...Flint, Michigan Water Crisis Currently in the city of Flint, Michigan they are experiencing a crisis—their entire water supply has been contaminated. Since April 2014, after the city changed its water source from the treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to water straight from the Flint River, this has exposed the public to great health risks. The heavy lead contamination within the river has been leached from aging pipes and into the water supply, making it dangerous for consumption and use. The NAACP, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has stated that they will give 30 days for the problem to be fixed. If the people of Flint speak out and engage in “civil disobedience” after no progress with the situation in the next 30 days, then it will result in the issue being fixed faster. Clean drinking water should not be a problem in the U.S. in this day of age, and it is a shame that it has come down to this in Michigan. In early 2014, Flint made the decision two years ago to switch the water supply to the local water source to save over five million dollars in a two-year period, due to a financial calamity. Unfortunately, things did not work out that way. Two years later, the entire water supply is going to cost over forty-five million dollars to repair and clean from lead contamination caused from aging pipes. A city that has already suffered from poverty and crime now doesn’t have access to safe drinking water. If the state invested $100 a...
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...Powerpoint Project The Flint Water Crisis The Flint water crisis is a drinking water contamination issue in Flint, Michigan that started in April 2014. After Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water to the Flint River, its drinking water had a series of problems with lead contamination, creating a serious public health danger. One rumor is said that the reason for the change in water source was because that in mid-2014 the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department had acquired a significant debt and delinquent accounts and talks of privatization were occurring. It was also cheaper to pull water from a near-by river instead of using outside resources. When officials decided on the change, they failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the source. The failed application of corrosion inhibitor: Orthophosphate. A corrosion inhibitor is a chemical compound that, when added to a liquid or gas, it decreases the corrosion rate of a material; in this case metal pipes. Not only were corrosion inhibitors not used but officials failed to realize, was that the Flint River itself was also found to contain EIGHT times more chloride than Detroit’s water. Chloride is highly corrosive to metals. The lacking inhibitors and the corrosive Flint River water caused lead from aging pipes to dissolve into the water supply, causing extremely elevated levels of the heavy metal. No not Metalica. Aging Pipes? Most residents in Flint have decades-old lead service...
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...Flint Water Crisis Community Teaching Experience Leah Van Wagnen February 2, 2016 Grand Canyon University NRS 427V All over the world there are people who unfortunately do not have clean drinking water. We mostly see this in areas of high poverty, including third world countries. It is a shame that nothing is done for most of those cities and people, but once this tragedy happens in an American city, aid is quick to come by. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a teaching plan developed around the topic of the Flint Water Crisis, water safety, symptoms of lead poisoning, water contaminants, and how to teach patients on those topics. This paper will also discuss the epidemiological rationale for the topic, evaluation of the teaching experience, the community’s response to the teaching, and areas of strength and weakness in the teaching plan. Summary of Teaching Plan The teaching plan focused on the education of nurse residents, or new grad nurses, who work at Sparrow hospital in Lansing, MI and live within the mid-Michigan area. The members of the group I addressed were all between the ages of 21 and 30, have completed at least an associate’s degree in nursing, and are no stranger to interactive lectures and presentations. The education took place at Sparrow hospital and took approximately twenty minutes to complete at no cost to the teacher. PowerPoints were passed out to each individual containing the related information. These nurse residents were educated on...
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...Problem-Solution Analysis The Flint water crisis is an issue which involves the contamination of drinking water in Flint, Michigan, United States. The crisis started in April 2014 when Flint decided to change its water source to the Flint River from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water, which was from Lake Huron and the Detroit River. The water of the Flint River is extremely corrosive, so as it travels to Flint, through the city’s old pipes, it ate away at the pipes, absorbing the lead before entering houses. Flint, Michigan’s water crisis is an incident that should not be ignored as it was done in Flint for one and a half year, but instead be dealt with immediately so nothing severe would happen as it did in Flint, Michigan....
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...In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, located nearly 70 miles north of Detroit, decided to switch water sources from Lake Huron to Flint River in order to reduce the water fund shortfall. Since the 1970s, the water located in the Flint River was severely neglected and contaminated due to, “toxic substances, fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen oils, and plant nutrients,” according to the State of Michigan’s DNR. The Department of Environmental Quality in Michigan was not treating the water with an anti-corrosive agent, and since the water wasn’t treated as needed, lead from aging service lines began leaching into the Flint water supply. This lead health effects of lead exposure to become prominent in the community, such as hearing...
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... Sarah Seeley Comp 101 2/22/16 Flint Michigan Lead Exposure (Environmental Racism) The water crisis in Flint, Michigan is instance of environmental racism, because if it were a higher economic, non-minority group of people, this case wouldn’t even be taking place. This issue could have been prevented years ago if not prevented then at least worked on. Imagine if it were New York City? with a more diverse and stable group of individuals. According to the Detroit Free Press majority of all the Flint residents paid water rates. Flint residents paid the highest water rates in America even as their water was tainted with lead, according to a national study released Tuesday by the public interest group Food and Water Watch. A survey of the 500 largest water systems in the country, conducted last year, found that on average, Flint residents paid about $864 a year for water service, nearly double the national average and about three-and-a-half times as much as Detroiters pay. The figure is based on an annual household consumption of 60,000 gallons. Ailene Butler an African activist who lived in Flint for 18-20 years was asked, “why she and her neighbors had not moved away,” Butler pointed out that discriminatory real estate practices particularly redlining had trapped black people in the North End.” So even the residents wanted to escape they were financially trapped. According to the LA times, the flint toxic water crisis was 50 years in the making. Likewise, with...
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...Assignment 1: Politics - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Danita Darnell Professor's Name: Professor Rufus Robinson, Ph.D. Course Title: U.S. Government February 13, 2016 Civil Rights Events The two Civil Rights Events that I will discuss are the Equal Pay Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is a United States federal law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. It was signed into law on June 10, 1963, by John F. Kennedy as part of his New Frontier Program. The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. It is job content, not job titles, that determines whether jobs are substantially equal. Specifically, the EPA provides that employers may not pay unequal wages to men and women who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility, and that are performed under similar working conditions within the same establishment (Facts About Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination). The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 prohibits employment discrimination against female workers who are (or intend to become) pregnant -- including discrimination in hiring, failure to promote, and wrongful termination. Employers must treat employees who are temporarily unable to work due to pregnancy just as they treat employees who are temporarily disabled...
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...On January 16, 2016, the city of Flint, Michigan was declared in a state of emergency after it was discovered that the city’s water contained dangerous amounts of lead. After a switch in water supply in April 2014, the number of children in Flint with elevated lead levels in their blood nearly doubled from 2013 to 2015 (Newland 2016). The Flint water crisis attracted national attention and led to a class-action lawsuit filed by city residents. Many Americans were shocked that the land of opportunity could fail the residents of Flint so badly. Many also pointed out that such a problem would not be likely in a more affluent area of the United States. While the United States is not lacking in quality water, the infrastructure delivering water...
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...involve the toxicity of water. Water becomes toxic, not because of the lack of knowledge, but because of the carelessness, which was evidenced in the Flint, Michigan water crisis and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In Flint, there were dangerous chemicals in the water that severely harmed the citizens; for example, children were starting to suffer from anemia. The oil spill devastated the Gulf of Mexico, changing the whole environment: several animal species’ behaviors and the landscape of an area. These were both due to human negligence; therefore, in order to prevent...
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...given current environmental crises like global warming and municipal water system failures. The common theme of corrupt corporations seeking to make money at the expense of human health continues to play out on a national and global scale. Erin Brockovich sheds light on the public health issue of clean drinking water, something most view as a human right. It’s a film that many can relate to and can serve as a case study in Environmental Law and Public Health. Purpose of the Film The exact details which reveal why the film was made are unclear. Erin Brockovich mentions being approached by a writer and film studio in the 1990s, however, there is no mention of why they chose to tell her story. One can assume the writer and film studio felt the David and Goliath story of a small town legal secretary taking on a large corporation, was worthy of dramatizing. Their hunch was correct and the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Appropriate Audience This film would suit a wide range, from teens to the 60 plus crowd. There is some swearing so it's not appropriate for children; parents will have to decide if it's ok for their teenage children. Erin Brockovich is a great case study for those studying environmental law or public health. It’s also relevant to anyone studying business or ethics. The science has been called into question, yet the fundamentals of leading an inquiry into a community's drinking water remain relevant today. Public Health Issue Given recent developments...
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...Politics- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow POLITICAL 110: US GOVERNMENT Feb. 14th, 2016 Professor Mark Stallo Politics- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Civil Liberties and Social Responsibility in American Government Today Throughout our country’s history, civil liberties have influenced American social responsibility within the government. Civil liberties are fundamental rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution. There are many examples of civil liberties mentioned in the Bill of Rights such as: freedom of speech, freedom of press, the right to a fair trial, the right to own property, and freedom of religion. (U.S. Department of Defense, 2016) The protection of these rights as guaranteed by the Constitution allows United States citizens to freely act in accordance with each civil liberty. For instance, on April 25th, 2015 local officials in Baltimore MD responded to citizens exercising their civil liberties including freedom of speech and right to protest. The events influenced the local officials and political leaders to react both negatively and positively. Although the people participating in the protest were able to exercise their right to protest and speak freely, this freedom was short lived. Eventually several protestors, civilians, and even news reporters were shot with rubber bullets, pepper-sprayed, arrested, or otherwise silenced during the demonstration. These events are very similar to another instance during 2014 in Ferguson...
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...condition that Flint is undergoing, it’s very dangerous, after Flint’s switched water supply to save some money, residents started to notice the water was yellow and it smelled like ewer. Residents were told that this was the result of getting used to the new water system and that it was safe. “The Flint water is highly corrosive: 19 times more so than the Lake Huron Supply, according to researcher from Virginia Tech.” “According to a class-action lawsuit, the state Department Environmental Quality wasn’t treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent, in violation of federal law.” Residents started to complain, their water was brown and some people developed rushed, become sick. The city and state officials told “people to bowl their water before drinking it” which was a mistake which can actually increase the level of lead. Describe how the current Flint water crisis came about....
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...Water Management Water management is the management of water resources under set policies and regulations. Water, once an abundant natural resource, is becoming a more valuable commodity due to droughts and overuse. Here are links to articles that address water management subjects such as the optimization of water usage. Obama’s Spending Plan Pumps $260M into Water Technology R&D President Obama’s budget includes almost $260 million to fund a water innovation strategy, which the White House says will boost water sustainability and reduce the price ... February 10, 2016 Produced Water Treatment Technology Combines Separation Equipment, Flocculent from Seaweed A pilot project to test produced water treatment technology is underway in the Middle East. Sorbwater Technology, a Norway-based company that has developed a technology ... February 9, 2016 Meet the Technologies GE, Statoil Say Will Revolutionize Oil & Gas Water Management The latest technologies poised to reduce water usage in onshore oil and gas production, according to General Electric and Statoil, include a ... February 5, 2016 Flint Water Crisis Website Now Includes Interactive Map, Chlorine Sampling Results As the Flint water crisis continues, the EPA has released preliminary water quality data about chlorine levels in Flint’s drinking water, as well as ... February 1, 2016 How to Prevent Another Flint Water Crisis The Flint water crisis, resulting in potentially toxic levels of lead in the city’s...
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...news. The article titled EPA Urges Flint Residents To Stop Dumping Tap Water Down Drain, was published to The Onion on April 28, 2016 to mock the heavily publicized water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The Onion criticizes the governmental lack of concern for their people by creating a “government on the losing end” situation. In some satires, it may be said that over exaggerations are made in an attempt to point out major flaws within the situation, but this is not the case within this article. First is point about the health and safety risks for the infrastructure and ecosystem, and it is directly related to public health and safety. Having water coming from the river was detrimental to both humans and the piping in Flint, as the high levels of chlorine and lime created a chemical reaction within the lead pipes. This goes hand in hand with the disposal of the tap water, where the article states that “the waste treatment facilities are not capable of purifying the corrosive liquid..” The same was true in Flint, as the waste treatment plants were only putting lime into the water in an attempt to make it softer, which could have possibly made the lead situation worse. Second is the press release statement to alert everyone in Flint of the issue. It took a very long time for anyone in Flint to become aware of the situation, and public officials continued to brush off the problem until a doctor stepped up. Point three is the advice to store water away from children and pets. This is...
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...Neighborhood News for Season 1 Jacques M University of Phoenix HCS 408 Patricia Schwartz May 9, 2016 "Officials confirm pollution worries" (Episode 3) This article dealt with the pollution of water system and the mayors understanding a corrective action plan is needed to address this issue. The wellbeing of the community is being affected when a water crisis occurs, because other disease can brew during the process or not rectified early. This current mimics a current situation in Flint, Michigan during April of 2014, and was based on saving money and in the process affected families, schools and the environment. “The change in source water severed a half century relationship with the Detroit Water and Sewage Department. Shortly after the switch to Flint River water, residents voiced concerns regarding water color, taste, and odor, and various health complaints including skin rashes, bacteria, including Escherichia coli, were detected in the distribution system, resulting in Safe Drinking Water Act violations.2 Additional disinfection to control bacteria spurred formation of disinfection by products including total trihalomethanes, resulting in Safe Drinking Water Act violations for trihalomethane levels (Hanna-Attisha & et al ,2016). "Hotline puts family at ease" (Episode 4) The implementation of a 1-800-POISON hotline is need for safety is a public concern within a every community. The availability of a 24hr x 7 days a week service is not only beneficial...
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