municipal workers against the state over severe cuts to their health care benefits. Attorney Alec Gibbs questioned Ambrose about the water decision (a year before Flint learned it was being poisoned).

�There was brief evaluation of whether the city would be better off to simply use the Flint River as its primary source of water over the long term,� Ambrose said. �That was determined not to be feasible.�

�Who determined it wasn�t feasible?� Gibbs asked.

�It was a collective decision of the emergency management team based on conversations with the MDEQ that indicated they would not be supportive of the use of the Flint River on a long-term basis as a primary source of water,� Ambrose answered.

�What was the reason they gave?� Gibbs asked.

�You�ll have to ask them,� Ambrose said.

How could the river that was rejected as Flint�s permanent water source in December 2012 suddenly become suitable for consumption a mere 16 months later?

And who actually made the disastrous choice to start using the previously rejected river as the city�s temporary water source?

Howard Croft, the former director of public works for Flint who resigned in November 2015, asserted more than four months ago in a videotaped interview with the ACLU of Michigan that the decision to use the dangerously corrosive river came directly from the Snyder administration.

In the interview, Croft said that the decision to use the river was a financial one, with a review that �went up through the state.�

�All the way to the governor�s office?� the ACLU of Michigan asked him.

�All the way to the governor�s office,� Croft replied....

In a letter obtained by the ACLU of Michigan (PDF), emergency manager Darnell Earley wrote to DWSD in March 2014:

�Thank you for the correspondence [...] which provides Flint with the option of continuing to purchase water from DWSD� The City of Flint has actively pursued using the Flint River as a temporary water source� There will be no need for Flint to continue purchasing water to serve its residents and businesses after April 17, 2014.�

Snyder did not mention this letter in the history of the Flint water crisis that he presented in his State of the State address last week....

So not only did the Flint board reject using the Flint River as a water supply, Snyder's initial appointed EM rejected it after consulting with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality because (duh) its the Flint loving River, dumping ground of toxic industrial waste for over a century.

So Snyder just appoints another EM, Earley, to do it. Then when he was caught out tried to say that the board's voting to switch to the Port Huron pipeline was actually the vote to use the Flint River until that switch could take place, and tried muddying the waters (hurr) further by saying Detroit was cutting them off when in actuality Detroit Water were told 'thanks but no thanks' by Earley, presumably under Snyder's (a known micro manager) direction.

I am seriously amazed noone's taken a pot shot at this guy yet.

# ? Feb 1, 2016 22:30

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

Oh yeah, and here's the proof that the switch to Port Huron wasn't going to save Flint any money, anyway.

# ? Feb 1, 2016 22:34

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

Oh hi FBI, glad you could finally show up to the party...

quote:

The office of U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said Jan. 5 that it was assisting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a Flint drinking water investigation, but at that time, Balaya would not say whether the investigation was civil or criminal.

Balaya disclosed the involvement of the FBI and other agencies that investigate potential criminal wrongdoing late Monday when asked whether there were any concerns about the EPA leading the federal investigation, given the resignation of an EPA regional director over the Flint drinking water crisis and widespread public criticism of the EPA's conduct with respect to Flint.

The EPA's Office of Inspector General is an independent office within EPA that performs audits, evaluations, and investigations of EPA and its contractors to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse. The EPA's Criminal Investigation Division investigates potential criminal violations of federal environmental law.

So yeah, its totally going to be a criminal investigation.

Speaking of criminals...

quote:

a congressional staff member told the Free Press late Monday that former Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley has declined to testify.

The report that Earley would decline to testify came Monday night. On Tuesday morning, Gov. Rick Snyder's office sent out a release saying Earley, who has been serving as emergency manager for the Detroit Public Schools, had notified the governor of his intent to leave the position effective Feb. 19, 2016.

In the release, the governor did not mention Earley's decision not to testify, which came from a congressional staffer who spoke anonymously because the committee hasn't made Earley's decision public....

Earley was emergency manager in Flint in 2014 when the city switched its water supply from Lake Huron water to the Flint River as part of what was expected to be a temporary cost-cutting move.

You can run but you can't hide you little fucker.

Of course the Republican Congress which just loving LOOOVES to investigate everyone and their mother over the possibility of climate change being some kind of scam and can find the time to hold eight Benghazi hearings just to discover the same drat thing each time, isn't going to call Snyder...

quote:

The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee formally announced the hearing last week, calling two EPA officials and the new head of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality, Keith Creagh, but Democrats on the committee have complained that Snyder, who was not invited, should have been called to explain mistakes that led to the problem himself.

"At Wednesday�s hearing, we won�t hear from the governor, any of the emergency managers he appointed in Flint, or anyone else from the state who was involved in making decisions that led to this crisis," said U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. "Having such a one-sided hearing undermines the credibility of the committee and subjects the committee to accusations of partisanship."

Oracle fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Feb 2, 2016

# ? Feb 2, 2016 19:19

Thesaurasaurus: Feb 15, 2010; "Send in Boxbot!"

Welp, this is about the angriest I've been at politics since the 2014 SIC report on the CIA torture program. I wish I had some talent for crochet, because I would love to raise relief money for Flint selling little Rick Snyder voodoo dolls.

# ? Feb 2, 2016 21:58

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

Congressional hearing on Flint Water is today.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/02/03/flint-water-hearing-today-congress/79716622/

quote:

This morning, the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform committee will hold the first Congressional hearing in Washington on the Flint water crisis. Here�s what you need to know:

Time: 9 a.m.

Purpose: To examine the water crisis in Flint and review the Environmental Protection Agency's response.

Expected witnesses: U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township; Joel Beauvais, acting deputy assistant administrator, EPA Office of Water; new Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Keith Creagh; Virginia Tech University Professor Marc Edwards, whose research helped reveal the problems in Flint; LeeAnne Walters of Flint, whose concerns over problems with the water led to outside intervention.

Where to watch: Live on Freep.com

Keith Creagh used to be the head of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and is best known for green lighting mining operations in the UP, including allowing Graymont, a Canadian limestone company, to buy and lease over 11,000 acres in the UP to create a limestone quarry and violate the Washington Treaty of 1836 with the Native American tribes living in the area. He also allows logging on state land and received the Tuebor award from the Michigan Forest Products Council last fall.

https://twitter.com/RepDanKildee/status/694855362541805574

HUGE PUBES A PLUS fucked around with this message at 13:12 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 12:49

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S-hpXb3Nn4

US Rep Dan Kildee is addressing the House Oversight Committee right now.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 15:35

Wiccan Wasteland: Oct 15, 2012

So, is Mr. Edwards blaming all of this on the EPA?

Also, wont somebody please think of the children.

E: I"m headed to school so I hope someone else is watching this. It looks like this is an attack on the EPA instead of all parties involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S-hpXb3Nn4

Wiccan Wasteland fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 16:03

Abisteen: Sep 30, 2005; Oh my God what the fuck am I?

I'm listening at work so haven't been able to pay as close attention as I would like.

It sounds to me like the Republicans on the committee seem to be trying to stress that Snyder has "taken responsibility for the crisis" to try to mitigate some heat and also simultaneously shift blame to the Flint city council for voting to change the water source without mentioning that they didn't have the authority to decide what the new source would be.

And yeah everyone is lambasting the EPA. And rightly so if they tried to cover up Miguel Del Toros findings but I have just recently started following this and don't know all the details from the EPA side.

I've never heard Elijah Cummings speak before but he seems to be awesome. And props to Chaffetz also for calling on the US Marshalls to assist in serving a subpoena to Darnell Earley.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 17:08

Karate Sluts: Nov 21, 2010

Abisteen posted:

I'm listening at work so haven't been able to pay as close attention as I would like.

It sounds to me like the Republicans on the committee seem to be trying to stress that Snyder has "taken responsibility for the crisis" to try to mitigate some heat and also simultaneously shift blame to the Flint city council for voting to change the water source without mentioning that they didn't have the authority to decide what the new source would be.

And yeah everyone is lambasting the EPA. And rightly so if they tried to cover up Miguel Del Toros findings but I have just recently started following this and don't know all the details from the EPA side.

I've never heard Elijah Cummings speak before but he seems to be awesome. And props to Chaffetz also for calling on the US Marshalls to assist in serving a subpoena to Darnell Earley.

Cummings was quite good during Hillary's Benghazi hearing as well, but that's my only exposure to him I'm afraid.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 17:11

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

Abisteen posted:

It sounds to me like the Republicans on the committee seem to be trying to stress that Snyder has "taken responsibility for the crisis" to try to mitigate some heat and also simultaneously shift blame to the Flint city council for voting to change the water source without mentioning that they didn't have the authority to decide what the new source would be.

Yep, this 'its the democratically-elected Democratic Flint City Council's fault' is the Republican marching orders on where to place blame and they've been pretty lockstep in following it, as usual. What they don't mention is yeah they voted to change the source: to Port Huron, not to the Flint River. And yeah it was strictly in an advisory role. They could've voted to use the water recently found on freakin Mars for all the power they had to enact it.

quote:

And yeah everyone is lambasting the EPA. And rightly so if they tried to cover up Miguel Del Toros findings but I have just recently started following this and don't know all the details from the EPA side.

The EPA deserves quite a bit of blame and that's my main concern with Democrats maybe wanting to not make their guys look bad since it was staffed with Dems or Dem appointees (iirc). So far they're claiming their hands were tied because they aren't responsible for issuing warnings that's the job of DHHS (Dept of Health and Human Services) and blaming DEQ for fighting against them for months while their lawyers tried to figure out what authority they did have.

quote:

I've never heard Elijah Cummings speak before but he seems to be awesome. And props to Chaffetz also for calling on the US Marshalls to assist in serving a subpoena to Darnell Earley.

Yeah Earley needs his rear end hauled in post haste. His lawyer said he just couldn't make it in time since he got the order to appear at 6PM Tuesday for 9AM Wednesday. Heh. Bet if his wife or kid were in a car accident in D.C. and he were notified of it at 6PM he could figure out a way to make it by 9AM the next day. His lawyer wanted a week's notice to prepare 'if they really wanted to get at the truth.'

Oracle fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 19:10

Oracle: Oct 9, 2004

So the first round of hearings has concluded and there seems to be plenty of blame to go around.

The Detroit News posted:

Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, read a letter submitted by former Flint City Councilman Sheldon Neely, now a Democratic state representative. In that letter, Cummings put the fateful decision to use the Flint River as a water source until Karegnondi�s completion on the shoulders of [Flint Emergency Manager Ed] Kurtz.

�It was Mr. Kurtz who made the decision to use the Flint River as the primary source of drinking water for the City of Flint,� Cummings said as he referenced the letter. The failure of state and city officials to add corrosion controls to the river water is believed to have resulted in the lead contamination issues the city faces.

Cummings, referencing the letter, said Kurtz went �behind closed doors with DEQ� officials to make the decision.

And here I thought Earley was going to be left holding that bag.

EPA got an earful as well:

quote:

Joel Beauvais, deputy assistant administrator for EPA�s Office of Water, faced questions about delays in the federal agency�s response to Flint�s situation. Rep. Paul Gosar questioned why EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy made her first trip to Flint this week � many months after her agency became aware of the city�s problems.

�I find it despicable that Gina McCarthy, the administrator, shows up in Flint yesterday instead of going there immediately,� Gosar said.

Beauvais was also questioned on lengthy delays in EPA�s response to public document requests from Virginia Tech researcher Marc Edwards. Some of Edwards�s requests to the agency date back over a decade to lead issues in Washington D.C.
...
Michigan�s top environmental official is offering strong criticism of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its handling of the Flint water crisis over the past two years.

Creagh submitted written testimony ahead of a congressional hearing Wednesday on the long-running problems in Flint with its drinking water. In the statement, obtained by The Detroit News, Creagh starts with an apology to the city�s residents but soon shifts into his comments on the EPA.

�From the time of the switch to the Flint River as the primary water source in 2014 until ... January 21, 2016 ... my observation is that the EPA did not display the sense of urgency that the situation demanded,� Creagh wrote in his testimony.

�This is underscored by the conversations started in February 2015 regarding implementation of the federal Lead and Copper Rule. Between February and the end of September 2015, there were multiple email exchanges and conference calls between the MDEQ and EPA. Yet when the parties were unable to come to consensus on its implementation in July 2015, the EPA failed to provide the legal opinion requested by the MDEQ until November 2015.�

Creagh also references a well-publicized in-house EPA memo, prepared in June 2015, by agency water expert Miguel Del Toral. That memo laid out the public health dangers that were likely in play due to the state�s failure to require corrosion controls in water drawn from the Flint River. EPA officials have been criticized for seemingly downplaying the memo and failing to alert the public to its ramifications regarding potential lead contamination in the drinking water supply.

An email highlighted in Creagh�s testimony shows one EPA employee giving DEQ officials advice on how to deny having seen the Del Toral memo, after the state had acquired it through a third party.

�I wanted to remind you that Miguel�s report had DEQ cc�d,� wrote the EPA official. �So if the Legislature or who ever (sic) might say you all were cc�d, you can truthfully respond that it was EPA�s request that the report not be sent to the cc�s. Consequently, you all never received the report from Miguel.�
...
Walters (Flint resident) said she began talking to water quality expert Miguel Del Toral and Jennifer Brooks at the EPA�s Midwest Region 5 after her complaints were dismissed by the city and state.

Walters said Del Toral was the �only one willing to address the problem.� Walters requested a copy of his June 2015 internal memo on Flint�s water and made it public �because people had a right to know,� she said.

�Mr. Del Toro was told by the (EPA) ethics attorney to forward all media requests, including those during his personal time,� Walters said. �He was also advised not to talk about Flint or to anyone from Flint.�

And the DEQ:

quote:

U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, questioned Keith Creagh, director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, about his agency's response to federal officials.

�With the law and your responsibility (at the state) what failed in enacting the law, and can you explain to me the response to EPA on February 26 (2015) advising the state of Michigan that there was lead and high levels of corrosion in Flint water?� Lawrence asked.

�It�s the question of the day, and that�s what many of the auditors and reviewers are looking at,� Creagh said.

Lawrence noted that the information went from the Environmental Protection Agency to the state, not the city of Flint.
...
In January, Creagh told The Detroit News that results from a six-month round of water sampling, which began after the city began drawing water from the Flint River in April 2014, should have led to immediate action at the start of the following year.

�When the first round of lead sampling came back (above acceptable levels) in January 2015, corrosion treatment was not implemented,� he wrote. �Regardless of the testing schedule allowed by the EPA rule, in hindsight, when the lead levels began to rise, corrosion treatment should have been required by the MDEQ.�

DEQ�s Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance has been singled out for problematic decisions relating to the Lead and Copper Rule�s implementation. Creagh�s stated the office �relied on technical compliance instead of assuring safe drinking water.�

Mark Edwards hates them all:

quote:

In his testimony, the civil engineering professor stated Flint�s crisis occurred because of �institutional scientific misconduct perpetrated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, primacy agencies and water utilities.�

�The very agencies paid to protect us not only failed to do so, but also revealed their callous indifference to the plight of our most vulnerable,� he stated. He added the events in Flint were inevitable due to a �lack of scientific integrity� and a lack of adequate checks and balances at the �highest levels� of the federal science and health agencies.
...
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, asked why water utility owners and operators aren�t all following proper testing procedures and protocols for testing for lead in drinking water. Is it a �lack of clarity in federal regulations or lack of enforcement or both?� Walberg said.

Mark Edwards, a water quality expert with Virginia Tech University, said, �The only thing I can conclude is that they don�t care about children getting lead poisoning from drinking water.�

Pressed by Walberg, Edwards added, �You would have to ask them why they refuse to do their job.�

�Do you believe they�re violating the law?� Walberg asked.

�I believe that they�re not enforcing the law or enforcing their own policies,� Edwards said. �Had it not been for people completely outside the system, those people in Flint would still be drinking this water to this day. That is a fact.�
...
Virginia Tech�s Edwards, whose sampling work identified dangerous levels of lead in Flint's drinking water, asked the committee to "fix" the EPA.

�The agencies paid to protect us from lead in drinking water can get away with anything,� he said. �I am begging you � to fix the EPA�s Lead and Copper Rule and to fix the U.S. EPA.�

And all the people who couldn't be bothered to show up this time will likely be making an appearance very soon or facing a $1000 fine and up to a year in prison, including Darnell Earley (now confirmed) and Susan Hedman (the former Midwest regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency and one of the ones who blew off Mrs. Walters above).

Oracle fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 21:59

rscott: Dec 10, 2009

http://nbc25news.com/news/local/report-clinton-sanders-to-hold-presidential-debate-in-flint

This will be pretty cool

# ? Feb 4, 2016 14:42

hobbesmaster: Jan 28, 2008

Oracle posted:

Heh. Bet if his wife or kid were in a car accident in D.C. and he were notified of it at 6PM he could figure out a way to make it by 9AM the next day. His lawyer wanted a week's notice to prepare 'if they really wanted to get at the truth.'

You know it takes like 1 minute to punch that into a travel website to see that thats impossible (last flight out of detroit - 7pm, first flight gets in after 9am)

# ? Feb 4, 2016 15:30

Regalingualius: Jan 7, 2012; We gazed into the eyes of madness... And all we found was horny.

So, is there a decent chance that this, plus all of the other recent fuckups that local branches have caused, will be an impetus to completely reorganize the EPA into a more centralized agency?

# ? Feb 4, 2016 17:32

ToxicSlurpee: Nov 5, 2003; -=SEND HELP=-; Pillbug

Regalingualius posted:

So, is there a decent chance that this, plus all of the other recent fuckups that local branches have caused, will be an impetus to completely reorganize the EPA into a more centralized agency?

That would cost money so no.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 21:49

ComradeCosmobot: Dec 4, 2004; USPOL July

So uh... Snyder lied about not knowing about the Legionella connection.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 04:36

Epic High Five: Jun 5, 2004

ComradeCosmobot posted:

So uh... Snyder lied about not knowing about the Legionella connection.

My belief is that the GOP took too long saying nothing, hoping it would just go away, so now shuffling Snyder to the sidelines and foisting all the blame on the EPA (even if some belongs there) isn't going to work because they said nothing for like 2 weeks while Snyder was getting hammered from all directions

My questions are thus: 1) Does Snyder still end up being able to weasel his way out of this? 2) Is this going to bring a critical eye on the extremely lovely Emergency Manager scheme?

# ? Feb 5, 2016 04:41

LionYeti: Oct 12, 2008

Epic High Five posted:

My belief is that the GOP took too long saying nothing, hoping it would just go away, so now shuffling Snyder to the sidelines and foisting all the blame on the EPA (even if some belongs there) isn't going to work because they said nothing for like 2 weeks while Snyder was getting hammered from all directions

My questions are thus: 1) Does Snyder still end up being able to weasel his way out of this? 2) Is this going to bring a critical eye on the extremely lovely Emergency Manager scheme?

1. Yes because there is a vast right wing conspiracy in America.
2. No as this only affects poors and minorities.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 08:35

The Larch: Jan 14, 2015; by FactsAreUseless

ComradeCosmobot posted:

So uh... Snyder lied about not knowing about the Legionella connection.

I feel like there's a crime against humanity in here somewhere.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 12:56

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

There's no way anyone except for MAYBE some Scooter Libby-esque lackey faces any repercussions from this.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 12:57

Salt Fish: Sep 11, 2003; Cybernetic Crumb

Radish posted:

There's no way anyone except for MAYBE some Scooter Libby-esque lackey faces any repercussions from this.

I don't know about this. People in Michigan are pissed and the story has a ton of exposure. I wake up listening to NPR news summary type shows and there are multiple mentions of the crisis every day. Local businesses are conducting water drives and sending flatbed trucks of bottled water into the city. I have rarely seen this amount of attention on an issue like this and we shouldn't underestimate what that will translate to re: the fate of rick snyder.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 16:21

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

I really hope so since the brazen way that he just poisoned a minority majority area will set a pretty dangerous precedent if he gets off unpunished. Even losing his job is way too lenient.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 16:23

RevKrule: Jul 9, 2001; Thrilling the forums since 2001

Radish posted:

I really hope so since the brazen way that he just poisoned a minority majority area will set a pretty dangerous precedent if he gets off unpunished. Even losing his job is way too lenient.

This is what bugs me. Even if he loses his job either through recall or re-election, he'll still move on to an ultra cushy lobbying job. That's just a guarantee unless we see some real top down indictments. I just don't have hope for that.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 17:49

A Terrible Person: Jan 8, 2012; The Dance of Friendship; Fun Shoe

It might be just based on the testimony of one former inmate who worked as a kitchen trustee, but apparently the prisoners in Genesee County Jail (including pregnant women) were left in the dark when it came to the crisis.

quote:

Back in October, the Genesee County Health Department declared a public health emergency, telling the residents of Flint, Michigan to stop drinking the city�s tap water due to dangerously high levels of lead. Two months later, the mayor of Flint declared a state of emergency, saying the city�s pipes were still leaching lead. The National Guard ramped up the distribution of bottled water to residents in January, one year after state officials received bottles.

But while Flint residents scrambled to get bottled water and filters, one group was kept in the dark about the risks posed by the tap water: inmates doing time in Genesee County Jail. According to an exclusive report from Democracy Now!, the facility lied to inmates about the water quality and forced them to drink and bathe in the water. Inmates, including pregnant women, also ate food cooked with the tainted water.

When the jail finally started passing out the water bottles on January 23, Jody Cramer was one of the inmates charged with distributing them. After his release this week, Cramer told Democracy Now! that men and women received just two 12-ounce bottles of water, two times a day.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that men and women drink 100 and 73 ounces of water, respectively, every single day.

�Prior to this, they had already started handing out bottles of water, when this first broke in October. And then they stopped, saying that their water was good,� Cramer said. �We�ve been told that there�s nothing wrong with washing your body or hands with this water.�

While inmates consumed and touched the water, jail staff avoided it altogether.

�Many inmates made complaints, due to the fact that the deputies would not drink from the faucets. They all carried bottled water,� Cramer said. When he alerted his mother about what was happening, she visited the facility to find answers. A deputy told her that the jail had a filtration process in place.

Cramer also told Democracy Now! that multiple inmates landed behind bars because they were tricked by deputies who came to their homes under the guise of passing out water filtration systems. When people opened the door, the deputies would ask them to confirm their names and serve warrants to the people on the spot.

�Here�s your water filtration system. By the way, you have a warrant for your arrest,� Cramer said.

News of the inmates� treatment comes amid growing concerns about the future of Flint�s juvenile justice system. Mayor Karen Weaver pointed out the severe implications of lead poisoning, saying, �damage to children is irreversible and can cause effects to a child�s IQ, which will result in learning disabilities� and an increase in the juvenile justice system.� In a city with heavily-policed schools and a robust school-to-prison pipeline, children with behavioral disorders and mental retardation caused by lead poisoning could face harsh discipline in the future. And trauma from the crisis could manifest in delinquent behavior that lands them in the system.

Keep in mind that Snyder himself has refused to say whether even filtered water in Flint is at safe enough levels to drink yet.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 18:07

Lucy Heartfilia: May 31, 2012

Some people deserve to be killed for this.

# ? Feb 5, 2016 19:29

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

On the sidewalk in front of Snyder's $2 million Main Street Ann Arbor condo.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 16:09

boom boom boom: Jun 28, 2012; by Shine

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

On the sidewalk in front of Snyder's $2 million Main Street Ann Arbor condo.

heh, that showed him

# ? Feb 6, 2016 16:17

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

Maybe this will too. Reports that Snyder will attempt to go out in public this afternoon for the Michigan vs Michigan State basketball game.

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/14217/women_s_group_plans_to_fly_banner_saturday_over_ann_arbor_criticizing_snyder#.VrY7QUJVK1F

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ed7f775e03c30c8

HUGE PUBES A PLUS fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Feb 6, 2016

# ? Feb 6, 2016 19:31

Doc Hawkins: Jun 15, 2010; Dashing? But I'm not even moving!

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

On the sidewalk in front of Snyder's $2 million Main Street Ann Arbor condo.

Too mild. Just paint "City-Poisoner" on his fence, in red.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 20:57

Hieronymous Alloy: Jan 30, 2009; Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!; Morbid Hound

I wonder if he's not resigning because he knows that as long as he's still governor the political system will protect him.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 21:22

BlackIronHeart: Aug 2, 2004; The Oath Breaker's about to hit warphead nine Kaptain!

It's weird how this situation creates questions like 'Is hanging someone in effigy protected under the First Amendment?'

# ? Feb 7, 2016 00:06

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BlackIronHeart posted:

It's weird how this situation creates questions like 'Is hanging someone in effigy protected under the First Amendment?'

Yes it is.

# ? Feb 7, 2016 00:43

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I wonder if he's not resigning because he knows that as long as he's still governor the political system will protect him.

Schuette on Duty said he has to get his own lawyer.

# ? Feb 7, 2016 00:51

ToxicSlurpee: Nov 5, 2003; -=SEND HELP=-; Pillbug

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I wonder if he's not resigning because he knows that as long as he's still governor the political system will protect him.

Resigning would also require admitting that he did something wrong. That isn't exactly a thing Republicans are well known for.

# ? Feb 7, 2016 05:03

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 21:36

ChairMaster: Aug 22, 2009; by R. Guyovich

Why exactly would he resign? It's not like he's got much to gain from doing so. Hell, he'll probably be re-elected, how many voters are still gonna care about a town full of poor black people two years from now?

# ? Feb 7, 2016 06:37

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