Flint Michigan Water Crisis In 2013, Flint, Michigan city officials debated switching from current provider Detroit Water and Sewage Department to Karegnondi Water Authority to save money.They turned to the Flint River which had been their primary water source until the 1960’s. Officials did not immediately treat the Flint River water to ensure it didn't cause corrosion in the pipes, leading to illness amongst residents. As the crisis progressed lead was found in the water and more than 100,000 residents got lead poisoning. Flint, Michigan officials did not practice the integrative social contracts theory well as residents of the community were harmed, federal law was violated, and the poor practices brought awareness to the rest of the United
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Consumers informed officials that the water was causing rashes, especially in children. In May 2014, there was an unusually large number of water main breaks and the General Motors Corporation complained about the corrosiveness of the water on its engine parts. In October 2014 General Motors switched to using water from Flint Township instead of using the water from Flint Water Services Company. The summer of 2014 was when things really started to go down hill, as the Flint Water Service Company racked up the violations. Three boil orders were issued after violations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliform were found. Amongst the several locations sampled, the total trihalomethane (TTHM) concentration levels exceeded the 80 μg/L regulatory limit. In turn, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality requested a preventative operational evaluation in September 2014. In February 2015, Flint resident Lee Ann Walters’ water in her home was sample and lead was found in her water at a concentration of 104 μg/L. Marc Edwards, a professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, analyzed 120 samples from Flint homes; he found that 20% of the samples had lead levels that exceeded the 15 μg/L action level. He also concluded that the 90th percentile was 30 μg/L …show more content…
After declaring a state of emergency, Obama authorized FEMA to provide water, water filters, water filter cartridges, water test kits, and other necessary related items. According to the White House archives, FEMA has provided over 9.3 million liters of water to the state for distribution, over 50,000 water and pitcher filters, and over 243,000 filter replacement cartridges. The federal government also made blood lead level testing available to Flint residents, especially children under the age of six. The White House archives also mentioned that the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded Medicaid coverage for children and young people up to age 21 and pregnant women in Flint impacted by lead exposure. $3.6 million was distributed and helped Head Start expand early childhood education, behavioral health services, health services, and nutrition services. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided summertime nutrition assistance through a Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer pilot program for the more than 15,000 Flint children. These students were eligible to receive a $30 benefit package each summer month with foods rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C that may help mitigate lead absorption (FACT SHEET: Federal Support for the Flint Water Crisis Response and
Consumers informed officials that the water was causing rashes, especially in children. In May 2014, there was an unusually large number of water main breaks and the General Motors Corporation complained about the corrosiveness of the water on its engine parts. In October 2014 General Motors switched to using water from Flint Township instead of using the water from Flint Water Services Company. The summer of 2014 was when things really started to go down hill, as the Flint Water Service Company racked up the violations. Three boil orders were issued after violations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliform were found. Amongst the several locations sampled, the total trihalomethane (TTHM) concentration levels exceeded the 80 μg/L regulatory limit. In turn, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality requested a preventative operational evaluation in September 2014. In February 2015, Flint resident Lee Ann Walters’ water in her home was sample and lead was found in her water at a concentration of 104 μg/L. Marc Edwards, a professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, analyzed 120 samples from Flint homes; he found that 20% of the samples had lead levels that exceeded the 15 μg/L action level. He also concluded that the 90th percentile was 30 μg/L …show more content…
After declaring a state of emergency, Obama authorized FEMA to provide water, water filters, water filter cartridges, water test kits, and other necessary related items. According to the White House archives, FEMA has provided over 9.3 million liters of water to the state for distribution, over 50,000 water and pitcher filters, and over 243,000 filter replacement cartridges. The federal government also made blood lead level testing available to Flint residents, especially children under the age of six. The White House archives also mentioned that the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded Medicaid coverage for children and young people up to age 21 and pregnant women in Flint impacted by lead exposure. $3.6 million was distributed and helped Head Start expand early childhood education, behavioral health services, health services, and nutrition services. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided summertime nutrition assistance through a Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer pilot program for the more than 15,000 Flint children. These students were eligible to receive a $30 benefit package each summer month with foods rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C that may help mitigate lead absorption (FACT SHEET: Federal Support for the Flint Water Crisis Response and