Flint Water Scandal - Essay Sample

The Flint water crisis commenced in 2014 when Flints source for drinking water was changed to the Flint River. However, after the change, there was the insufficient treatment of water, and consequently, the citys population of over 100,000 residents were exposed to toxic levels of lead which had dissolved into the drinking water. The Flint scandal is one of the scandals in the U.S. featuring the lack of political capital, which should assure a voice in governance, as well as the ability to hold politicians and agencies accountable.

The event was chosen because it caused a public outcry and health crisis prompting President Obama in declaring a state of emergency in Flint. As such, this paper analyses the public event to show why it is necessary to conduct a risk assessment for projects, primarily those that would potentially lead to a crisis (Baum, Bartram, & Hrudey, 2016). In essence, the event highlights the need to prevent future health crisis based on drinking water contamination in the U.S. It should be noted that lead is a toxin that can lead to poisoning, and the adverse effects can lead to poor mental health, especially for children. (Rosner, 2016). As such, the Flint water crisis was chosen because it was a scandal that affected many lives. The state government should provide essential amenities to its people, and thus, the personnel appointed to ensure safe drinking water should be able to conduct a risk analysis, which they never did, and thus, it was negligent of them. In effect, the health of the Flint residents was compromised, and thus, this analysis highlights these aspects, and thus, provides a backing for the need of risk assessment to prevent future water crisis.

The Crisis and Dangers of Lead Poisoning

After the source of drinking water was changed in 2014, almost immediately, the residents, the majority being black and approximately 40% of the population living in poverty, complained about the water quality (Kennedy, 2016). However, politicians, city officials denied for months that the water was not safe and there was no serious problem. In essence, these claims came, but the city officials did not sanction a risk assessment that would investigate whether the claims were true or false. For this reason, it can be noted that they were negligent (Rosner, 2016; Kennedy, 2016). Had an assessment been carried out, then the problem would have been averted before it was serious, thereby preventing the scandal in time. In consequence, the supply pipes had sustained corrosion and lead leached into the water. Even though the city switched back to its original drinking water source late last year, the damage had already been done and the action was too little too late. Reversing the damage to the pipes was impossible.

Since the Flint residents were exposed to lead, every individual who drank the water stood a chance of being poisoned. Lead poisoning has adverse impacts on both children and adults (Carroll, 2016; Mack, 2016). In essence, it should be noted that lead exposure among children reduces their intellectual functioning, problem-solving capacity, academic performance, and also leads to hyperactivity, aggression, as well as attention deficit disorder. In fact, studies conducted have revealed that elevated levels of lead among children is associated with a higher likelihood to commit crimes, and be dependent on government services, just as in adults (Carroll, 2016; Mack, 2016). Besides, early life exposure to lead may lead to increased risk of developing Alzheimers diseases later in life, and the risk persists even long after the lead was removed from the individuals body.

The Need for Risk Assessment

Drinking water utilities usually face threats from disasters and aging infrastructure and without a proper risk assessment can lead to an emergency, just like that was declared in Flint. As such, it is vital to conduct risk assessments to find where the water utilities stand. Flint did not conduct a risk assessment, which led to the scandal (Baum et al. 2016). For this reason, it was essential to conduct accurate risk assessments once the residents started to complain about the water. Essentially, all projects before sanctioning should involve a risk assessment to investigate whether they can potentially lead to adverse health effects for the community members. It is clear that there was no risk assessment conducted, which by itself reveals that the people involved in the project were not concerned about the health safety of Flint residents. Even after the residents complained, no assessments were done correctly. Even though the State of Michigan had financial problems and they were looking for a cheaper alternative to supply drinking water, conducting risk assessment should have been made a priority.

Summary and Conclusion

It can be concluded that Flint water scandal is one of the major crisis related to drinking water in the U.S. As there was no risk assessment for changing the source of drinking water to the river, the residents were exposed to lead poisoning. Even though it was performed late and reversal made to the drinking water source, the damage had already been done. For this reason, to prevent future instances of related scandals, it is essential to conduct an accurate risk assessment because lack of it could potentially lead to compromising the health of people.

References

Baum, R., Bartram, J., & Hrudey, S. (2016). The Flint Water crisis confirms that us drinking water needs improved risk management. Environmental science & technology, 50(11), 5436.

Carroll, A.E. (2016, Feb). What the Science Says About Long-Term Damage From Lead. New York Times. Retrieved fro https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/upshot/what-the-science-says-about-long-term-damage-from-lead.html

Kennedy, M. (2016, Apr). Lead-laced water in Flint: A step-by-step look at the makings of a crisis. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/20/465545378/lead-laced-water-in-flint-a-step-by-step-look-at-the-makings-of-a-crisis

Mack, J. (2016, Feb). Lead levels elevated for thousands of Michigan children outside of Flint. Michigan Live. Retrieved from http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/thousands_of_michigan_children.html

Rosner, D. (2016). A lead poisoning crisis enters its second century. Health Affairs, 35(5), 756.