For most U.S. citizens, the words “federal emergency” usually mean a natural disaster like an earthquake, drought or hurricane.
But that has not been the case for the residents of Flint, Michigan.
Nearly two years after the city switched its water supply from the Detroit system to the Flint River to save money, a crisis erupted when government officials finally acknowledged that the water streaming into the homes of 100,000 residents contained high levels of lead.
Health officials say the lead, which leached into the water from lead pipes, poses a significant health risk for children under 6, who could suffer irreversible damage to their developing brains and nervous systems.
Almost from the beginning, residents had complained about the color, taste and odor of the water. But city officials, followed by state officials and then the federal Environmental Protection Agency, shrugged off the complaints.
While many people are pointing fingers at Gov. Rick Snyder for belatedly responding to the crisis, some also contend that environmental regulators opposed adding anti-corrosive agents when they knew that lead was contaminating the pipes.
This saved state government a substantial amount of money, but is now costing the federal government and American taxpayers $80 million.
In the United States, we often link human rights violations to child trafficking and illegal labor practices in developing countries.
Unfortunately, we need not look further than one of our very own cities to find a violation of what the United Nations calls a human right – accessible and affordable water.
The city of Flint, which was once the second largest automobile manufacturing city in the U.S., now has 8,000 children under the age of 6 whose long-term health may be imperiled.
This national emergency has brought in the National Guard, along with other organizations, to try to clean up the government-imposed mess.
Cher, the Burlesque star herself, has partnered with Icelandic Glacial to donate 180,000 bottles of water to the city. The Dearborn, Mich. nonprofit Muslim organization “Who is Hussain?” has also donated 30,000 bottles so far.
USFSP can help the Flint community by donating to the Flint Water Fund or to the multiple GoFundMe campaigns.
