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• 1 media/Flint water.png 2024-08-16T15:08:07+00:00 The Lasting Impact: Health and Environmental Consequences 8 The Flint water crisis has left lasting health impacts, example being kids exposed to lead water now facing neurological damage and developmental issues that strain the underfunded school district. This tragedy reflects the concept of slow violence, discussed further on this page. plain 2024-08-16T23:04:36+00:00

  Resident Health

  While the residents of Flint quickly noticed the grime state of the water, the health consequences continue to be revealed as time progresses. Fatal damage has already taken place, and it is noted that for as many deaths that have been accounted for, we will never truly know all the names of those who lost their lives due to the Flint water crisis. Some may argue that the effect of death is the worst to come from this crisis, but nearly 30,000 schoolchildren were exposed to this lead-contaminated water, and it has had extremely upsetting and far-reaching health consequences. The effects of this exposure have now factored into every aspect of children's lives, especially their educational experiences, as low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. It contributing to a rising demand for special education services and behavioral interventions, which has lead to spirling stress as the district’s struggles to cope with these growing demands further heighten the situation. According to Flint’s new superintendent, Derrick Lopez, 28 percent of students now have special education plans, double the state average, emphasizing the alarming need for additional help. However, despite the modest increase in education spending from the Michigan Legislature, lawmakers refused proposals for further funding specifically aimed at schools with high concentrations of special education students, leaving the district underfunded and struggling to meet the needs of its students.

  Slow Violence

  The beginning, middle, and after of this crisis can be directly compared to Rob Nixon’s concept of slow violence as it is a result of policy decisions that have long-term, gradual, and sometimes invisible impacts on marginalized communities.[11] In Flint, the decision to switch the city's water source to the Flint River, without proper treatment to prevent lead contamination, was not an instantaneous disaster but rather a slow and unfolding upset. The effects of lead exposure and consumption within the Flint population, particularly in children, will continue to manifest over years[12], leading to long-term health problems that are not immediately visible. The Flint water crisis also reflects the unequal distribution of environmental harm that Nixon discusses. Like Lawrence Summers' idea to offload toxic waste to Africa to ease the growing pressure from rich-nation environmentalists who condemned garbage dumps and industrial effluent as health threats and found them aesthetically offensive, the crisis in Flint continues to underline how environmental hazards are often shifted onto marginalized communities, exacerbating social and racial inequalities. The decision-makers in Flint prioritized cost-saving decisions over the safety of a predominantly poor, African-American community. This decision, like those Nixon criticizes, discounted the voices and concerns of the affected population, treating them as less deserving of protection and care.