The Enduring Impact and Lessons of the Flint Water Disaster
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The Enduring Impact and Lessons of the Flint Water Disaster
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Introduction of the Flint Water Crisis
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The Flint water crisis which started in 2014 can be regarded as one of the most vivid examples of governmental inaction and environmental injustice. Flint switched from using safe water from Lake Huron to save money, using water from the Flint River caused lead poisoning of about 98,000 people and with devastating effects on the health of the general public including the young (Maney & Sarahbeth, 2024). This paper aims to depict that the Flint water crisis shows that societies suffer significantly when leaders and decision-makers fail to heed warning signs and act promptly to address environmental threats: the consequences are long-lasting, especially in relation to people's health and their trust in their governments. The crisis brings out the problems of environmental injustice, government responsibility, and the impacts of environmental calamities on vulnerable groups, which make it a relevant case study for studying and preventing such disasters.
Historical Background
Flint Michigan was one among the thriving industrial city in the United States. However, it had faced some economic problems in the preceding decades before the water crisis of the Flourish. These financial issues of the city offered the backdrop to cut expenses that would be disastrous (Denchak, 2024). In April 2014, Flint was under the state-appointed emergency managers’ management and opted to change the source of water supply from Detroit to the Flint River (Carmody, 2022). This decision to cut the expenses was made without considering the risks that may occur or the proper infrastructures that may be required.
The switch to the Flint River was the initial process that set the sequence of disastrous events. As depicted by Maney & Sarahbeth (2024) the residents soon began to complain about the colour of the water, its taste and smell. However, no significant efforts were invested in the residents' concerns instead, they were overlooked, and the authorities kept on assuring people that the water was safe for consumption (Sanburn, 2016).
During the course of the crisis, the following events took place: In August 2014, E. coli and coliform bacteria were found in the water system and hence only boiled water was advised to be consumed (Denchak, 2024). Trihalomethanes a disinfection byproduct which is common in water was found in high levels in January 2015. However, it was not until September 2015 when Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha gave results of the Flint children’s blood lead levels that attracted national concern (Magazine & Riley, 2024). The state agreed to the problem in October 2015 and restored Flint to Detroit water but by then the harm was already done (Sanburn, 2016).
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Environmental Justice Perspective
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The demography of Flint is an important factor when analyzing the environmental justice dimensions of the water crisis. Flint is predominantly an African American population characterized by high poverty levels, thus highly susceptible to adverse effects of the environment (BBC News, 2020). This demographic profile also conforms to the many environmental justice cases where socially vulnerable groups are exposed to more environmental hazards (Maney & Sarahbeth, 2024).
The situation in Flint also brings many questions regarding environmental racism. The decision to change the water source and the subsequent dismissal of residents' concerns are indicative of a larger issue of environmental racism where the lives of people of colour and low-income communities are not valued as much (Magazine & Riley, 2024). The slow response to the crisis and the initial denial of the issue also show the environmental racism factor of the case.