USA: Clinton expresses 'outrage' at Flint water contamination scandal

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USA: Clinton expresses 'outrage' at Flint water contamination scandal



"I think every single American should be outraged"

WASHINGTON: -- A water pollution scandal in the US has risen to the surface of this year’s presidential campaign.

Lead-contaminated drinking water was piped to Flint after the city in Michigan switched its supplier in 2014 to save cash.

Efforts are now underway to protect the population, with bottled water being distributed, but Hillary Clinton used Sunday night’s televised debate of Democratic presidential hopefuls to express her outrage at Flint’s poor, mainly African-American residents being exposed.

“I spent a lot of time last week being outraged by what’s happening in Flint, Mich., and I think every single American should be outraged,” Clinton said in the debate, broadcast by US channel NBC.

“We have had a city in the United States of America where the population, which is poor in many ways and majority African-American, has been drinking and bathing in lead-contaminated water. And the governor of that state acted as though he didn’t really care.”

Clinton’s comments came on the day that civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson met residents in Flint and accused state and local officials in the city of compromising the health of locals to save money.

“Somebody made a trade off. And the people of Flint have been betrayed,” Jackson said.

Republican Governor Rick Snyder has apologised for the state’s handling of the crisis as calls for him to resign intensify.

Among those demonstrating in Flint have been filmmaker and city native Michael Moore.

“They knew that the people here did not have the political power to do anything about it,” he said, leading a rally in the city on Saturday.

Moore called it “a racial crisis” and “a poverty crisis”.

He took to Twitter to thank Hillary Clinton for raising the issue in Sunday’s debate.

After taking the cheaper option in 2014, Flint, about 100 km northwest of Detroit, has now reverted to its original supplier after tests revealed elevated lead levels in the water and in the blood of some children.
Lead contamination can cause brain damage and other health problems when ingested.

Genesee County, where Flint, a city of just under 100,000 residents, is located, has seen a spike of Legionnaires’ disease resulting in 10 deaths that may or may not be related to the water crisis, state officials have previously said.

As health fears continue to grow, President Obama declared an emergency in Michigan on Saturday and ordered federal aid for state and local response efforts.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-19

[RickBradford]

I wonder why Hillary is not equally outraged by the toxic spill caused by the Environmental Protection Agency at Silverton, Colorado, earlier this year.

Ignoring local and expert advice, EPA caused 3 million gallons of toxic water to be released into local rivers, affecting drinking water and irrigation.

Maybe Hillary feels that the EPA are kindred spirits -- after all, they tried their hardest to cover up what they knew about it.

[Scott]

An off-topic post and reply has been removed.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I wonder how the republican candidates will justify their wanting to get rid of the EPA ??

They want less regulations.

The past has proven one thing, big business NEEDS to be regulated!!!!

Greed will always win out over public safety.

[lostlink]

I wonder how the republican candidates will justify their wanting to get rid of the EPA ??

They want less regulations.

The past has proven one thing, big business NEEDS to be regulated!!!!

Greed will always win out over public safety.

Actually it was "government" that flucked up by not adding enough anti-corrosive agents to the water which affected old iron water mains and old residential lead soldered copper plumbing.

Most communities (at least where I live) that pay for water have a local town or township government water god which is overseen by a county or multi county government water god that is overseen by a state water government god that is overseen by a federal government water god.

Funny thing, big business decided to take action while all the water gods are tripping over their dicks deciding how, who, and where to blame........

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2014/10/general_motors_wont_use_flint.html

[elgordo38]

I wonder how the republican candidates will justify their wanting to get rid of the EPA ??

They want less regulations.

The past has proven one thing, big business NEEDS to be regulated!!!!

Greed will always win out over public safety.

Is this arrogant SOB going to resign no of course not. Can he be replaced fired what is the answer does arrogance prevail. We are at a tipping point now where aholes like this get thrown out or we have lost complete control over our destiny.

[elgordo38]

I wonder how the republican candidates will justify their wanting to get rid of the EPA ??

They want less regulations.

The past has proven one thing, big business NEEDS to be regulated!!!!

Greed will always win out over public safety.

Actually it was "government" that flucked up by not adding enough anti-corrosive agents to the water which affected old iron water mains and old residential lead soldered copper plumbing.

Most communities (at least where I live) that pay for water have a local town or township government water god which is overseen by a county or multi county government water god that is overseen by a state water government god that is overseen by a federal government water god.

Funny thing, big business decided to take action while all the water gods are tripping over their dicks deciding how, who, and where to blame........

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2014/10/general_motors_wont_use_flint.html

After this ClusterF Thailand is starting to look smart in comparison. Heads should rule but I doubt it. Fox news has reported nothing on this important story slams the right to much I guess. American politics is starting to look more like the politics here every day. Folks we are loosing control and our rights nano by nano.

[Chicog]

Very sad case as it transpires that many children have already suffered irreparable damage due to lead poisoning.

[chilli42]

Every day it becomes ever clearer, it's not values that drive decisions it's the value placed on you by companies and government that drives the decisions. We are all being bitch slapped by those that survive by our labour.

[Ulic]

Very sad case as it transpires that many children have already suffered irreparable damage due to lead poisoning.

This is brain damage that causes permanent learning and behaviour disorders that lead

to higher crime rates 20 years down the line. A truly horrific tragedy that will play out for

decades. This was reported a month or two ago by Rachel Maddow. I am surprised it

has taken this long to hit center stage.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ulic

[lostlink]

I wonder how the republican candidates will justify their wanting to get rid of the EPA ??

They want less regulations.

The past has proven one thing, big business NEEDS to be regulated!!!!

Greed will always win out over public safety.

Actually it was "government" that flucked up by not adding enough anti-corrosive agents to the water which affected old iron water mains and old residential lead soldered copper plumbing.

Most communities (at least where I live) that pay for water have a local town or township government water god which is overseen by a county or multi county government water god that is overseen by a state water government god that is overseen by a federal government water god.

Funny thing, big business decided to take action while all the water gods are tripping over their dicks deciding how, who, and where to blame........

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2014/10/general_motors_wont_use_flint.html

After this ClusterF Thailand is starting to look smart in comparison. Heads should rule but I doubt it. Fox news has reported nothing on this important story slams the right to much I guess. American politics is starting to look more like the politics here every day. Folks we are loosing control and our rights nano by nano.

Fox news covered this both on air and web/print.

http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=flint water&ss=fn&start=0

What's really sad is that pile of useless flesh Michael Moore who is a Flint native does nothing except stop by and give a leftist speech while evil big businesses are donating bottled water by the truck loads.

[lostlink]

"EPA official resigns over Flint water crisis"

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/266661-epa-official-resigns-amid-flint-water-crisis

Seems the EPA was aware of the "crisis" since April 2015 and did nothing to notify the residents.

Looks like the EPA does NOT care about poor minority neighborhoods.

Edited January 22, 2016 by lostlink