introduction On April 13 2014 the headline of an editorial in the Flint Journal made a bold proclamation Switch to Flint River Water Represents New Era in Flint Residents in this Michigan city best known for making GMC trucks had no idea how true that statement would turn out to be But it didn’t end up being the virtually unnoticeable changeover promised in the editorial It also wasn’t the good temporary solution that the newspaper foresaw Instead the new water source brought about a major public health disaster Its aftershocks are still felt today 4 21st century skills library
There are many factors that could cause tap water to change color 5
The environmental justice movement began in the United States in the 1970s It calls for an end to environmental racism where communities of color are more impacted by environmental hazards 6
For 18 long months Flint’s citizens battled to have local and state officials recognize what they knew each time they turned on their taps something was wrong with their water In color the water could be mistaken for iced tea or even coffee It had a strong smell and a chemical taste On top of that residents who bathed in it experienced odd problems Rashes and hair loss were common One woman’s eyelashes fell out Inside their bodies too many people felt different after the switch Neighbors compared complaints of headaches stomachaches joint pain and lack of energy Yes something was definitely wrong with the water But what exactly was it Access to clean water is a basic human right In its Sustainable Development Goals the United Nations UN calls Clean Water and Sanitation a global priority Equal access to quality water is so important that the UN named the years 2018 to 2028 the Water Action Decade 7 FLINT WATER CRISIS
