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• 1 media/unnamed.jpg 2024-08-14T19:20:54+00:00 Slow Violence 10 Health concerns as a result of lead in the drinking water image_header 2024-08-16T22:42:45+00:00            Slow violence, a term coined by Rob Nixon, refers to the gradual, often invisible, environmental harm that occurs incrementally over time. It is characterized by its delayed destruction, which often goes unnoticed and is typically underreported compared to more immediate forms of violence. Slow violence disproportionately affects marginalized communities who may lack the resources to mitigate its impacts or to draw attention to their plight. The Flint water crisis is considered an example of slow violence because the harmful effects of lead contamination unfolded gradually over time, rather than through a single catastrophic event. The lead poisoning in Flint's water supply caused severe and long-lasting health problems, particularly in children, including developmental delays and cognitive impairments. This type of violence is "slow" because its impacts are not immediately visible but accumulate and worsen over years, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities who already face systemic neglect. The crisis reflects a prolonged disregard for the well-being of Flint’s residents, highlighting the intersection of environmental harm and social injustice.​​​​​​            The Flint water crisis , that began in 2014, is still an un resolved case. Shortly after Flint river was being used for drinking water residents noticed foul-smelling, discolored and off-tasting water that were causing skin rashes, hair loss and itchy skin. Unfortunately, these symptoms were only the beginning, in 2015 studies showed that about 17% of the hundreds of homes in flint measured above the 15 ppb federal lead action level, including some above 100 ppb. While there is a “legal limit” of lead allowed in water the EPA acknowledges that “there is no safe level of exposure to lead.” Lead has an endless list of health related concerns, but the most prominent are impairing brain development, cardiovascular diseases, physical growth of children and high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease, and reduced fertility for adults. Despite the obvious health concerns from the flint water, it took 2 years to finally convince the government that this drinking water is unsafe to implement a new galvanized steel service to connect to the city water mains. This project that was scheduled to be completed in three years is still not completed after 10 years, as of April 2024. About 2,000 homes are still in need of water line repairs showing that their job is not close to done. Seeing how the government moved leisurely throughout this crisis while their residents are slowing picking up more and more ailments shows how slow violence is affecting this community. From the start of the crisis to today the city’s population has declined by nearly 20,000 people.