Flint water crisis

Prosecutors in the Michigan Attorney General’s office say they will argue a circuit court judge erred when she dismissed criminal charges against seven former public officials.

Author and pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha joined Bridge health reporter Robin Erb to discuss her account of the Flint Water Crisis.

Seventh Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Kelly dropped felony charges against seven former government officials tied to the Flint water crisis on Tuesday.

Join us October 13 for our latest Bridge Book Club event with author, physician and Michigander Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha to discuss her account of the Flint Water Crisis.

The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously rejected the use of a one-judge grand jury by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office to indict the ex-governor and other Flint water crisis defendants. Snyder’s lawyers blasted prosecutors as “vindictive.”

Cities around the Great Lakes region struggle with the cost of water maintenance and operation as their populations decline.

U.S. District Court Judge Judith E. Levy denied motions to stop subpoenas for Snyder and four other government officials in a civil lawsuit. The former officials wanted to assert their right to remain silent given their pending criminal cases.

Lawyers’ large cut of the $626-million settlement is justified by the years of difficult, good work on the case, a judge said Friday. Critics argue that’s too much, and that more of the money should go directly to Flint residents.

The settlement is a landmark in the tragedy, but a judge has yet to decide how much of the payout lawyers will keep. That's a big sticking point.

The percentage of Michigan children with elevated blood lead levels has been falling for decades, but the toxic metal continues to inflict an uneven toll in Michigan cities, from Detroit to Grand Rapids.

New rules, imposed after Flint, forced public water providers to look harder for lead leaching into drinking water. Violations of state lead standards are up nearly 50 percent, with new urgency to remove lead from water lines.

Until Michigan’s lead pipes are replaced, schools should install lead filters to protect our children. Bills now in the Legislature would ensure that.

The state’s stepped-up timeline follows pressure from local water activists who argue state and local government officials have been too slow to respond to lead-tainted water that has plagued the city for years.

Dangerously high lead levels have appeared in water tests in this low-income, majority Black community since 2018. Residents and activists say they fear the problem dates back longer, with Flint’s crisis as a backdrop.

It seemed like a good deal: The city offered free replacement of lead water lines to residents. But mistrust of the government, particularly in immigrant communities, and unclear messaging has made the operation a hard sell.

Lawyers want a sizable cut of the proposed $641 million deal, noting the risks they took and millions of dollars of expenses in litigating the class action. The debate highlights continued conflict over what justice looks like for battered Flint residents.

Rick Snyder’s attorneys argue that “neglecting a city is not a crime.” That should scare all of us.

According to the preliminary report, thousands more signed up since March 29, seeking a part of an historic settlement that exceeds $600 million in reimbursement for lead-poisoned city drinking water.

Under a Snyder-era reform following the Flint water crisis, Michigan utilities must begin switching out lead service lines this month, part of a 20-year project. But some already are seeking extensions and some cash-strapped cities are reluctant to have vulnerable ratepayers shoulder the burden.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who helped uncover the Flint water crisis, said Michigan’s lead service line replacement program is a major stride toward reducing lead exposure. But Michigan residents need not wait to start protecting themselves from lead-tainted water.