Water in Flint and other general problems in our political environ

Fogdog

Fogdog

Well-Known Member
YES!

Top Michigan health official, four others charged with manslaughter in Flint water crisis
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/14/top-michigan-health-official-charged-with-manslaughter-in-flint-water-crisis/?utm_term=.8dfb49135d1c

While much of the attention in Flint has focused on the lead-tainted water that exposed thousands of young children to potential long-term health risks, the crisis also has been linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that contributed to at least a dozen deaths. Those cases ultimately led to the charges Wednesday for Lyon, as well as for the state’s chief medical executive, Eden Wells, who faces charges of obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer but is not accused of manslaughter.

Attorney General Bill Schuette also charged four other state and city officials, who already were facing various criminal accusations, of involuntary manslaughter: Stephen Busch, a water supervisor for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Darnell Earley, who had been a state-appointed emergency manager for Flint; Howard Croft, former director of the city’s public works department; and Liane Shekter-Smith, who served as chief of the state’s Office of Drinking Water.

Meanwhile, Snyder the Governor who led the fiasco is heading for the bunker.

In a statement, Gov. Rick Snyder also stood behind Lyon and Wells, saying they have his full confidence and would remain employed at the state health department.

“Nick Lyon has been a strong leader at the Department of Health and Human Services for the past several years and remains completely committed to Flint’s recovery,” Snyder said. “Director Lyon and Dr. Eden Wells, like every other person who has been charged with a crime by Bill Schuette, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Some state employees were charged over a year ago and have been suspended from work since that time. They still have not had their day in court. That is not justice for Flint nor for those who have been charged.”

Schuette on Wednesday addressed the pressure he has gotten to charge Snyder, who has faced repeated calls to resign over his appointment of emergency mangers in Flint and for the state’s delayed and inadequate response to the crisis.

“We only file criminal charges when evidence of probable cause to commit a crime has been established,” Schuette said. But he later revealed that investigators have been unable to speak with the governor about his role in the catastrophe. “We attempted to interview the governor. We were not successful,” he said.
 
hanimmal

hanimmal

Well-Known Member
Don_Sequitor said:
Is that supposed to be a link?
Click to expand...
https://apnews.com/article/health-michigan-rick-snyder-flint-us-news-801ba227340f0ac2e10e37a06a82f08d
Screen Shot 2021-01-12 at 4.13.07 PM.png
DETROIT (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014-15, The Associated Press has learned.

Two people with knowledge of the planned prosecution told the AP on Tuesday that the attorney general’s office has informed defense lawyers about indictments in Flint and told them to expect initial court appearances soon. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The AP could not determine the nature of the charges against Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and others who were in his administration, including Rich Baird, a friend who was the governor’s key troubleshooter while in office.

Courtney Covington Watkins, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said only that investigators were “working diligently” and “will share more as soon as we’re in a position to do so.”

Snyder’s attorney, Brian Lennon, released a blistering statement, saying a criminal prosecution would be “outrageous.” He said state prosecutors have refused to “share information about these charges with us.”

“Rather than following the evidence to find the truth, the Office of Special Counsel appears to be targeting former Gov. Snyder in a political escapade,” Lennon said.

Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when state-appointed managers in Flint switched the city’s water to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving step while a pipeline was being built to Lake Huron. The water, however, was not treated to reduce corrosion — a disastrous decision affirmed by state regulators that caused lead to leach from old pipes and spoil the distribution system used by nearly 100,000 residents.

The disaster made Flint a nationwide symbol of governmental mismanagement, with residents lining up for bottled water and parents fearing that their children had suffered permanent harm. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavior problems. The crisis was highlighted as an example of environmental injustice and racism.

At the same time, bacteria in the water was blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires’. Legionella bacteria can emerge through misting and cooling systems, triggering a severe form of pneumonia, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Authorities counted at least 90 cases in Genesee County, including 12 deaths.

The outbreak was announced by Snyder and Lyon in January 2016, although Lyon conceded that he knew that cases were being reported many months earlier.

In 2018, Lyon was ordered to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges after a special prosecutor accused him of failing to timely inform the public about the outbreak. His attorneys argued there was not enough solid information to share earlier with the public.

By June 2019, the entire Flint water investigation was turned upside down after more than three years and millions of dollars. Prosecutors working under a new attorney general, Dana Nessel, dismissed the case against Lyon as well as charges against seven more people and said the probe would start anew.

The decision didn’t affect seven people who had already pleaded no contest to misdemeanors. They cooperated with investigators and their records were eventually scrubbed clean.

Testimony at court hearings had raised questions about when Snyder knew about the Legionnaires’ outbreak. His urban affairs adviser, Harvey Hollins, told a judge that the governor was informed on Christmas Eve 2015. But Snyder had told reporters three weeks later, in January 2016, that he had just learned about it.

Baird’s attorney, Randy Levine, said he was informed Monday that his client would face charges.

“When the Flint water crisis hit, he wasn’t assigned by Gov. Snyder to go to Flint, but rather he raised his hand and volunteered,” Levine said.
Click to expand...
 
injinji

injinji

Well-Known Member
Disclaimer: I did not read 34 pages of this thread.

But did you guys see the 15 year old girl on the news who responded to the Flint water crisis by inventing a small handheld lead detector? She is the real deal smart. We need more like her.

.

Time named Gitanjali Rao as the ‘kid of the year.’ She is a 15-year-old teenager who invented a mobile device that tests for lead in drinking water. She’s also developed a phone and Web tool named Kindly, which uses artificial intelligence to detect possible signs of cyberbullying.
 
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