Chemistry Period 4 Mr. Steinker
Social Injustice Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan
One of the most notorious social injustice events in America was the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Though the problem is resolved now, it took years to find a solution to the situation. Some people actually agreed with those who thought the citizens should have kept quiet about the issue. Thankfully some determined residents stood up and took action.
It all started in the year of 2011. When Flint made a choice to cut from the Detroit water supply. According to CNN, the choice was made based on the economic decline it was suffering from. But that was the worst decision the city could've made. Right after the switch, residents started noticing some devastating changes from their faucet water. The water was discolored, contaminated, and had a disgusting odor with it.
Despite all of this, the officials insisted that the water was safe to drink.
EPA tested the water and noticed deadly levels of lead in the water. This went publicly known. In Jan. 2015, Detroit reached out and offered a deal with Flint to reconnect with the water supply and waive 4 million dollars. Sounds like a reasonable deal, right? While it wasn't enough for the governor, he turned down the offer. For months after many people suffer from the consequences of contaminated water. From symptoms of itchy skin to hair loss.
Finally, nine months later the governor reconnected the water supply with Detroit. It took a long time for the city to recover from the crisis. It wasn't until 2017 that the lead levels in the water were within the safe standards. The good thing that came out of this is that people are now not afraid to speak out about social injustices like this one. It's just a shame that it took so long for the administration to do the right thing and make change.
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