Former Michigan Governor to Be Charged in Flint Water Debacle: AP
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Former Michigan officials will soon be charged for their alleged roles in the Flint water crisis, during which the city’s water source was switched to the Flint River in order to save money, leading to a public health disaster that left at least 12 people dead. It was a two-pronged nightmare: the new water was not treated for corrosion, which allowed lead to leach in and poison children, and chlorine levels in the water dropped, which allowed baterial to flourish and caused at least 90 cases of Legionnaire’s disease.
Two people told the Associated Press that defense attorneys for former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and other ex-officials have been told to expect charges in the coming days, although it’s not clear what the charges will be. Lyon was charged with manslaughter in 2018 but that investigation was scrapped and the charges were dismissed. A new investigation began in 2019.