The crisis began in 2014, when the city of Flint switched its water source from treated water from Detroit to the Flint River in an effort to save money. The city failed to treat the water properly, allowing massive amounts of lead from old pipes to be pumped directly into Flint homes.
Residents became alarmed when brown, foul smelling water began pouring from their taps. But Flint officials assured them that the water was safe, a lie that physicians estimate exposed over 14,000 children in Flint to lead. Snyder only declared a state of emergency in January of 2016, after federal officials announced their own investigation.
“Let me be blunt, this was a failure of government at all levels,” Snyder said during a 2016 Congressional hearing. “Local, state and federal officials — we all failed the families of Flint.”
In August 2020, the state of Michigan announced a preliminary $600 million settlement for families affected by the water crisis. While the money went toward over 10,000 active claims against the Michigan government, many Flint residents felt like the money couldn’t bring back their safety.
Years later, many Flint residents still don’t trust their drinking water. Parents can still be seen buying bottled water by the gallon, a costly precaution that has only become harder since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s almost like we got PTSD with the water because we don’t really drink it comfortably, like, you know what I’m saying?” one Flint resident told CBS News. “People actually lost their lives to it.”
Adam Brewster contributed reporting.
Article Appeared @https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-snyder-expected-to-be-charged-for-flint-water-crisis/