Contaminated water has polluted the tap water of the city of Flint, a predominantly black and poverty stricken city in Michigan. “Since April 2014, residents of Flint, a city that is almost 57 percent black and incredibly poor, have been drinking and bathing in water that contains enough lead to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of ‘toxic waste'” (Huff Post). Many are dubbing this as a clear case of system neglect, as this is only history repeating itself (since these cities usually have weak environmental regulations, it’s been easy for polluters to prey on these cities and we’ve kept it up for decades). In 1966, 2.2 million gallons of waste were being voluntarily dumped into Flint’s river each day by Buick City. If that’s not enough to outrage a person, Buick City actually made transactions with Detroit as they purchased their water and used it as an anti-corrosive. Flint’s water crisis has proven to be quite the failure on all levels of government.
As of August and September of 2014, “City officials issue boil-water advisories after coliform bacteria are detected in tap water” (NYTimes). This was after their reassuring that the water was safe to drink. In October, the city was able to move forward in limiting the potential for another boil-water advisory. In Feb. 18, 2015, one resident found “104 parts per billion of lead” in her drinking water. According to scientists, no amount of lead in drinking water is considered ‘safe’ yet the E.P.A sets 15 parts per billion and up as a requirement for them to take action. There is also a major concern that Miguel Del Toral, an E.P.A. expert had pointed out in February of 2015, stating that there was an issue with how the state was testing the water; it seemed to be improper, therefore leaving the real results of lead found in the water completely understated and at much scarier highs than anticipated.
“It was not until Jan. 5 that Snyder declared a state of emergency and Jan 12. that he mobilized the National Guard to assist with distribution of bottled water and water filters”(USA Today). President Obama then declared a state of emergency in Flint on the 16th of January, which meant $5 million is going towards immediate assistance with the cities water crisis. Snyder is not showing signs of resignation, as he is aiming to “make things right”. Snyder is working on receiving nearly 30 million to cover the immediate needs of his city, along with testing and replacing fixtures at schools and public places.