PRESENTATION OUTLINE
In 2011, the state of Michigan took over Flint's finances after an audit projected a $25 million deficit. Even though Flint's water supply fund was $9 million in the red, officials were using some of this money to cover shortfalls in its general fund.
In order to reduce the water fund shortfall, the city switched water sources in 2014. While a new pipeline connecting Flint with Lake Huron was under construction, the city turned to the Flint River as a water source during the two-year transition.
Historically, the water in the Flint River downstream of Flint has been of poor quality, and was severely degraded during the 1970s, due to "the presence of fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, plant nutrients, oils, and toxic substances."
In 2001, the state ordered the monitoring and cleanup of 134 polluted sites within the Flint River watershed, including industrial complexes, landfills and farms laden with pesticides and fertilizer.
February 26, 2015 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notifies the MDEQ it has detected dangerous levels of lead in the water at the home of Flint resident Lee-Anne Walters. A mother of four, she had first contacted the EPA with concerns about dark sediment in her tap water possibly making her children sick. Testing revealed that her water had 104 parts per billion (ppb) of lead, nearly seven times greater than the EPA limit of 15 ppb.
March 23, 2015 - Flint City Council members vote 7-1 to stop using river water and to reconnect with Detroit. However, state-appointed emergency manager, Jerry Ambrose overrules the vote calling it "incomprehensible" because costs would skyrocket and "water from Detroit is no safer than water from Flint."
January 24, 2017 - The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says that lead levels in the city's water tested below the federal limit in a recent six-month study.
January 30, 2017 - A $722 million class action lawsuit is filed against the EPA on behalf of more than 1,700 residents impacted by the water crisis.
February 17, 2017 - The Michigan Civil Rights Commission issues a report: "The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint." According to the 129-page report, "deeply embedded institutional, systemic and historical racism" indirectly contributed to the ill-fated decision to tap the Flint River for drinking water as a cost-saving measure. While the study says the commission did not find specific violations of Michigan's civil rights laws, the commission says it believes "the current state civil rights laws appear inadequate to address" the "root of this crisis."
What lead does to the body.