Thread: Flint MI

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    Flint MI

    I know I posted a thread about the water crisis in Flint MI... but I can not get it to pop on "search".



    Two People Connected To Flint Water Investigation Found Dead

    Posted on April 29, 2016

    Two people who were connected to the Flint water company investigation were both found dead in the space of a week this month.

    Water Treatment Plant Foreman, Matthew McFarland, and the woman leading the lead poisoning suit, Sasha Avonna Bell, were found dead within days of each other.

    Vigilantcitizen.com reports:

    The Flint water crisis began exactly two years ago, on April 2014, when Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water to the Flint River – to which officials had failed to apply corrosion inhibitors. Almost immediately, Flint residents complained about the water’s color, taste and odor. In the following months, numerous water issues arose, with little to no governmental action to fix them.

    ◾August and September 2014 boil-water advisories were issued by the city due to coliform bacteria detection

    ◾On August 21, 2014 test showed the city’s water tested high for THMs, a chlorine byproduct of disinfecting water, with which long term exposure has been linked to cancer and other diseases.

    ◾Though the city stated that the water was safe, the employees of the Flint Public Library declared the water undrinkable after noticing that the water from the faucets and toilets was discolored.

    ◾On March 2, 2016, it was reported that the state of Michigan blocked Flint from returning to Lake Huron water from the Detroit water system when it agreed to grant the city an emergency loan of $7 million in April 2015

    ◾It was discovered that the high levels of lead were due to orthophosphate being omitted from the water treatment process, while using a pH of 7.4 and that the orange water was due to the high concentration of chloride in the Flint River water, which caused excessive corrosion of the cast iron mains pipes.
    Far from taking decisive action, governments denied that the water was toxic.

    While the local outcry about Flint water quality was growing in early 2015, Flint water officials filed papers with state regulators purporting to show that “tests at Flint’s water treatment plant had detected no lead and testing in homes had registered lead at acceptable levels.” The documents falsely claimed that the city had tested tap water from homes with lead service lines, and therefore the highest lead-poisoning risks; in reality; the city does not know the locations of lead service lines, which city officials acknowledged in November 2015 after the Flint Journal/MLive published an article revealing the practice after obtaining documents through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

    – Robin Erb, Flint doctor makes state see light about lead in water
    The net result is that over 10,000 children (mostly Black) were exposed to water contaminated with lead. Lead poisoning has devastating effects on the brain:

    Childhood lead exposure causes a reduction in intellectual functioning and IQ, academic performance, and problem-solving skills, and an increased risk of attention deficit disorder, aggression, and hyperactivity. According to studies, children with elevated levels of lead in the blood are more likely as adults to commit crimes, be imprisoned, be unemployed or underemployed, or be dependent on government services.

    – Julie Mack, Lead levels elevated for thousands of Michigan children outside of Flint
    A massive investigation is now underway and lawsuits are being filed. And things are turning uglier.

    Cover Up

    Now that the federal government opened an investigation on the issue, news emerging from Flint are downright sordid.

    First, in March, important documents went missing, the police openly admits that it was an inside job, and that the crime will most likely remain unresolved.

    Days before the federal government opened an investigation into the Flint water crisis, someone broke into a vacant City Hall office full of documents related to the embattled Michigan city’s water system.

    Nearly three months later, officials have confirmed that a TV went missing, but little else is known, according to the Flint Journal.

    Without suspects or a firm handle on what else may have been swiped, authorities told the paper last week that the crime may remain unsolved.

    No warrants have been issued in the case, but officials don’t shy away from speculative statements that stop just short of conspiracy theories.

    “It was definitely an inside job,” police chief Tim Johnson told the Journal. “The power cord (to the TV) wasn’t even taken. The average drug user knows that you’d need the power cord to be able to pawn it.”

    “It was somebody that had knowledge of those documents that really wanted to keep them out of the right hands, out of the hands of someone who was going to tell the real story of what’s going on with Flint water.”

    Days before the federal government opened an investigation into the Flint water crisis, someone broke into a vacant City Hall office full of documents related to the embattled Michigan city’s water system.
    – Washington Post, The mystery surrounding missing water files at Flint City Hall: ‘It was definitely an inside job’

    On April 16th, Water Treatment Plant Foreman Matthew McFarland (who had been interviewed regarding the water crisis) was found dead at the young age of 43. Cause of death? Unknown.

    Already reeling from the news of criminal charges against one of its workers in the wake of the Flint water crisis, city workers are now dealing with the sudden death of a foreman at the plant.

    Water Treatment Plant Foreman Matthew McFarland, 43, of Otter Lake died suddenly on on Saturday, April 16, according to his obituary.

    The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department said a friend found McFarland unresponsive at a home in Otter Lake. There were no signs of foul play.

    An autopsy did not determine a cause of death and police are awaiting toxicology reports. The investigation remains open.

    “My thoughts and prayers go out to Matt’s co-workers, his family and especially his children,” said Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. “He worked for the City of Flint for more than 18 years and we thank him for his devotion and service.”

    “We all have been brought together by this water crisis and we are all mourning his death,” Weaver said in a statement. “In lieu of flowers, the family has expressed they would appreciate donations to establish a fund for (his children) Vance and Ella’s college expenses.”

    McFarland’s death comes as Flint’s water plant deals with news that Flint Utilities Manager Michael Glasgow is one of three men facing criminal charges in connection with the city’s water crisis.

    Glasgow is accused of tampering with evidence when he allegedly changed testing results to show there was less lead in city water than there actually was. He is also charged with willful neglect of office.

    Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, tampering with evidence and violations of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act.

    Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office confirmed that McFarland was previously interviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into the city’s water crisis.
    – mlive, Flint water plant continues to reel with sudden death of foreman

    A few days later, a 19-year old woman leading the Flint water crisis lawsuit was found shot dead in her home. A culprit was arrested. Was he a patsy?
    Last edited by Jolie Rouge; 06-02-2016 at 07:41 AM.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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    { continued }

    A woman at the center of a bellwether Flint water crisis lawsuit was one of two women who were shot to death inside a townhouse earlier this week.

    Sasha Avonna Bell was one of the first of a growing number of people to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint water crisis after she claimed that her child had been lead poisoned.

    Bell was found dead April 19 in the 2600 block of Ridgecrest Drive at the Ridgecrest Village Townhouses. Sacorya Renee Reed was also found shot to death in the home.

    An unharmed 1-year-old child was also found inside of the Ridgecrest home when Bell’s body was discovered and was taken into custody by child protective services. Police declined to confirm if it was Bell’s child discovered in the home.

    “Sasha was a lovely young woman who cared deeply for her family, and especially for her young child,” said her attorney Corey M. Stern. “Her tragic and senseless death has created a void in the lives of so many people that loved her. Hopefully, her child will be lifted up by the love and support from everyone who cared deeply for Sasha.”

    Bell’s case was one of 64 lawsuits filed on behalf of 144 children by Stern’s firm, New York-based Levy Konigsberg, and Flint-based Robinson Carter & Crawford.

    The lawsuit named six companies that had various responsibilities with respect to the treatment, monitoring, and safety of the Flint water prior to and during the Flint water crisis, according to her attorneys. The case also named three individual government, or former government, employees who played significant roles in the alleged misconduct that led to the alleged poisoning of thousands of children in Flint, her attorneys claim.

    The Bell case, however, played an important role in determining the future of the more than five dozen other lawsuits that were filed.
    – mlive, Woman in leading Flint water crisis lawsuit slain in twin killing

    Everything about this story is revolting and dirty facts are emerging from everywhere. However, mass media largely ignores this story. Those that do are flooded with comments about “tin foil hats” and “conspiracy nutters”. It is as if shills are paid kill that story online … or maybe that poisonous lead has already done its debilitating, mind-numbing job.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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    What Life Is Like in Flint, Michigan, 3 Years Into the Water Crisis
    By Gillian Mohney and DR. LAURA JOHNSON ·May 29, 2016, 2:38 AM ET



    For Jacob Uhrek and his five children, every sip of water, every boiled pot of noodles, every drop of water to brush his teeth comes from the same source as it has for the more than two years: bottled water.

    "We bathe with filtered water," Uhrek, who lives in Flint, Michigan, told ABC News. "We still don’t drink or cook," non-bottled water.

    Flint has been in the headlines for months now after elevated lead levels were found in the municipal water system last year: President Obama visited the city earlier this month and drank the water to show that the water is safe to drink as long as residents use filters; celebrities held a fundraising concert on Oscar night; and three state officials are facing criminal charges over the water crisis.

    Elevated lead levels were found in the Flint water supply after the city disconnected from Detroit's water supply and began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. It was intended as a stop-gap measure until the completion of a pipeline to Port Huron Lake as the source for Flint's municipal water.

    But it was later discovered that lead from the old pipes had begun to leach into the water due to improper treatment of the water from the Flint River. And even though the supply was switched back to the Detroit water supply in October, the anti-corrosive chemicals that were used to stop the leaching have not yet been able to bring down the lead levels in unfiltered water, according to state officials.

    Lead is a known neurotoxin and is particularly harmful to young children whose neurological systems are still developing. Early lead exposure can have a lifetime of consequences, including lowered IQ, behavioral issues and developmental delays among others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    For residents dealing with the crisis day to day, life hasn't returned to normal. Uhrek said his family uses filtered water to bathe but for drinking and cooking, they're still using bottled water. Fortunately, none of his five children have tested positive for high lead levels, he said.

    The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advised that residents could drink filtered water as long as they were over the age of 6 and not pregnant.

    Uhrek said he's frustrated with what he feels has been a slow government response to the crisis, he also said he's been impressed by how local community members have come together, citing a nearby church that has kept up water donations after a local water supply station closed.

    "The community is pulling together. We’re seeing actual change but it’s in the people," Uhrek said. "We’re going to make it through."

    Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a local pediatrician, has been studying the lead levels in children in the community for years and helped draw attention to the crisis by publishing a paper finding children in Flint had significantly higher lead levels than their counterparts in surrounding areas after the water source was changed. Hanna-Attisha has been advocating for and talking about Flint for more than a year, but said the community still lacks long-term support.

    "This is unlike any other disaster," Hanna-Attisha told ABC News. "The impact of [this] disaster will last for decades and maybe generations. We have yet to garner the long-term [financial] help."

    One major difficulty will be trying to determine just how many children were exposed to elevated lead levels and who is most at risk, she said. Children are normally not tested for lead levels until they're a year old, however, a fetus can be exposed in utero or an infant during their first few months of life if their parents used tap water to give them formula.

    Congress has yet to pass funding to help alleviate the water crisis in Flint or to help children who were exposed to high levels of lead. In the Senate, a bipartisan bill has been proposed that includes more than $200 million in federal funding to help children and others affected by the Flint water crisis, but currently there is no vote scheduled on the bill.

    Hanna-Attisha said she's been frustrated to see funds that could help Flint languish in Congress.

    "It’s not a political issue, this is a humanitarian issue," she said, noting that this "great American city" has had contaminated water for three years now.

    Hanna-Attisha along with others at the Hurley Medical Center are working with Michigan State University and the Genesee County Health Department as part of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative started in January. The initiative has three goals -- to continue research on lead exposure in children in the area, to monitor these exposed children and get them assistance if they show developmental delays, and provide the tools and resources to monitor and help the children.

    "I will keep talking and keep advocating. The story is not over," Hanna-Attisha said.

    The city has hired 10 additional school nurses and the state has passed a Medicaid waiver that will add an additional 15,000 kids to Medicaid so they can get better treatment, she noted. Food and healthy eating has also become a focal point for health officials in the region, since an unhealthy diet low in iron means people can absorb more lead into their bones. There is also temporary funding for a new "nutrition prescription" program in which kids can redeem $10 vouchers for healthy foods at a nearby farmer's market, Hanna-Attisha said.

    "There’s a lot more coordination of resources and programs," she said.

    Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has outlined a plan to address the long-term damage that children exposed to lead could face, including new screening measures to help identify potential behavioral problems, expanding a free breakfast program, offering professional support and case management when children under 6 are found to have high lead levels, and addung more child and adolescent health centers in the county.

    State and local health officials have now been joined by officials from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as a state of emergency in the county has been extended into the summer.

    Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told ABC News that researchers are seeing progress in water quality. Recent water quality tests conducted by the CDC have shown filtered water may even be safe for pregnant women and young children, but Wells cautioned they're still awaiting final results and have yet to issue a new advisory.

    "Even if there are high levels of lead, the filters seem to work," Wells said.

    In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has launched a campaign to get residents to flush out particles that may be lingering in the water system, Wells said.

    The city faced another setback when a legionella outbreak was discovered in the area that sickened more than 90 people in 2014 and 2015. About half were linked to an area hospital, but health officials were also investigating whether the outbreak could have been related to the corroded pipes that leeched lead. Wells said this year the city is under enhanced surveillance for legionella so that officials can act quickly and identify the source of the outbreak. The last known case occurred in October 2015, but the disease is more common in summer months.

    Marc Edwards, a professor of civil engineering at Virginia Tech and founder of the Flint Water Study, said he was more hopeful after seeing federal and state agencies working to fix the effects of the water crisis.

    "I think that all parties at the table right now are really working at their best to get Flint back on its feet," Edwards said. "Since January, people have been trying their very best to help with the situation."

    However, Edwards said after talking to residents, he thinks it will take a long time before they trust their government.

    "For many in Flint, they will never drink water or take a bath or shower [in tap water] ever again," Edwards said. "The betrayal and loss of trust is so profound and it can never be restored."

    He and his team are still in the area testing water and working with health officials to monitor the situation. Edwards said he's become concerned that some people have become so afraid of the water they have stopped bathing or washing their hands and that could lead to further health consequences.

    "If people are fearful of bathing and washing hands, people will get hurt," he said.

    For Jacob Uhrek, he said he's annoyed that he is again getting a water bill that had been temporarily suspended earlier this year and he's looking into getting a filter that will treat all the water in the house. This summer he plans on keeping his children away from pools. "We got lot of freshwater and lakes," in Michigan, he said.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/life-fl...ry?id=39410982
    Last edited by Jolie Rouge; 06-02-2016 at 07:40 AM.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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    Sasha Avonna Bell, 19, was found dead Tuesday. She filed a lawsuit on behalf of her son

    A woman who was among the first to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint, Michigan water crisis was identified as one of two victims of a fatal shooting that happened earlier this week.

    She was identified Thursday, the same day the death of a Flint Water Treatment Plant foreman who was wanted for questioning in connection with the crisis was announced.

    Sasha Avonna Bell, 19, filed a lawsuit that alleged her 1-year-old suffers from the effects of lead poisoning as a result of contaminated water in Flint.

    She was found dead on Tuesday along with another victim, Sacorya Renee Reed, inside a home on Ridgecrest Drive, MLive reported.

    A 1-year-old child was found unharmed inside the home, but it was not clear whether the toddler was related to Bell.

    A suspect was taken into custody, but no charges had been filed as of Thursday, according to MLive.

    Bell's attorney described her as a 'lovely young woman' who cared 'deeply' for her family and child.

    'Her tragic and senseless death has created a void in the lives of so many people that loved her. Hopefully, her child will be lifted up by the love and support from everyone who cared deeply for Sasha,' said Corey M. Stern to MLive.

    Stern's New York-based law firm Levy Koningsberg is handling 64 lawsuits filed Stern's New York-based law firm Levy Koningsberg is handling 64 lawsuits filed on behalf of 144 children, along with Flint-based firm Robinson Carter & Crawford.

    The foreman, Matthew McFarland, was 43. He had been questioned by investigators looking into Flint's water crisis. The cause of his death is unknown.


    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...poisoning.html
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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