News in Context: The Flint Water Crisis

Updated May 5, 2016

In the weeks after Flint, Michigan, was declared to be in a state of emergency, residents addressed the political and environmental fallout from hazardous drinking water.

HIGHLIGHTS

High levels of harmful chemicals were found in drinking water from the Flint River in 2015.

A state of emergency in Flint was declared by state and federal officials in January 2016.

Officials at all levels of government face protests and potential legal action.

Introduction

While building a new pipeline to receive Lake Huron water, the city of Flint left the Detroit water system and began using water from the Flint River in 2014.

Residents began complaining of unpleasant water taste and smell, and the city made several attempts to fix the water, such as adding chlorine to disinfect it and lime to reduce hardness. The added chemicals put the city in violation of state safety regulations, which began attracting national attention in late 2015. Despite several offers from Detroit to supply water again, government officials opted to develop filtration and water treatment plans.

After studies revealed that Flint residents had been exposed to elevated lead levels in the water, Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in January 2016. As calls for Snyder’s resignation and protests erupted throughout the state, class-action lawsuits were filed against city, state and federal government officials on the behalf of Flint residents. In his State of the State address on January 19, the governor apologized for the depth of crisis and asked the legislature for additional infrastructure improvement funds for Flint and elsewhere.

History of lead contamination

2013-2014: Source of drinking water changed

2013-2014 Events

March 2013: Flint City Council votes to stop buying Detroit water and to start getting water from Lake Huron to save money.

April 2014: Detroit stops selling water to Flint before new water system is ready. City quickly switches to Flint River for water.

August 2014: Flint discovers fecal coliform bacteria contamination and advises residents to boil water.

October 2014: General Motors stops using city water over fear of corrosion.

The city of Flint, Michigan, switched water supplies in April 2014, moving from the Detroit water system to the Flint River. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality gave final approval of the switch in 2014, after 50 years of the city's reliance upon Detroit for treated water.

The switch, led by an emergency manager appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R), was viewed as a cost-saving measure for the city until a pipeline joining Lake Huron to Genesee County, Michigan, where Flint is located, could be completed sometime in 2016.

Initial testing of the Flint River in the months following the switch found that the water met state water quality standards, though the water was found to be 70 percent harder than lake water. The city began adding extra lime in the water to treat the water's hardness after some residents noticed a difference in taste and smell.

Around four months after the switch, the city recommended that residents boil their water after fecal coliform bacteria was found in water in the city's west side. The city also added chlorine to the water to remove the bacteria from the water supply. Later on, Flint residents complained of the water's taste, color and smell while some residents reported adverse health effects.

2014-2015: Lead contamination discovered

2015 Events

January 2, 2015: Flint notifies customers that city water contains unsafe levels of carcinogenic trihalomethanes (TTHM). Mayor Dayne Walling asks state for help.

February 3, 2015: State officials pledge $2 million in aid.

March 23, 2015: City council votes to “do all things necessary” to reconnect Flint to Detroit water.

June 5, 2015: Lawsuit filed against the city of Flint alleging it "recklessly endangered" the health and safety of its residents.

August 7, 2015: Genesee Circuit Judge Archie Hayman orders Flint to roll back water and sewer rates by 35 percent.

September 2, 2015: Virginia Tech Professor Marc Edwards says corrosiveness is causing lead from pipes to leach into the water.

September 24, 2015: Tests show infants and children have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Improved filtration and treatment bring TTHM levels down to acceptable levels. State regulator says water is safe, but Governor Rick Snyder says he’ll take action.

October 1, 2015: Genesee County declares public health emergency. Officials urge residents not to drink Flint water.

October 7, 2015: Flint Technical Advisory Committee recommends that the city return to using Detroit water.

October 8, 2015: Governor Snyder announces a multi-million dollar plan to buy Detroit water for Flint.

November 3, 2015: Karen Weaver defeats incumbent as new mayor of Flint.

December 29, 2015: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant resigns and apologizes.

At a January 2015 meeting with then-Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and the city council, residents complained that the city water had been causing skin problems for some children. At the time, the city said the water was safe, according to the Detroit Free Press.

It was later found that corrosive water from the Flint River caused lead from old pipes to contaminate the city's water supply. According to the United Way of Genesee County, somewhere between 6,000 and 12,000 city residents had been exposed to high amounts of lead.

Between June 2014 and November 2015, at least 87 people developed Legionnaires' disease, a respiratory infection that can cause pneumonia, resulting in 10 deaths, according to the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Though the connection between the contaminated water and the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was unclear, Michigan Health and Human Services Department officials acknowledged that the contaminated water may have contributed in some way to the outbreak.

A September 2015 report by Virginia Tech University researchers found Flint's drinking water to be "very corrosive" and "causing lead contamination in homes." According to the report, the researchers tested the water from 300 sample kits given to the city's residents. About 42 percent of 120 early samples found lead levels to be greater than 5 parts per billion (ppb) while 20 percent of the samples had lead levels greater than 15 ppb.

In October 2015, the state government found "toxic levels of lead" in water at three Flint schools, including a school with lead levels "six times the federal limit." Also in October 2015, Flint switched back to the Detroit water system after county officials declared a public health emergency on October 1, 2015.

A November 2015 investigation by The Flint Journal-MLive found that the city of Flint "disregarded federal rules requiring it to seek out homes with lead plumbing for testing," according to city documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Although city water officials stated that they tested tap water in homes most at risk for lead poisoning, city documents showed that the water samples sent to state regulators "almost always came from homes at less risk of lead leaching."

Mayor Weaver and local officials

Former Mayor Dayne Walling

See also: Dayne Walling recall, Flint, Michigan (2010)

Former Mayor Dayne Walling drew public attention in July 2015 when he drank tap water during a live news broadcast, declaring it safe to drink and saying he drinks it every day. Walling later admitted to CNN that he regretted drinking the tap water, saying, "In retrospect, I regret all of it. All the way back to seeing the city move to a different drinking water source. You can't put a dollar amount of the devastation to our community, our kids, and it was completely avoidable."

Mayor Weaver

Public officials began addressing the water contamination issue on October 1, 2015, when the Genesee County Health Department issued a Public Health Emergency and urged residents not to drink water coming from the Flint River. This declaration followed a report by doctors at a local hospital that found unsafe lead levels in the blood of several children.

2016 Events

January 5, 2016: Governor Snyder declares a state of emergency in Flint. Federal officials confirm they are investigating.

January 12, 2016: Snyder activates the National Guard to distribute bottled water and filters.

January 13, 2016: Health officials report an increase in Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County.

January 14, 2016: Snyder asks for federal aid.

January 16, 2016: President Obama declares a state of emergency for Flint.

January 19, 2016: The governor dedicates most of his State of the State speech to address the Flint water crisis, calling it the number one priority for his administration.

May 4, 2016: President Obama visits Flint, Michigan, to assess the water crisis, and he drinks a glass of the city's filtered tap water in a show of solidarity.

On December 14, 2015, Weaver declared a state of emergency in Flint to solicit assistance from the federal government. Weaver herself admitted that she did not know if declaring the emergency would bring federal aid. "Do we meet the criteria? I don't know . . . I'm going to ask and let them tell us no," she said.

Weaver went to Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2016, to speak with representatives from the federal government.

Governor Snyder and state officials

See also: Rick Snyder recall, Michigan (2015 and 2016)

State of the state address

See also: Michigan 2016 State of the State address

Governor Rick Snyder (R), amidst criticism by state and national leaders, addressed the Flint water crisis in his State of the State address on January 19, 2016.

In the address, Snyder apologized to the residents of Flint. He promised to release emails from 2014 and 2015 related to the water contamination crisis and said he would take "full responsibility" for solving the crisis. He also laid out plans to prevent similar problems in the future. “I’m sorry, and I will fix it,” he said.

Snyder said he would ask for $28 million in federal aid to solve the problem. He said, “No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe. Government failed you — federal, state and local leaders — by breaking the trust you place in us.”

President Barack Obama (D) approved $5 million in aid the weekend before Snyder's address.

The address acknowledged specific mistakes his administration made, such as misunderstanding regulations and failing to detect lead in Flint's water. He said he was told the problem was limited to one household and that worries about lead were raised as far back as February. He thanked the whistleblowers who did detect the lead in Flint's water as well as children's blood.

His address did not explain why state officials chose to switch the source of Flint's water to Flint River, a known dumping ground, in April 2014. It also did not explain the state's months-long delay in responding to complaints about the discolor and odor of the water. Nor did the address answer questions about which officials were aware of the lead problem and when they became aware of it.

Snyder said he would take preventative measures in response to the crisis. He specifically mentioned lead testing in Michigan schools, requiring the Michigan Department of Transportation to work with locals to consider replacing old pipes, and establishing a Commission for Building 21st Century Infrastructure, focused on the issue of lead contamination. He said he expects the Commission to submit a report by September 2016.

Republicans in the state defended him on the day of the address, while Democrats criticized his style of governance.

Representative Dan Kildee (D), who represents Flint, said the $28 million Snyder said he would ask for would not be enough to pay for the costs Flint residents had already endured because of the toxins.

The address was unusual for a governor's state of the state address, in that it focused on a major failure of Snyder's administration instead of its accomplishments. Snyder promised to spend the last three years of his administration making amends for the Flint crisis and asked for prayers for the city's residents.

In addition to the Flint crisis, Snyder discussed self-driving vehicles and education; he said he would create a commission on education in addition to the infrastructure commission.

Federal emergency declaration request

On January 14, 2016, Governor Snyder sent a letter to President Obama requesting a federal emergency declaration and millions of dollars in funds. In the letter, Snyder said the "impoverished area" of Flint has been overwhelmed by lead contamination and that “mistrust in government is at a heightened level.”

Snyder's application sought help from all available federal programs. He estimated the cost of 90 days of clean drinking water at $10.3 million and the cost of home filters, filter cartridges and testing kits at $31 million over a one-year period. He told the president that over the long term, replacing old lead service lines at private buildings could cost $54 million.

“The state has responded, but the response needs far exceed the state’s capability,” Snyder said. Part of the state's response was to dispatch the National Guard to distribute free water, filters and other supplies.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver responded to Snyder's aid request, "We're finally getting the attention that we need and deserve."

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) said on January 15 that his office was investigating to find out if any laws were broken in the state's handling of the water crisis. The United States Department of Justice was also investigating.

On January 16, President Obama granted Snyder's request to declare a state of emergency, making available $5 million in federal aid.

Response to disaster zone denial

In addition to requesting a federal declaration of emergency, Governor Snyder requested that the president declare Flint a federal disaster zone. While President Obama approved of the former request on January 16, he denied the latter request.

The Detroit News reported that Snyder would appeal the Obama administration's decision not to declare the disaster zone. The decision meant that the federal government would provide funds in accordance with the state of emergency, but that Michigan would be denied further funds corresponding with a disaster zone. Obama's decision blocks the state from receiving $96 million in federal aid for bottled water, faucet filters and replacing the pipes secreting lead into Flint's drinking water.

Obama denied the disaster zone request because Flint's water contamination was a man-made problem. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate sent a letter to Snyder explaining that the Flint crisis "does not meet the legal definition of a 'major disaster'" according to the federal government. That definition, he wrote, allowed only for natural catastrophes, fires, floods or explosions.

On January 17, Snyder spokesman Dave Murray explained why the state was planning to appeal. He said, “We want to exhaust every opportunity to bring potential resources to Flint.”

Email release

In his state of the state address apologizing for the Flint water crisis, Snyder promised to release emails from 2014 and 2015 related to the situation. He released 273 emails the day after the speech.

The emails showed that, early on, the governor's office did not consider reports of contaminated water to be serious. State agencies in charge of environmental and health issues were aware of reports of discolor, odor, bacteria and chemicals contaminating the water but said there was no imminent danger. When reports of lead poisoning came about, the emails showed, state officials were quick to discredit them. They insinuated that Flint's reports were exaggerated in order to get the legislature to spend money on the struggling city's water system.

In January 2015, Sheldon Neeley (D), a state representative for Flint, sent the governor a letter claiming the city "stands on the precipice of civil unrest" and asked the state for $21 million in debt forgiveness in order to clean the water. The Department of Environmental Quality sent Snyder a letter claiming the risk from trihalomethane was not a cause for alarm:

“	It's not "nothing." State and federal law requires quarterly testing for TTHM and that the public be informed of it when the annual average of four quarters' worth of consecutive testing shows TTHM levels exceeding 80 parts per billion. Flint's results managed to exceed the annual average in three quarters, and they must develop a plan to address it. But it's not like an eminent [sic] threat to public health. Unlike an e. Coli or even total coliform bacteria maximum contaminant level, which require immediate public notification and response and are part of daily / hourly testing of public water supplies, TTHMs pose a public health concern with chronic, longterm exposure… The key to the conversation is that TTHM is not a top health concern. That's key because residents need to understand TTHM in context, and it is key because it appears the mayor has seized on the public panic (sparked, frankly, by their poor communication of the violation notice) to ask the state for loan forgiveness and more money for their infrastructure improvement.	”

In September 2015, when a study from physicians at Hurley Medical Center that reported a correlation between the Flint river water and increased lead in children's blood reached the governor's office, Snyder's Chief of Staff Dennis Muchmore referred to the warnings as "political football." He wrote in a September 25 email:

“	The DEQ and [health department] feel that some in Flint are taking the very sensitive issue of children's exposure to lead and trying to turn it into a political football claiming the departments are underestimating the impacts on the populations and particularly trying to shift responsibility to the state. We have put an incredible amount of time and effort into this issue because of the impacted neighbors and their children, and the KWA/DWSD controversy and Dillon's involvement in the final decision. [Congressman Dan] Kildee is asking for a call with you. That's tricky because he's sure to use it publicly, but if you don't talk with him it will just fan the narrative that the state is ducking responsibility. I can't figure out why the state is responsible except that Dillon did make the ultimate decision so we're not able to avoid the subject.	”

The state Department of Health and Human Services suggested that the doctors' data was flawed, before the state accepted its findings a week later.

Attorney general investigation and resulting legal actions

Criminal indictments

On April 20, 2016, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) announced that his office would bring criminal charges against three public employees related to the water contamination in Flint. Two officials from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality—District Supervisor Michael Prysby and District Supervisor Stephen Busche—were indicted on felony charges that include evidence tampering and misconduct in office. Michael Glasgow, Flint's water quality supervisor, was also charged with evidence tampering and willful neglect of duty. The three officials could face up to four years in prison. Schuette, who is expected to run for governor in 2018, began an investigation into the water crisis in January 2016; the probe will continue and is expected to result in more indictments.

Civil lawsuits

On June 22, 2016, Schuette announced that his office had filed civil lawsuits related to the water contamination against two private companies hired by the state. The suit alleges that French resource management company Veolia, which the state hired to assess the water contamination, "misrepresent[ed]" the water condition to officials and made damaging recommendations. It further alleges that Texas-based engineering company Lockwood, Andrews & Newman, which was responsible for the operation of the water treatment plant at the time of the transition from Lake Huron to Flint River drinking water, made the transition without implementing any corrosion control measures, resulting in the contamination. Both companies denied the charges.

Recall effort against Attorney General Bill Schuette over hiring of outside investigators

On June 9, 2016, the Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved a recall petition against Attorney General Schuette. The petition, submitted by Calvin Hodges of Sterling Heights, stated the reason for recall as: "[Schuette] publicly announced that he had appointed attorney Todd Flood as special counsel to spearhead ... the Flint water crisis probe." The recall effort did not succeed in making it to the ballot.

Schuette appointed Flood on January 25, 2016, along with a team of investigators under a $1.5 million contract. He was later criticized for the appointment due to contributions made by Flood to the political campaigns of both Schuette and Governor Rick Snyder (R). Hodges called the team of investigators "a waste of taxpayers' money," as the state employs its own investigators who Hodges asserted should have handled the case. Schuette had earlier cited the many civil lawsuits filed against various state agencies over the Flint water crisis as a conflict of interest for his investigators, so he therefore hired an outside agency. A spokeswoman for Schuette stated that the attorney general "believes strongly that it is his duty to protect the citizens of Michigan by thoroughly investigating what went wrong in Flint," and further stated that the "investigation will be without fear or favor."

Click here to read more about the recall process in Michigan.

National responses

President Barack Obama

On January 16, 2016, President Obama declared a state of emergency in Michigan, which "authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in Genesee County," according to a White House press release.

On January 19, 2016, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver met with White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett and President Obama. According to White House officials, Weaver told President Obama "how the residents of Flint are dealing with the ongoing public health crisis, and the challenges that still exist for the city, its residents, and the business community."

Although President Obama visited Detroit, Michigan, on January 20 to discuss the auto industry and school closures with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, he did not visit Flint. While he was in Michigan, President Obama addressed the water crisis. He said, "I am very proud of what I’ve done as president, but the only job that’s more important to me is the job of father, and I know if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself if my kids' health could be at risk. ... It is a reminder of why you can't shortchange basic services that we provide to our people and that we together provide as a government to make sure that public health and safety is preserved." He added that he told Mayor Weaver "that we are going to have her back."

Obama's visit to Flint

President Obama visited Flint, Michigan, on May 4, 2016, to "hear directly from Flint residents, get an in-person briefing on the situation and deliver remarks to members of the community," according to NBC News. He was invited to the city by Amariyanna Copeny, an 8-year-old girl known as "Little Miss Flint."

On March 14, 2016, Copney wrote in a letter to President Obama, “I am one of the children that is (affected) by this water and I've been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint. I know this is (probably an) odd request but I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife. My mom said chances are you will be to busy with more important things but there is a lot of people coming on these buses and even just a meeting from you or your wife would really lift peoples spirits.”

President Obama responded, “You’re right that Presidents are often busy, but the truth is, in America, there is no more important title than citizen. And I am so proud of you for using your voice to speak out on behalf of the children of Flint. That’s why I want you to be the first to know that I’m coming to visit Flint on May 4th. I want to make sure people like you and your family are receiving the help you need and deserve. Like you, I’ll use my voice to call for change and help lift up your community.”

During his visit, President Obama drank a glass of filtered tap water “in a show of solidarity with the city of 100,000 and to demonstrate his faith in the treatment and filtering.” While speaking to Flint residents, President Obama said that the lead contaminated water is a result of a “broader mindset, a bigger attitude — a corrosive attitude — that exists in our politics and exists in too many levels of government. It’s a mindset that believes that less government is the highest good, no matter what. It’s a mindset that says environmental rules, designed to keep your water clean, your air clean, are optional or not that important. … It’s an ideology that undervalues the common good, that says we’re all on our own.”

EPA administrator Gina McCarthy

On January 18, 2016, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said, "EPA did its job but clearly the outcome was not what anyone would have wanted. So we're going to work with the state, we're going to work with Flint. We're going to take care of the problem. We know Flint is a situation that never should have happened." McCarthy added that the agency "established a task force of experts and is conducting an audit of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's water program 'to make sure whatever improvements need to be made get made and get done quickly,'" according to Reuters.

The EPA announced on January 21, 2016, that its response to the Flint water crisis was inadequate, and Susan Hedman, an administrator who oversaw Michigan, submitted her resignation effective February 1. The EPA also issued an emergency order to address the crisis.

On February 19, 2016, Mark Pollins, director of the EPA’s water enforcement division, sent a letter to the Michigan department of environmental quality (MDEQ) asking them to immediately develop a "comprehensive plan to ensure the optimization of corrosion control for the public water system for the current source water" and to find an "adequate number of qualified personnel" to help Flint meet safe drinking water requirements, as required by the January 21 emergency administrative order.

In response, MDEQ spokeswoman Melanie Brown said in a statement, "We look forward to continuing our collaborative work with the EPA to ensure that Flint water is safe to drink and that the proper regulatory support is in place."

Flint spokeswoman Kristin Moore said that Mayor Karen Weaver "looks forward to working with the EPA and the state and federal governments to build the additional capacity needed for Flint to comply with all state and federal rules for safe drinking water."

Congressional response

Members of Congress proposed the following legislation to address the water crisis in Flint:

• S 2012—the Energy Policy and Modernization Act of 2016

• On January 8, 2016, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) introduced legislation to provide "up to $400 million in new federal emergency funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help replace or fix the City of Flint’s water supply infrastructure." The legislation also proposed funding "a $200 million Center of Excellence on Lead Exposure to focus on the immediate and long-term needs of children and adults exposed to lead." In addition, the legislation proposed requiring "the EPA to warn the public of high lead levels in drinking water if a state fails to do so," and it proposed giving "the State of Michigan new flexibility to use funding to help forgive water infrastructure loans." The legislation was introduced as an amendment to S 2012—the Energy Policy and Modernization Act of 2016.

• On February 4, 2016, Senate Democrats blocked a vote on S 2012—the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016—because they wanted more money allocated for Flint's infrastructure repairs and recovery from the water crisis.

• The Senate passed S 2012 on April 20, 2016, but it did not include funding for Flint because Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) placed a hold on the provision.

• HR 4470—the Safe Drinking Water Act Improved Compliance Awareness Act

• On February 10, 2016, the House passed HR 4470—the Safe Drinking Water Act Improved Compliance Awareness Act—by a vote of 416-2. The bill proposed requiring public water systems to notify customers if and when their water is contaminated. It also proposed requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to notify customers if the local water system fails to do so. In addition, it proposed creating a system to enhance federal, state, and local communications in the event that lead is found in a water system.

• S 2848—the Water Resources Development Act of 2016

• On April 25, 2016, Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced S 2848—the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. The bill proposed funding a variety of projects to provide "support and thorough oversight of our inland water and marine transportation system." Funding to help the city of Flint address its water crisis was included in the legislation.

• The Senate passed S 2848—the Water Resources Development Act of 2016—by a vote of 95-3. The $9.4 billion package proposed providing funding for water-related infrastructure projects, water conservation projects, and emergency funding for Flint, Michigan, and other cities with lead-contaminated water.

• HR 5303—the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA)

• The House passed HR 5303—the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA)—by a vote of 399-25. The legislation proposed providing funding for water-related infrastructure projects and water conservation projects.

• The House approved an amendment to the WRDA that allocated funding to Flint, and other cities with contaminated drinking water by a vote of 284-141. Although the Senate version of the WRDA included funding for Flint, the original House version did not.

Flint funding and a potential government shutdown

On September 27, 2016, the Senate failed to move forward with a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until December 9, 2016. Senate Democrats blocked the CR because it included funding for flood victims in Louisiana, Maryland, and West Virginia, but not for residents of Flint. The CR failed in two procedural votes, 45-55 and 40-59. Sixty votes were needed to move forward with the bill.

Democrats did not oppose including flood relief in the CR, but they argued that if flood victims received funding, residents of Flint should also receive funding for safe drinking water, whether that was in the CR or another measure.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said, "If, in fact, the people of Flint have to wait again, then the people of Louisiana can join that wait with them til the end of the year."

Congressional leaders agreed to provide $170 million in funding for Flint in an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which passed on September 28, 2016. Passage of the WRDA paved the way for the CR to pass. Residents of Flint will have to wait until after the elections for the Senate and House to work out the differences between each chamber’s bill before it heads to Obama’s desk.

Possible human rights violation

Citizens of Flint may have had their human rights violated because the city consistently provided them with unsafe drinking water for more than two years. According to ABC News, "Three experts working with the U.N. human rights office in Geneva called on authorities...to 'map out a human rights complaint strategy' to make sure other parts of the U.S. don't face events like Flint's water crisis. Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, decried the 'high-handed and cavalier manner' in which decisions were made in Flint, alleging such choices wouldn't have been made if its population 'was well-off or overwhelmingly white.'"

2016 presidential candidates

Hillary Clinton

See also: Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016

• Hillary Clinton visited Flint, Michigan, on February 7, 2016, to speak to families and residents concerned about the clean water crisis. Among other comments, Clinton stated, "Clean water is not optional, my friends. It’s not a luxury. This is not merely unacceptable or wrong. What happened in Flint is immoral. Children in Flint are just as precious as children in any part of America."

• On January 19, 2016, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver (D) endorsed Clinton, although she "didn't necessarily intend to make endorsement news," according to the Huffington Post. Weaver praised Clinton for sending her top campaign aides to Flint and for bringing attention to the crisis. Weaver said, "We want a friend like Hillary in the White House. That's exactly what we need to have happen." When a reporter asked Weaver if she was endorsing Clinton, Weaver replied, "Yeah, it does sound like it, doesn't it? I want Hillary. ... As far as what Hillary Clinton has done, she has actually been the only -- the only -- candidate, whether we're talking Democratic or Republican, to reach out and talk with us about, 'What can I do? What kind of help do you need?'"

• During the January 17, 2016, Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, Clinton commented on the water crisis in Flint, saying, "I spent a lot of time last week being outraged by what's happening in Flint, Michigan and I think every single American should be outraged. We've had a city in the United States of America where the population which is poor in many ways and majority African American has been drinking and bathing in lead contaminated water. And the governor of that state acted as though he didn't really care. He had requests for help that he basically stonewalled. I'll tell you what, if the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there would've been action. So I sent my top campaign aide down there to talk to the mayor of Flint to see what I could do to help. I issued a statement about what we needed to do and then I went on a TV show and I said, 'it was outrageous that the governor hadn't acted and within two hours he had.' I want to be a president who takes care of the big problems and the problems that are affecting the people of our country everyday."

• During an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on January 14, 2016, Clinton criticized Governor Snyder for his handling of the water crisis. She said, "Right now, as best I can understand, the governor, the Republican governor, Gov. Snyder, is refusing to ask for the triggering of the federal help that he needs in order to take care of the people who are his constituents. And I am just outraged by this."

Donald Trump

See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

• Donald Trump toured Flint's water plant and visited a church in the city on September 14, 2016. Trump told residents of Flint that the water crisis can be fixed and that he would help improve the city's economy by bringing jobs back. He said, “I can only say in the strongest of terms that we can fix this problem. It's going to take time. It's amazing the damage that has been done. ... Most importantly we’ll bring jobs back to Flint. ... Flint's pain is a result of so many different failures. ... It used to be cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. Now the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint. That's not good.”

• While speaking at a church in Flint, Rev. Faith Green Timmons, a pastor at the church, interrupted Trump when he began criticizing Clinton. She said, “Mr. Trump, I invited you here to thank us for what we’ve done in Flint, not give a political speech.” Trump then returned to speaking about Flint's water crisis and lack of jobs in the community.

• Before Trump arrived, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, a Hillary Clinton supporter, criticized Trump's visit, saying, "Flint is focused on fixing the problems caused by lead contamination of our drinking water, not photo ops."

• On January 19, 2016, Trump said, "It’s a shame what’s happening in Flint, Michigan. A thing like that shouldn’t happen. But again, I don’t want to comment on that."

Gary Johnson

See also: Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016

• On September 14, 2016, Gary Johnson discussed the Flint water crisis, saying, “I don’t know what happened in Michigan, other than this really is a catastrophic failure of government." He added, “It’s absolutely a situation that the government should be involved in. Government, I think, has a fundamentally [sic] responsibility against those that would do us harm — in this case, pollution. And I support the EPA.”

Jill Stein

See also: Jill Stein presidential campaign, 2016

• On January 26, 2016, Stein expressed outrage over the lead concentrations in the drinking water of residents of Flint, Michigan. She said, "No human being should be condemned to drink water contaminated by a neurotoxin.” Stein called for criminal prosecution of the governor and other public officials who were aware of the contamination, immediate federal and state intervention to resolve Flint’s water crisis, and a massive federal investment in the nation’s crumbling water system.