Emails reveal dismissive attitude of state officials in Flint water crisis

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Emails reveal dismissive attitude of state officials in Flint water crisis
http://www.sott.net/article/310908-Emails-reveal-dismissive-attitude-of-state-officials-in-Flint-water-crisis

Two separate reports, of individuals connected to the Flint Water crises, found dead. One, a young Mother who had filed a Law Suit with other individuals and the other, the sudden death of a foreman at the plant.

(FLINT) A woman at the center of a bellwether Flint water crisis lawsuit was one of two women who were shot to death inside a townhouse earlier this week.

Woman in leading Flint water crisis lawsuit slain in twin killing
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/04/woman_in_bellwether_flint_wate.html

FLINT, MI – A woman at the center of a bellwether Flint water crisis lawsuit was one of two women who were shot to death inside a townhouse earlier this week.

Sasha Avonna Bell was one of the first of a growing number of people to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint water crisis after she claimed that her child had been lead poisoned.

Bell was found dead April 19 in the 2600 block of Ridgecrest Drive at the Ridgecrest Village Townhouses. Sacorya Renee Reed was also found shot to death in the home.

An unharmed 1-year-old child was also found inside of the Ridgecrest home when Bell's body was discovered and was taken into custody by child protective services. Police declined to confirm if it was Bell's child discovered in the home.

Bell's case was one of 64 lawsuits filed on behalf of 144 children by Stern's firm, New York-based Levy Konigsberg, and Flint-based Robinson Carter & Crawford.

The lawsuit named six companies that had various responsibilities with respect to the treatment, monitoring, and safety of the Flint water prior to and during the Flint water crisis, according to her attorneys. The case also named three individual government, or former government, employees who played significant roles in the alleged misconduct that led to the alleged poisoning of thousands of children in Flint, her attorneys claim.

The Bell case, however, played an important role in determining the future of the more than five dozen other lawsuits that were filed.

Initially, Bell's case and the others were filed in Genesee Circuit Court. However, they were transferred to U.S. District Court on a motion from one of the defendants, engineering company Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam.

However, Ann Arbor U.S. District Judge John Corbett O'Meara ruled April 13 that Bell's case should return to the state court claiming it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

Stern said the case will continue and a representative will be appointed for Bell's child.

The ruling also forced the other 63 cases to be returned to state court.

Flint police say they have a person in custody in connection to the slayings of Bell and Reed. No charges have yet been filed.

In the Flint water crisis, city workers are now dealing with the sudden death of a foreman at the plant.

Flint water plant continues to reel with sudden death of foreman
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/04/treatment_plant_foreman_dies_a.html#incart_special-report

Already reeling from the news of criminal charges against one of its workers in the wake of the Flint water crisis, city workers are now dealing with the sudden death of a foreman at the plant.

Water Treatment Plant Foreman Matthew McFarland, 43, of Otter Lake died suddenly on on Saturday, April 16, according to his obituary.

The Lapeer County Sheriff's Department said a friend found McFarland unresponsive at a home in Otter Lake. There were no signs of foul play.

An autopsy did not determine a cause of death and police are awaiting toxicology reports. The investigation remains open.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Matt's co-workers, his family and especially his children," said Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. "He worked for the City of Flint for more than 18 years and we thank him for his devotion and service."

"We all have been brought together by this water crisis and we are all mourning his death," Weaver said in a statement. "In lieu of flowers, the family has expressed they would appreciate donations to establish a fund for (his children) Vance and Ella's college expenses."

McFarland's death comes as Flint's water plant deals with news that Flint Utilities Manager Michael Glasgow is one of three men facing criminal charges in connection with the city's water crisis.

Glasgow is accused of tampering with evidence when he allegedly changed testing results to show there was less lead in city water than there actually was. He is also charged with willful neglect of office.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, tampering with evidence and violations of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's office confirmed that McFarland was previously interviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into the city's water crisis.

"(My wife) Cynthia and I are truly saddened to learn of this news, especially for the families of everyone involved," Schuette said in a statement. "The negative impact of the Flint water crisis continues to unfold, creating one of the most tragic situations in Michigan history. My duty is to find the truth for all victims and our investigation will carry forward until that job is complete."

Weaver said she sends her condolences to McFarland's family and co-workers in his sudden death.

 

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Random lead spikes in Flint water continue (Photos)
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/04/22/random-lead-spikes-flint-water/83386668/

Flint water quality continues to improve, but random spikes in lead levels mean it's still too unpredictable to be considered safe, the state said today.

Those are the conclusions of the latest round of testing at so-called sentinel sites, homes that have been tested repeatedly to gauge changes in the water over time.

The latest round of testing shows 93.5% of samples were at or below the federal action level of 15 parts per billion of lead. That's an improvement from the previous round of testing, which showed 92.7% were at or below the limit.

The problem, state officials said, is that pieces of lead continue to flake off plumbing in some homes, temporarily spiking the lead levels in the water.

"In Flint, because the system is recovering, these lead particles are falling off more frequently than they do normally," said professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech, whose research in Flint proved the city's problem at a time when state officials were telling residents that the water was safe to drink. "This happens all over the United States to some extent. Even in systems with decent corrosion control and which easily meet the lead and copper rule, pieces of lead rust and particles, do occasionally fall off into the water."

Edwards said that type of flaking can cause lead levels to skyrocket to as much as 10,000 parts per billion.

"Hence, all Flint residents should continue to use the lead filters and bottled water, until further notice," Edwards said. "In short, the system is improving, but not to the point that anyone would say that Flint water risks are acceptable compared to other U.S. cities."

Flint's lead problem began after the city switched to Flint River water after years of using water the Detroit system, which treats Lake Huron water. Edwards' research showed that the river water was far more corrosive and pulled lead out of pipes and plumbing throughout Flint, poisoning an unknown number of people.

“While the system has come a long way, we are exercising caution as we look more closely at the unpredictable spikes that continue to show up in tests," Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement. "We are letting the science drive decisions on Flint water quality and not an arbitrary date. We will declare unfiltered water drinkable again only when the data proves it to be so. We expect that for some residents, that is going to require the replacement of unsafe pipes.”

Snyder has requested $25 million in the state budget to help replace lead service lines, the pipes that carry the water from the main under the street into homes and businesses.

The first criminal charges have been filed in the ongoing Flint water contamination crisis that exposed nearly 100,000 residents to poisonous levels of lead.

Officials Charged in Flint Water Poisoning, but Governor Snyder Has Not Even Been Questioned (Transcript)
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35742-michigan-officials-charged-in-flint-water-poisoning-but-gov-snyder-has-not-even-been-questioned

Two state employees have been charged with misleading the US government about the problem: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby. Meanwhile, a Flint employee, Michael Glasgow, is charged with altering water test results. The charges come as Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder said he has not been questioned by prosecutors in connection with the crisis. Protesters have called for Governor Snyder to resign over his handling of the Flint water crisis, which began when the city's unelected emergency manager, appointed by Governor Snyder, switched the source of the city's drinking water from the Detroit system to the corrosive Flint River, and the water corroded Flint's aging pipes, causing lead to leach into the drinking water. We get reaction from Curt Guyette, an investigative reporter for the ACLU of Michigan who helped bring the crisis to light. His work focuses on emergency management and open government. Guyette just won the 2016 Hillman Prize for Web Journalism as well as the Aronson Award for Outstanding Pioneering Reporting.

 

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Six current and former Michigan and Flint officials were criminally charged on Wednesday for their roles in the city's water crisis that was linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that caused at least 12 deaths, the state's attorney general said.

Six Michigan officials criminally charged in Flint water crisis
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-water-idUSKBN195234

Five of the officials, including Michigan Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon, were charged with involuntary manslaughter stemming from their roles in handling the crisis, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement.

Involuntary manslaughter is a felony that carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Lyon, 49, was also charged with one count of misconduct in office. The felony charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Four current and former state and Flint officials were also charged with involuntary manslaughter. The four had all been previously charged with lesser crimes in connection with the water crisis.

The state's Chief Medical Executive Eden Wells was charged Wednesday with obstruction of justice and lying to police.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said in a statement that Lyon and Wells have his "full faith and confidence" and would remain on duty and help in Flint's recovery.

Schuette said his team had not spoken with Snyder as part of the investigation.

"We attempted to interview the governor. We were not successful," Schuette said. He declined to elaborate.

Previously, Schuette, when asked if Snyder was a target in the investigation, said there were no targets but "nobody is off the table."

Some critics have called for high-ranking state officials, including Snyder, to be charged. Snyder previously said he believed he had not done anything criminally wrong.

"The governor isn't going to speculate on where the investigation is or is not headed, but he continues to cooperate fully," Snyder's spokeswoman Anna Heaton said.

Snyder's attorney, Brian Lennon, said in a statement that Snyder was made available for an interview this spring after being told a subpoena would be produced, but that never occurred.

Wednesday's charges stem from more than 80 cases of Legionnaires' disease, including the fatalities, that were believed to be linked to the water in Flint after the city switched its source to the Flint River from Lake Huron in April 2014.

Lyon was aware of the Legionnaires' outbreak in Genesee County at least one year before he informed the public, according to court documents. His deliberate failure to inform the public resulted in the death of Genesee Township resident Robert Skidmore, 85, from Legionnaires' in December 2015.

Wells lied to police about when she became aware of the outbreak, according to the documents. She also threatened a team of independent researchers who were studying the source of the disease, court documents said.

An attorney for Lyon could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately known if Wells had an attorney.

"It's good to see that state Attorney General Schuette and his team are taking this matter seriously," Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said in a statement. "We all are waiting to see what else the investigation uncovers."

The crisis in Flint erupted in 2015 when tests found high amounts of lead in blood samples taken from children in the predominantly black city of about 100,000.

The more corrosive river water caused lead to leach from pipes and into the drinking water. Lead levels in Flint's drinking water had fallen fell below federal limits, state officials said last January.

Others charged with involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday included former state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley, former Flint city employee Howard Croft, and former state Department of Environmental Quality officials Stephen Busch and Liane Shekter-Smith.