I’m Grace Gerard, an AP Human Geography student from Blaine High School in Blaine, Minnesota. In Blaine, Minnesota we are fortunate enough to have access to clean and safe drinking water, but sadly, the residents of Flint, Michigan do not have that luxury. Since 2015, I’ve heard stories about water crisis in Flint. When I received the assignment in my AP Human Geography class to write a letter to a leader, I thought it would be a perfect time to write about the Flint water crisis. As the governor of Michigan, you have a responsibility to ensure that all the residents of your state have access to safe water. By taking action and extending the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Emergency Order program that gives Flint residents access to free bottled
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The environment, and therefore water, is an ever present factor in our lives. Contaminated water is a big problem when thinking about environmental geography, but it shouldn't be a problem in a developed country like the United States. When people have to drink contaminated water or worry about if the water they are consuming is safe, it takes away from valuable time and resources that could go towards solving other problems and further developing our society. The high levels of lead in the Flint water can also contribute to problems related to economic geography. Due to residents having no alternative but to drink contaminated water, property values in Flint have dropped dramatically. According to the real estate website Trulia, after the crisis began, “Listing prices in Flint dropped about $6,000 on average, or about 10% a week after the news broke” (Goldstein). Even though land prices in the area have plummeted, nobody is willing to move in to homes or establish businesses in to the area because of fear of the water. This leading an economic plateau and a lack of new economic opportunities in …show more content…
An article by The New York Times states about the water pipes, “Just over 6,200 have been replaced so far, said Steve Branch, the acting city administrator. An estimated 12,000 could remain” (Fortin). This means that around one third of the pipes that Flint residents are being forced to drink out of could still be leaching lead in the water. Since no level of lead is considered safe for children, and others, to consume, this needs to be fixed. By extending the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Emergency Order which provided Flint residents with reliable bottled water until 2020, when all the pipes are replaced, you will ensure that Flint residents have access to safe water. The city should also receive help in creating a detailed plan for ensure that every resident is receiving access safe water (by providing bottled water or water filters). Lastly, Flint should receive help in crafting a plan to establish frequent and rigorous water testing even after the crisis is over to ensure that residents never have to suffer through another crisis like
The environment, and therefore water, is an ever present factor in our lives. Contaminated water is a big problem when thinking about environmental geography, but it shouldn't be a problem in a developed country like the United States. When people have to drink contaminated water or worry about if the water they are consuming is safe, it takes away from valuable time and resources that could go towards solving other problems and further developing our society. The high levels of lead in the Flint water can also contribute to problems related to economic geography. Due to residents having no alternative but to drink contaminated water, property values in Flint have dropped dramatically. According to the real estate website Trulia, after the crisis began, “Listing prices in Flint dropped about $6,000 on average, or about 10% a week after the news broke” (Goldstein). Even though land prices in the area have plummeted, nobody is willing to move in to homes or establish businesses in to the area because of fear of the water. This leading an economic plateau and a lack of new economic opportunities in …show more content…
An article by The New York Times states about the water pipes, “Just over 6,200 have been replaced so far, said Steve Branch, the acting city administrator. An estimated 12,000 could remain” (Fortin). This means that around one third of the pipes that Flint residents are being forced to drink out of could still be leaching lead in the water. Since no level of lead is considered safe for children, and others, to consume, this needs to be fixed. By extending the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Emergency Order which provided Flint residents with reliable bottled water until 2020, when all the pipes are replaced, you will ensure that Flint residents have access to safe water. The city should also receive help in creating a detailed plan for ensure that every resident is receiving access safe water (by providing bottled water or water filters). Lastly, Flint should receive help in crafting a plan to establish frequent and rigorous water testing even after the crisis is over to ensure that residents never have to suffer through another crisis like