A Truth Squad companion

THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY: Rating comments of public officials and experts on the Flint water crisis

Posted on: February 4, 2016 Written by: Bridge Staff Topic: A Truth Squad companion

More coverage

This gallery of quotes provides a guide to more than 30 statements attributed to public officials, government regulators, and other drinking water and public health experts throughout the Flint drinking water saga.

Each quote is marked at the top with one of three labels:

  1. “Bad Information” - a statement that ultimately turns out to be seriously incorrect.
  2. “Outrageous Statement” – a statement that is not only seriously incorrect, but suggests some combination of irresponsibility, insensitivity, or a serious lack of professional judgement or urgency in dealing with the lead-poisoning crisis.
  3. “Truth Telling.” – accurate, revelatory statements that ultimately lead to full exposure of the lead crisis in Flint drinking water.

This gallery summarizes far more detailed information within the Michigan Truth Squad's Flint Water Disaster Timeline.

Read 6 comments

Like what you’re reading in Bridge? Please consider a donation to support our work!

It takes time, money, and hard work to inform Michigan readers and leaders with substantive, in-depth, future-oriented news and analysis. If you value our journalism, please consider a one-time donation or a monthly contribution. It takes just a moment to donate here. Please join the thousands of Bridge readers who are helping grow and sustain our nonprofit, in-depth public service journalism in Michigan.

Pay with VISA Pay with MasterCard Pay with American Express Donate now

Add new comment

Jump to 6 comments

More information about text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Comments

Tony
Thu, 02/04/2016 - 7:34pm
This is a very interesting piece. However, it is quite strange that not a single comment or statement made by Governor Snyder has been included. Snyder's made many comments asserting that he wasn't aware of the severity of the crisis until early October stretches beyond credulity. His claim in the SOS that the crisis began with the decision by local authorities to join the Karagondi Water Authority -meets a standard of dishonesty and deception that ought to qualify as an "outrageous statement". Last week when asked why he only released emails about Flint for 2014-2015 he claimed that those were the only years he was "asked for"! The Truth Squad will have to dig deep to assign a term to evaluate a lie of such grandeur.
R.L.
Fri, 02/05/2016 - 5:49am
Good one rightly assume that prior to switching to the Flint river for water that it would be tested. Any water specialist or scientist would determine if any chemicals would have to be added to make the water safe or have any affects on the lining of the pipes.????????? Will anyone be held criminally liable for what has happened. Replacing every line in Flint.????????????? Sometimes this reminds me of the Love Canal of many, many years ago. R.L.
Bill
Sat, 02/06/2016 - 9:09pm
FOUL. Bridge can do better reporting than this. "Marc Edwards...........and concludes that, overall, Flint’s water, in his survey, is well above the 15 parts per billion that should have sparked serious state or federal intervention." I just looked at the DEQ web site data reports and OVERALL, residential tap water testing does not exceed the 15 ppb lead action level. This is not to say there is no lead exposure at an alarming number of Flint homes.
Rick
Sun, 02/07/2016 - 12:40pm
DEQ was a huge part of the problem here and clearly lied and distorted facts. And you're citing them?!
Will
Wed, 02/10/2016 - 8:24am
Unfortunately, Gov Rick is so Teflon coated by his Rep State cronies, he will let all of the blame slide off to scapegoats in his circle of appointees and lower level electrodes. The Love Canal reference was one that I also had thoughts about. Chemical contamination hurts everyone - present and future. The Congressional Committee hearing should include The Tough Nerd. Can he side step them forever? Send a plane and US Marshalls to his Ann Arbor home and force the issue!
OLIVIA Hart
Fri, 08/25/2017 - 8:18am

I'm hoping someone here is tracking the sources for your story on the Flint WATER crisis....so these facts in the future will be easy to locate.