Showing posts with label Flint Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flint Michigan. Show all posts

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Majority Black City In Faces Water Lead Levels Higher Than Flint Michigan

Stories like this illustrate what environmental racism looks like, and why the U.S. Congress needs to stop playing games and get an infrastructure bill passed immediately.

The state of Michigan told the residents of Benton Harbor -- a majority black city -- not to drink their tap water -- this was almost three years after lead was detected in the city's pipes, with numbers far higher than the federal action level, and higher than Flint's at the height of its water crisis.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Michigan to pay $600M in Flint water crisis settlement



Flint residents — especially younger ones — would be eligible for payments from a victim compensation fund under a $600 million preliminary settlement announced Thursday of civil lawsuits arising from the contamination of their drinking water with toxic lead.

Under the proposed settlement, which would involve $600 million in payments from the state:
  • Flint residents would be eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from a court-monitored victim compensation fund, with nearly 80% of payments going to those who were under 18 at the time of the crisis, which began in April 2014. Children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, which can impact brain development.

  • Attorney fees and costs would be deducted from the $600 million, leaving a lesser amount for distribution. Attorneys expect to be fairly compensated, but it is too soon to say what those fees and costs will be, Pitt said. Attorney contingency fees vary, depending on the case, but it is not unusual for them to amount to one-third of a settlement amount.

  • Parties to the settlement would include "multiple governmental defendants," including the state of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and all individual state defendants, including former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who left office at the end of 2018.

  • The state would create a dedicated $12-million fund to provide special education and other services for students who suffer long-term health and behavioral impacts from lead poisoning.

  • Litigation would continue against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and private firms that were involved in the tragic switch of Flint's drinking water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Those firms include environmental consultant Veolia North America, which advised the city of Flint on water quality issues, and engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newman, involved in preparing the Flint Water Treatment Plant to treat water from the Flint River.

  • About 65% of the money would go to Flint residents who were 6 and under when first exposed to lead in Flint water, with 10% going to those who were between the ages of 7 and 11 and 5% to those who were 12 to 17. About 15% would go to adults, 3% for property damage, and 0.5% to cover business losses.

  • About $35 million would be placed in trust for "forgotten children" who do not file claims within the required time frame, so they are able to file claims once they become adults.

  • Flint residents and businesses who wish to make claims for personal injuries should go to www.flintwaterjustice.com or call 866-536-0717, according to attorneys involved in the case.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Booker Bill to Help Communities Get Lead Out of Drinking Water Passes House Unanimously




The House unanimously voted to pass legislation authored by New Jersey Senator Cory Booker that could help communities across the country, including Newark, remove lead from drinking water. The Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act now heads to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

Booker worked closely with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and the New Jersey House delegation after last week’s passage in the Senate to ensure the legislation was quickly acted upon in the House. Specifically, the legislation would give states facing a threat to public health from lead in drinking water the flexibility to make a one-time transfer of the federal funds in their Clean Water State Revolving Fund to their Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for projects that will remove lead from drinking water. New Jersey would be able to transfer up to $100 million in federal funds for use toward the $120 million lead service line replacement project in Newark and projects in other municipalities.

“Last night’s passage of the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act puts us one step closer to helping cities like Newark address the threat of lead in drinking water,” Sen. Booker, who lives in Newark, said. “Every American should have access to safe, clean drinking water, and this legislation will allow New Jersey to provide Newark with substantial funding as Newark moves to rapidly replace lead service lines.”

“Thank you Chairman Pallone and the New Jersey delegation for their work in quickly getting my legislation passed by the House of Representatives. I urge the President to sign this into law as soon as it reaches his desk to help states make critical repairs and upgrades to their aging drinking water systems.” 

“I am pleased that the House acted swiftly to follow the Senate’s lead and pass this common sense legislation,” Sen. Menendez said. “Our bill gives states like New Jersey added flexibility to tap needed federal funding to assist our communities grappling with the challenges of aging water infrastructure. I would implore President Trump to sign this legislation without delay in order to help the residents of Newark and its surrounding communities deal with the current situation of elevated lead in their drinking water. The federal government has a role in ensuring that each family has access to safe, clean drinking water. I will continue to fight for the critical resources New Jersey needs, while holding those federal agencies accountable for ensuring the health and well-being of our residents.”

“Every American has a right to clean drinking water. It is unacceptable that Newark’s residents have been living with elevated levels of lead in their water,” Chairman Pallone said. “Federal funds exist to help communities like those in New Jersey, but for some states, that funding is constrained from being used to address lead contamination. The House acted unanimously to change that, giving New Jersey the flexibility and resources it needs to replace lead pipes and give the people of Newark the clean water they deserve. I am proud to have expedited passage of this important legislation through the House and grateful for my colleagues’ urgent attention to this public health crisis.”

“I am excited to hear that the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act passed,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr.  “This is a badly needed step towards cleaner water my neighbors in Newark.  The problems with Newark’s water system could occur in any city with aging pipes nationwide.  Communities need the flexibility to spend federal funding to improve their water supply when necessary because nothing is more important than the health and safety of their residents.  I have been proud to work with Senator Booker, Congressman Pallone and national as well as local agencies to fix this problem as quickly as possible.  I will continue to do so until Newark’s water is clean.”  

“All Americans deserve access to clean drinking water, and the federal government has a responsibility to help communities that are struggling to meet that goal,” Congressman Albio Sires said. “I am proud to join my New Jersey colleagues in the House and Senate in supporting the Water Infrastructure Funding Act, to give New Jersey the flexibility to use federal infrastructure funding to upgrade its water systems. This common-sense bill will go a long way towards ensuring that Newark residents have access to clean water, and it can help other communities get ahead of any potential water infrastructure issues. We are our brothers’ keepers, and we cannot fail to act when our neighbors are in trouble. The bill is now awaiting the President’s signature and I sincerely hope that he will stand with us in protecting clean water for all Americans.”

“Yesterday, the New Jersey delegation worked together to get Senator Booker’s legislation unanimously passed by the House of Representatives,” Governor Murphy said. “States and municipalities can’t upgrade our nation’s aging water infrastructure alone and, once it is signed into law, this legislation will allow New Jersey to utilize up to $100 million in federal funds to help Newark and other cities fund the replacement of lead service lines. This is amazing news for our state and I applaud our congressional delegation for their efforts.”

“Last night's vote was a huge win for the City of Newark and many communities across the United States that are dealing with older, aging infrastructure,” Mayor Ras Baraka said. “Thank you to New Jersey Senators Booker and Menendez for creating opportunities and solutions to fund critical projects that will help eliminate lead service lines and provide clean, safe and healthy water to countless families.”

Since an engineering study was released in October 2018 finding that lead was leaching into Newark’s drinking water because of ineffective corrosion treatment at one of the City’s water treatment plants, Booker has worked tirelessly in the Senate to help the city get the federal resources it needs to fix the problem. In December, Booker urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to include this measure he authored to provide a source of funding for Newark in a 2018 end-of-year spending bill. The measure wasn’t included in that spending deal, so Booker introduced the measure as a stand-alone bill in May and pushed its passage through the Environment and Public Works Committee, which he sits on, in June. The Committee filed a written report on the bill in July 2019.

Also in June, Booker worked to include the measure as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which was moving through the Senate, but it was blocked by Republicans. Booker then worked to “hot-line” the bill for Senate passage before Congress broke for recess in early August, but the effort was again blocked by Republicans. Bills can be “hot-lined” for passage, which means they do not need to come to a vote on the Senate floor, if no Senator raises objections to the bill.

Since additional serious concerns over the lead in drinking water in Newark were reported in August, Booker has aggressively and repeatedly pushed the federal government to provide more resources for the city. He has helped pass out bottled water to affected residents and he met with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator Peter Lopez to discuss EPA’s duty and on-the-ground efforts in Newark. He also—along with Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Albio Sires (D-NJ), and Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) – urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help administer lead blood screenings for affected residents in Newark. That request followed a separate letter, Booker sent with New Jersey lawmakers urging the USDA to offer additional assistance to serve the immediate needs of Newark residents by making temporary changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). The lawmakers also sent a letter to the EPA urging it to assist state and local efforts to deliver safe drinking water to Newark residents.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Dave Chappelle Donates $50,000 From Michigan Show To Flint Foundation

Dave Chappelle is putting his money where his mouth is and donating $50,000 to a local Flint, Michigan foundation.

The comedian donated all of the proceeds from his June 7 comedy show in Flint to The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, TMZ reports. Established in 1988, the foundation has provided people with “philanthropic interests to easily and effectively support the issues they care about - immediately or through their will.”

“I’m honored that you guys came here tonight,” Chapelle said to the June 7 audience. “I want you to know that just by coming to see me you supported this city. I’m not taking a dime.”

[SOURCE: HUFFINGTONPOST]

Sunday, March 05, 2017

Flint mayor: City needs 2 years before it can treat its own water

Flint has been mired in a devastating water crisis for nearly three years, and it may be another two before it's resolved.

Mayor Karen Weaver wrote to EPA officials earlier this week to inform them that the Michigan city will not be able to treat its own water for lead and other contaminants until 2019, citing a lengthy construction and testing process for a new water treatment plant.

"To expedite completion of the project and minimize cost, a design/build project delivery method is proposed," Weaver wrote. "Based on this approach, an August, 2019, completion date is anticipated for the treatment plant improvements."

In 2014, officials implemented a cost-cutting plan to switch the city's water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River, which is 19 times more corrosive, according to researchers from Virginia Tech. That caused lead to leach from pipes and into the city's drinking water.

Read more: Flint mayor: City needs 2 years before it can treat its own water

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Flint water crisis: Report says 'systemic racism' played role

A government-appointed civil rights commission in Michigan says systemic racism helped to cause the Flint water crisis, according to a report released Friday.

The 129-page report does not claim there were any specific violations of state civil rights laws, but says "historical, structural and systemic racism combined with implicit bias" played a role in the problems, which still linger in the city's drinking water almost three years later.

"The presence of racial bias in the Flint water crisis isn't much of a surprise to those of us who live here, but the Michigan Civil Rights Commission's affirmation that the emergency manager law disproportionately hurts communities of color is an important reminder of just how bad the policy is," state Sen. Jim Ananich, a Democrat from Flint, said.

It was an emergency manager, appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder, who had the cash-strapped city's water supply changed from Lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014 -- a decision reversed more than a year later amid reports of corroded pipes and elevated blood lead levels.

The report, which was released after a year-long investigation that followed three public hearings and took testimony from more than 150 residents and officials, says: "The people of Flint have been subjected to unprecedented harm and hardship, much of it caused by structural and systemic discrimination and racism that have corroded your city, your institutions, and your water pipes, for generations."

Read more: Flint water crisis: Report says 'systemic racism' played role

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Flint Michigan mayor not enthusiastic about Donald Trump's visit to the city

Upon hearing the news that Trump will visit her city, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, who has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, issued a statement, saying "Flint is focused on fixing the problems caused by lead contamination of our drinking water, not photo ops."

More from the statement issued by Mayor Weaver's office:

Mayor Weaver went on to point out that neither Donald Trump nor any staff members from the Trump campaign have ever reached out to her since the Flint water crisis was officially recognized as an emergency in December 2015, and he never let her know that he was coming to the city this week.

The statement said workers at the Flint water treatment plant "cannot afford the disruption of a last-minute visit,".

[SOURCE]

Friday, July 29, 2016

6 state employees criminally charged in Flint water crisis

Six state employees were criminally charged this morning in district court in connection with the Flint water crisis.

Charged are Michigan Department of Health and Human Services workers Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott, and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees Liane Shekter-Smith; Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook, according to testimony this morning in Flint’s district court.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Todd Flood, the Royal Oak attorney heading the AG's investigation, discussed the charges at a news conference at U-M Flint.

"Some people failed to act, others minimized harm done and arrogantly chose to ignore data, some intentionally altered figures ... and covered up significant health risks," he said.

Read more: 6 state employees criminally charged in Flint water crisis

Thursday, May 19, 2016

NAACP FILES LAWSUIT OVER FLINT WATER CRISIS


State Officials, Companies Named in Class Action Civil Suit
BALTIMORE — Attorneys with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of people and businesses affected by the failure to provide safe drinking water to the city of Flint, Michigan.
The civil suit filed in U.S. District Court alleges that the state of Michigan, many city and state officials and two engineering firms hired to evaluate water quality in Flint failed to detect problems and properly treat water that caused extensive lead contamination in the city while Flint was under supervision of state-appointed emergency managers.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit include Flint residents and members of the local branch of the NAACP, whose national attorneys are working with the firms of Cohen Milstein Sellers and Toll of Washington, D.C. and the Houston-based firm of Susman Godfrey.
The complaint seeks property damages, pain and suffering damages, emotional distress damages, medical monitoring, and other injunctive relief for affected city residents and businesses to be determined by the court.  
“The people of Flint have been harmed through the failure of state officials to provide professional and accountable basic services mandated by federal law and expected by any person living in a major city,” said Cornell William Brooks, the national president and CEO of the NAACP. “Our organization stands with the citizens of Flint to demand a clear timeline, deadline and price tag for fixing this crisis as well as effective remedies for the harms that have already occurred and complete compensation for each and every victim of this unimaginable tragedy.” 
Governor Rick Snyder is named as an individual defendant in the suit, along with six former high-ranking officials with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and three men who were emergency managers during the prolonged exposure period. Two engineering firms hired to analyze water in the city, Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam Inc. and Veolia North America, also failed to satisfy their professional duties and affirmatively worsened the extent of the lead exposure, according to the complaint.
The 103-page complaint alleges that the officials and companies supervising the water system failed to properly treat the water supply for salt and other chemicals, which caused lead to leech from corroded pipes into the drinking water for years. Officials repeatedly denied and dismissed reports of poor water quality and pipe corrosion before acknowledging widespread failures to act.  
The NAACP’s Flint Branch and Michigan State Conference have diligently worked over the last two years to inform the public about the poisoned water and its potential effects on city children and residents, and called for federal and state action to provide relief.
The NAACP and attorneys in the case are planning to host Town Hall meetings with residents in the near future in Flint to discuss further action.
Visit here to read the full court complaint.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Task Force: Michigan state officials accountable in Flint water crisis

A task force appointed by Michigan’s governor said on Wednesday state officials showed stubbornness, lack of preparation, delay and inaction in failing to prevent a health crisis in the city of Flint caused by lead contamination in the drinking water.

There were failures on all levels of government, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a report from the task force said. However, the report highlighted failures of state agencies, especially the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and said the state was "fundamentally accountable" for what happened.

"It was a mixture of ignorance, incompetence and arrogance by many decision makers that created the toxic and tragic situation," Chris Kolb, task force co-chair and president of the Michigan Environmental Council, a coalition of non-profit groups, said at a press conference in Flint.

Read more: Michigan state officials accountable in Flint water crisis: inquiry

Thursday, March 17, 2016

VIDEO: Congressional hearings on Flint water Crisis

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder called the water crisis in Flint a "failure of government at all levels" during his testimony at a hearing before Congress on Thursday. The people of Flint, including more than 8,000 children, were exposed to lead for more than a year before the tap water contamination was uncovered by citizen activists. Watch the full hearing with Gov. Snyder below.

Sunday, March 06, 2016

GOP senator: Federal aid not needed in Flint water crisis

Federal aid is not needed in Flint, Michigan, where lead-contaminated pipes have resulted in an ongoing public health emergency, a Republican senator said Friday.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he is holding up bipartisan legislation to address the water crisis in Flint because Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, has not asked for federal help and the state does not need it.

"Michigan has an enormous budget surplus this year" and a rainy-day fund totaling several hundred million dollars, Lee said. The state has approved $70 million in emergency funding for Flint, and Snyder has requested at least $165 million more toward the Flint emergency.

"The people and policymakers of Michigan right now have all the government resources they need to fix the problem," Lee said. "The only thing Congress is contributing to the Flint recovery is political grandstanding."

Read more: GOP senator: Federal aid not needed in Flint water crisis

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

African American sororities, fraternities working to help Flint families

African American greek organizations are working together to support families in Flint who are living through the water emergency. Watch this story below.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Amid denials, state workers in Flint got clean water

In January of 2015, when state officials were telling worried Flint residents their water was safe to drink, they also were arranging for coolers of purified water in Flint's State Office Building so employees wouldn't have to drink from the taps, according to state government e-mails released Thursday by the liberal group Progress Michigan.

A Jan. 7, 2015, notice from the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which oversees state office buildings, references a notice about a violation of drinking water standards that had recently been sent out by the City of Flint.

"While the City of Flint states that corrective actions are not necessary, DTMB is in the process of providing a water cooler on each occupied floor, positioned near the water fountain, so you can choose which water to drink," said the notice.

"The coolers will arrive today and will be provided as long as the public water does not meet treatment requirements."

Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for DTMB, said the water coolers were provided in response to the city health notice in late December or early January, which he acknowledged was about a contamination issue the city said had already subsided. The state continued to provide the coolers of purified water, right up to today, because "there were more findings as we went along," Buhs said.

Buhs said his department never told state workers the tap water was unsafe to drink, but only provided an alternative, as a landlord would do for tenants.

Read more: Amid denials, state workers in Flint got clean water

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

President Barack Obama addresses the water crisis in Flint

President Barack Obama addressed the water crisis in Flint, Mich. on Wednesday.

“If I was a parent out there I would be beside myself that my kid’s health could be at risk,” Obama said, adding that he declared a Federal Emergency and designated a federal coordinator to help with the crisis. Obama also spoke about his meeting on Tuesday with Flint's mayor.

“I told her we were gonna have her back and all the people's of Flint's back," he said.

“It is a reminder of why you can’t shortchange basic services that we provide to our people and that we together provide as a government to make sure that public health and safety is preserved,” Obama said.

[SOURCE]

Friday, January 15, 2016

Congressional Black Caucus Calls for Federal Funding for the City of Flint, Michigan Water Crisis

The Congressional Black caucus released the following statement on 01/15/2016 concerning the Flint water crisis.

January 15, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield released the following statement in response to the Flint, Michigan water crisis calling for an immediate federal investigation and funding to assist the City of Flint in recovery:

“The lack of proper oversight and action, leading to tens of thousands of citizens being exposed to toxic levels of lead in drinking water demands a thorough federal response. More than 10,000 children, many under the age of six, have been exposed to dangerous amounts of lead in their drinking water, which can lead to a series of lifelong development and learning disabilities. Governor Rick Snyder failed to act swiftly and has greatly mishandled the state’s response. In return, thousands of families throughout the City of Flint have been harmed. As elected officials, we all have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our constituents, especially when it concerns some of our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, and the officials of Flint, Michigan failed to do so.”