Flint Michigan (1 Viewer)

OK, so my friend knows someone who works for the EPA. That person started there after the Flint issue started, but is now part of the group investigating the story. I'm omitting a few details to keep the person's identity vague.

"Associate works at the EPA in Midwest and has been working on the case. From what They've told me, it sounds like the EPA tried to work with the MDEQ at first, kind of in shock that corrosion control wasn't being added, but after the MDEQ kept on insisting that the water was fine, the EPA has finally said no more being nice and that is when stuff started hitting the fan.

A few years ago, a consultant did a study to see if the Flint River would be feasible to use as a water source. The consultant's conclusion was that it would be fine, as long as corrosion control was added because the pH of the river would cause lead to leach out of the old lead water leads into houses. Corrosion control was a $100-$150 a day line item in the consultant's estimate.

Associate isn't sure if the line item was deleted out of ignorance, or out of extreme cost cutting; that is what their office is investigating right now."


This is my friend's opinion now...

"I'm guessing is that no one making the ultimate decision of the budget even knew what corrosion control was - seeing as the head of the DPW at the time of the water source switch was appointed by the emergency manager with no real credentials other than he owned some solar energy company. Or if they thought that since it was just a temporary situation they wouldn't need it? I don't know.....it's a sad situation and I'm appalled at how the various state agencies have dealt with it. Should have NEVER gotten to this point."

Earlier, my friend, the Civil engineer posted this (which is why I contacted her)

"When I first started seriously following this story last summer, my first reaction was "where is the engineer in all of this?!" and "what kind of engineer would allow this to happen?" As more and more information gets published and pieces of the puzzle are put together, guess what? The guy in charge of the City of Flint's Director of Public Works at the time of the switch was NOT an engineer! He was appointed by the state appointed Emergency Manager to 'cut costs.' You want to know what Howard Croft's claim to fame was? President and CEO of "Mid Michigan Solar." NOT a professional engineer!

To be a registered professional engineer in the state of MI, you need at minimum a bachelors of science in engineering, pass an eight hour exam, work as an engineer-in-training for 4 years, take another eight hour exam, and then take 30 hours of continuing ed every 2 years to retain the license. To have someone overseeing such an important aspect of society (and obviously botching it big time) without being licensed is a slap in the face to all of us who have put in the time, effort and taken an oath of ethics to do everything in our power to protect the public on a daily basis"
 
Report: Prior Flint Emergency Manager Rejected Using Poisoned Water Source "On a Long-Term Basis"

Kurtz, acting in his role as emergency manager, and the city of Flint collectively decided to move Flint away from Detroit’s water and towards a planned pipeline that would pull water from nearby Lake Huron. At the time, simply moving Flint away from Detroit’s water was accepted as a necessary cost-saving measure, though newly released emails seem to indicate that perhaps it wasn’t about saving money after all.

What’s in dispute is exactly who chose to use the corrosive Flint River water in the period between Flint disconnecting from Detroit and hooking up to Lake Huron, a decision that happened when Kurtz had already been succeeded by a man named Darnell Earley.
 
>>>was appointed by the emergency manager with no real credentials other than he owned some solar energy company

He could run his own charter school chain! No experience necessary! Create a fake title, hire temps, rake in the cash, and when it looks like people are about to figure out you're a phony, leave town (to start another charter school) Wow, they've got the MO down pat. Have they created fake engineer schools yet? (online, of course, because it's, like, technology, more STEMly.) To spit out wannabe engineers that will work for min wage (except those loyal enough to be advanced up the ranks of the charade - only the best liars need apply.)

Go back and look at who/when changed the licensing requirements at the state level. Watch how they talk about 'raising the bar' and wanting stronger standards. Yeah right.
 
OK, so my friend knows someone who works for the EPA. That person started there after the Flint issue started, but is now part of the group investigating the story. I'm omitting a few details to keep the person's identity vague.

"Associate works at the EPA in Midwest and has been working on the case. From what They've told me, it sounds like the EPA tried to work with the MDEQ at first, kind of in shock that corrosion control wasn't being added, but after the MDEQ kept on insisting that the water was fine, the EPA has finally said no more being nice and that is when stuff started hitting the fan.

A few years ago, a consultant did a study to see if the Flint River would be feasible to use as a water source. The consultant's conclusion was that it would be fine, as long as corrosion control was added because the pH of the river would cause lead to leach out of the old lead water leads into houses. Corrosion control was a $100-$150 a day line item in the consultant's estimate.

Associate isn't sure if the line item was deleted out of ignorance, or out of extreme cost cutting; that is what their office is investigating right now."


This is my friend's opinion now...

"I'm guessing is that no one making the ultimate decision of the budget even knew what corrosion control was - seeing as the head of the DPW at the time of the water source switch was appointed by the emergency manager with no real credentials other than he owned some solar energy company. Or if they thought that since it was just a temporary situation they wouldn't need it? I don't know.....it's a sad situation and I'm appalled at how the various state agencies have dealt with it. Should have NEVER gotten to this point."

Earlier, my friend, the Civil engineer posted this (which is why I contacted her)

"When I first started seriously following this story last summer, my first reaction was "where is the engineer in all of this?!" and "what kind of engineer would allow this to happen?" As more and more information gets published and pieces of the puzzle are put together, guess what? The guy in charge of the City of Flint's Director of Public Works at the time of the switch was NOT an engineer! He was appointed by the state appointed Emergency Manager to 'cut costs.' You want to know what Howard Croft's claim to fame was? President and CEO of "Mid Michigan Solar." NOT a professional engineer!"[...]

And once again, putting an inexperienced bureaucrat in a technical position has jumped up and bit them. And as usual, the people who ultimately pay for this crap are not the bozos up top.
 
The EPA should not get a pass from this - they were publicly telling Flint that the water did not contain high amounts of lead until November.
 
The EPA should not get a pass from this - they were publicly telling Flint that the water did not contain high amounts of lead until November.

Plenty of blame to go around. That said, the view that states will categorically do a better job administering governmental programs is questionable at best. I live in a state where three legislative leaders from both parties have spent time in jail or are about to--plus rank and file legislators have been convicted of crimes. No doubt that some of these officials should spend some time in the slammer. Fines are not enough.
 
that's the media for you

It's laziness and sensationalism.

The actions of the Flint Water "treatment" facility ended up poisoning the residents water supply. But the water supply drawn was not poison.

It might be semantics.

In any case, simply put the lack of corrosion controls was a concern by the EPA and it did in fact turn into an issue, as they warned it could, because it is leaching the lead out of the lead lines and other old piping. (which again, we should stop using lead solder!!!)
 
Maybe poisonous would be a better word? I mean, it is causing lead poisoning so obviously that word is in the ball park.

The problem isn't the river water. It's the fact they aren't treating the river water properly.
 
Amid denials, state workers in Flint got clean water

Snyder... you got some splaining to do.

In January of 2015, when state officials were telling worried Flint residents their water was safe to drink, they also were arranging for coolers of purified water in Flint's State Office Building so employees wouldn't have to drink from the taps, according to state government e-mails released Thursday by the liberal group Progress Michigan.

A Jan. 7, 2015, notice from the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which oversees state office buildings, references a notice about a violation of drinking water standards that had recently been sent out by the City of Flint.
 
You are 2 for 2 Expatriate.

I forgive you though as my link did not convert to the title. :hug:
 

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