You can read the WaPo article In Flint, Mich., there’s so much lead in children’s blood that a state of emergency is declared, but beyond the title, it’s very late and short about the story. Leading to comments that are also too poorly informed that it devolved into a shouting match between “it’s the water” vs. “it’s the old pipes” and with the former pointing the finger at Republicans and the latter at Democrats. Piecing together the whole issue as to how and why the people of Flint, MI suddenly were exposed to high levels of lead contamination from their water (and possibly creating many new “Freddie Grays”) is easier than would be expected from the various reports.
The background was covered in several articles by MLive-Flint in 2013. From April 29. 2013
FLINT, MI — There’s still no word from Flint emergency manager Ed Kurtz about the city of Detroit’s second “final offer” to continue a water marriage that’s been in place for nearly 50 years.
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But we have to back up to March 2013 to see why such a “marriage” was on the rocks.
FLINT, MI – Flint is one step closer to getting its water from Lake Huron as part of the Karegnondi Water Authority.
The vote, approved 7-1 at the Flint City Council meeting Monday, March 25, may have set in motion the end to Flint paying to get its water from Detroit.
Under the proposal, Flint would get 16 million gallons per day of raw water from Lake Huron, pipe it to Flint for treatment and then sell it to customers throughout the city. Another 2 million gallons per day would come from the Flint River and will be treated in Flint.Mayor Dayne Walling said the Department of Environmental Quality must approve Flint’s getting 2 million gallons per day from the Flint River.
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State treasury officials still must approve the city council’s move because Flint has an emergency financial manager. All expenditures over $50,000 must be approved.Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright has said that Flint would pay roughly $6.4 million annually for water service if it joined the pipeline – a nearly $4 million savings on what it pays Detroit for water.
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Okay, the City of Flint could save $4 million a year on water by divorcing Detroit. Although there was some dispute as to whether or not there would be any savings at all. There was, however, perceptions among Flint residents that Detroit was gouging them to subsidize water for Detroit residents.) The period of separation would be from 2013 to 2016 when the new pipeline was to be in place. From April 16, 2013:
“This is going to be a great chance to start over,” said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling. “Flint and Genesee County are best served by joining this pipeline.”
Detroit will supply Flint with water for the next three years while the KWA pipeline from Lake Huron is built. Flint will purchase 18 million gallons of raw water per day, pipe it to the city plant for treatment and sell it to customers.
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“Our water rates are really high,” Kurtz said, adding that Detroit can increase Flint’s rates over the next three years while the KWA pipeline is built. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep them down.”
Not such a rosy situation by April 29, 2013.
MLive-Flint Journal could not reach Kurtz for comment Friday, April 26, or Monday, April 29, regarding an offer from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department last week to cut the cost of water initially by 45 percent here.
The dispute with DWSD concerned the 2014-2016 interim period after the Flint-DWSD existing contract expired. So, where did the breakdown occur and who and/or what agencies made the decision for Flint to walk away from Detroit and pump its own water from the Flint River?
A year later in June 2014, from Think Progress DWSD to all the world looked like a bad actor.
As the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department moves to shut off water to thousands of residents who are delinquent on their bills, a coalition of activists is appealing to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to intervene on behalf of the bankrupt city’s most vulnerable citizens.
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One of the activist groups behind the report, the Detroit People’s Water Board, notes that city residents have seen water rates more than double over the past decade at the same time that the city’s poverty rate rose to nearly 40 percent, putting the cost of basic running water beyond reach for tens of thousands of households. Earlier this week, city lawmakers voted to raise water rates by a further 8.7 percent.
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The DWSD’s roughly $5 billion in debts have turned out to be the most difficult piece of Detroit’s bankruptcy, after initially seeming to be on track for a rapid resolution. …
About Detroit’s bankruptcy:
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appointed Kevyn Orr as emergency manager to oversee Detroit financial operations on March 14, 2013 under Public Act 72. On January 24, 2013 Snyder had signed a revised version of a controversial emergency manager law that was rejected by voters during the November election. The new law, Public Act 436, took effect on March 28, 2013 and gave the Detroit emergency manager extraordinary control over all Detroit financial matters, and the ability to recommend to the governor and state treasurer that the government enter Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
At Orr’s recommendation and with the approval of Governor Snyder, the city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy on July 18, 2013. …
On November 7, 2014, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes approved Orr’s plan for the city of Detroit. …
On December 10, 2014, Governor Snyder announced that Detroit had emerged from bankruptcy, and that he had accepted Orr’s resignation as emergency manager, returning control of Detroit to its elected government.
Thus, the whole period under which water became an issue for Flint, MI was the exact same period when Flint and Detroit were under the control of “emergency managers” appointed by Governor Snyder.
As the Detroit Free Press noted on November 11, 2015
Also, state officials were consumed at the time with trying to keep Detroit out of bankruptcy, and for Flint to split with the DWSD could only make Detroit’s financial situation that much more perilous.
Noted at the end of a report that failed to find the answer concerning who made the decision for the use of Flint River water. Oh, and lookee here: Detroit Free Press State admits mistakes in Flint water switch
The State of Michigan has removed its top drinking water quality official and admitted it botched corrosion control in Flint water pipes, which resulted in elevated lead levels in the city’s water system.
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” It is clear from several, now available documents, that certain MDEQ and EPA staff chose to put their reputations ahead of the safety and health of Flint citizens, Ananich said. “We do not know whether the misapplication of federal rules was intentional or due to negligence. That’s why the Legislature needs to have a robust role in any investigation, and in ensuring those responsible for Flint’s water crisis are held accountable.”
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So, when Flint residents began complaining about the Flint River water, MI State authorities said, STFU, the water’s fine.
Someday an investigative journalist will write a book detailing who made the big bucks from the Detroit bankruptcy and Flint water woes while at the same time turning elected DEM officials into the patsies. (Not that such officials have been competent and/or not corrupt themselves.) However, it’s easy to see at this point that all fingers should be pointed at Snyder and his cronies.
