The Flint Water Crisis Is A Perfect Example Of Environmental Racism

Environmental racism is often an afterthought, even for those who want to fix our race-based ills and protect black and brown lives. Now, the water crisis gripping Flint, Michigan is shining a bright light on how structural racism is found in our environmental resources and is costing people their lives across the nation.

Flint, Michigan is experiencing a well-documented crisis as a result of a contaminated water supply. A study dating back to 2011, showed the Flint River water supply needed to be treated with an anti-corrosive agent in order to be fit for human consumption, as required by federal law. This study and law was ignored when officials decided to use the river as the primary water source for the city.

Potentially large numbers of children in Flint will have to cope with the neurological damage caused by lead poisoning for the remainder of their lives as a result.

Related: US authorities distorting tests to downplay lead content of water

Filmmaker Michael Moore, a native of the city, posited that the reason state of Michigan officials were willing to switch the water supply from Lake Huron to the notoriously polluted and foul-smelling Flint River was largely to do with race and class. He pointed out the obvious fact that Flint’s population is majority black and economically depressed.

Governor Snyder’s denial that this is environmental racism is deplorable and infuriating. Institutional and structural racism is often based upon neglect and valuing money or assets over human life and well-being. Such is the case in Flint, where not only did the officials switch the water supply to a dangerous source, but according to residents, they are still being billed for water that poisoned their children and qualifies as toxic waste according to the EPA’s own standards.

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http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/the-flint-water-crisis-is-a-perfect-example-of-environmental-racism/