Episode 4

The Flint, Michigan water crisis gained worldwide attention as independent researchers and residents investigated and spoke out about the issue. A study revealed high levels of lead in the water, doubling the blood lead levels in children. The Flint River, a dumping site for waste, also contained fecal bacteria, causing illnesses and deaths. The government's solution was to add more chlorine to the water, which led to the presence of cancer-causing chemicals. Frustrated by the lack of response, residents sued the city and eventually received a settlement that included replacing lead pipes and providing clean water. The story continues in the last episode of Dakota. Now, let's talk more about the Flint, Michigan water crisis. I'll be answering how the crisis made worldwide news, how the community was affected, and where Flint, Michigan is now. I'm your host, Jasmine Brown. So, you're wondering how the Flint, Michigan water crisis made national news, huh? Independent researchers and Flint, Michigan residents did their own investigation and spoke out about the issue until it received national attention. Then, a study of the Flint, Michigan water was conducted by Virginia Tech researchers. Their research revealed a spike in lead levels in the water, a spike so high that it exceeds the national federal level where corrective measures must be taken. It was also revealed that the children in Flint's blood levels containing lead had doubled from this previous year. But that's not all. If you recall earlier, I said that the Flint River was basically the site's dump for all waste. Well, now hold on to your seats, because the river was also home to none other than fecal bacteria. This fecal bacteria caused an outbreak of pneumonia, and the illness killed 12 people and resulted in the sickness of almost 100 Flint, Michigan residents. So, now it's confirmed that there's lead in the water and fecal bacteria. What's the government going to do? They have to fix the issue, right? Wrong. The government, in an effort to quote-unquote fix their mistakes, added more chlorine to the water without fixing the lead issues. Folks, this is what we like to call a quick fix. And from what I know about quick fixes, the problem is almost never solved. Well, the added chlorine to the water proved to be a breeding ground for cancer-causing chemicals. These poor residents have faced illness after illness, and at every turn, the government failed them. The people of Flint, Michigan then petitioned to the Environmental Protection Agency in the hopes that there would be action on their part. Unfortunately, the EAPA failed to act. Sigh. Fed up and frustrated by the lack of response, Flint, Michigan resident Melissa Mays and supporting groups sued the city. All they wanted was clean water. Thankfully, in March of 2016, all the residents were provided with faucet-filtered water because of the actions of Melissa Mays. And in 2017 of March, a judge granted the residents of Flint a settlement that states that the city must replace lead-riddled pipes, have free bottled water for a 13-month period, and conduct testing of the tap water and create more health programs to help those affected by the lead-infested water. A happy ending, right? Well, I guess you'll have to find out more in our last episode of Dakota.