Will criminal charges bring justice in #FlintWaterCrisis?
As Michigan’s top attorney pursues cases against government officials, US city continues to rely on bottled water for its citizens.
New criminal charges including the involuntary manslaughter of an 85-year-old Flint man were brought June 14 against Michigan state officials linked to the more than 3-year-old Flint water poisoning crisis. In the United States, government officials rarely, if ever, receive criminal convictions for public safety failures. Could Flint’s case end differently?
The crisis began in 2014 when the city of Flint attempted to save money by switching its water supply to a local river and neglecting safety measures in the water treatment process. Those actions led to corrosive levels of lead and other toxins in the water supply. Citizens complained of foul-tasting water for more than a year before the city declared a state of emergency.
We’ll get an update from residents on their continued struggle for access to clean water.
On this episode of The Stream, we’ll speak to:
E. Yvonne Lewis @YlewisE
Founder, National Center for African American Health Consciousness
Melissa Mays @FlintGate
Founder, Water You Fighting For
wateryoufightingfor.com
Val Washington
Attorney, City of Flint
Noah Hall @lakeslaw
Special Assistant to the Michigan Attorney General, Special Council team
greatlakeslaw.org
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.