Drinking water for the nearly 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan has been contaminated with toxic lead. Researchers discovered that children with high lead levels in their blood has doubled. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency and sent in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with relief efforts, which have been focused on the delivery of bottled water.
The crisis dates back to April 2014, when the state of Michigan decided to switch water sources as part of cost-saving measures. Flint is a city that has been coping with serious financial struggles for decades. Unemployment is at 16 percent and poverty impacts 42 percent of its residents. The city's population today is less than half of what it was in the 1970s. When the decision to switch the water supply was made, the city was under the control of an emergency financial manager who had sweeping powers.
The new source of water, however, was highly corrosive to the city's lead pipes. Residents started complaining that their water looked, smelled and tasted abnormal. They also experienced rashes, hair loss and other health problems. Even a local General Motors facility stopped using the water because it was causing damage to their car parts. But the complaints were ignored for months and city officials insisted the water was safe to drink. It was not until October that state governor Rick Snyder admitted the situation was much worse than he previously thought and announced a plan to revert back to the original water supply.
While Snyder has apologised for the crisis, locals are still searching for answers. Despite a federal and state investigation into the mishandling, two lawsuits have already been filed by residents against the governor and other state officials. Join our conversation at 19:30GMT.
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