• Water

Drinking Water Woes Continue In Michigan and California

• brain damage
• clean water
• drinking water
• Flint
• Forever Chemicals
• lead pipes
• PFAS

This week the vulnerabilities in the nation’s drinking water supplies once again came into full view.  In California, a study for the state’s water resources control board revealed that 60% of California’s public water supply wells contain toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals.  Meanwhile, citizens in Flint, Michigan filed a lawsuit on behalf of 2,600 children claiming that three big banks that were funding a pipeline project caused the city to rely on the Flint River as a temporary water source.

• Water

Houston Suburb Under Boil Water Order After Tragic Death of Young Boy

• clean water
• contamination
• Flint
• fresh water
• Michigan
• safe drinking water
• Texas
• toxins

Lake Jackson, Texas, a city in the greater Houston area, is “purg[ing] its water system for 60 days” after a brain-eating amoeba killed a 6-year old boy, NBC News reported. The city is currently under a boil-water notice, and officials have announced that it could take as long as 3 months to make the water safe. 

Why This Matters: There is little data on the risk of this amoeba, says the CDC.  More information is needed on how “a standard might be set to protect human health and how public health officials would measure and enforce such a standard.”

• Water

Chicago Announces Plan to Replace Lead Pipes, Michigan to Pay $600M To Flint Victims

• Chicago
• Flint
• Flint Water Crisis
• lead pipes
• lead poisoning
• safe drinking water
• science

The New York Times late last night broke the story that the State of Michigan has agreed to pay close to $600 million to victims of the Flint water crisis, in a settlement that will be announced later this week.

Why This Matters:  Children with elevated levels of lead in their blood are more likely to have learning disabilities and increased behavioral difficulties — it causes irreversible damage to children’s development, according to the report.  Lead is unsafe at any level. It’s time to get the lead out of our environment.

• Politics

Biden Wins Big in “Mini Super Tuesday,” Especially in Michigan

• 2020 Election
• clean water
• Flint
• Michigan

Last night former Vice President Joe Biden handily won the Michigan primary, defeating Senator Bernie Sanders and amassing 53 delegates to Sanders 35. As of writing this last night Biden also claimed Idaho, Mississippi, and Missouri while Washington State and  North Dakota had not fully reported their votes. Michigan was arguably the most important state […]

• Politics

In Today’s Michigan Primary – As Well As The Other States – Water Issues A Top Concern

• #DemocraticPrimaries
• clean water
• democrats
• Flint
• Flooding
• safe drinking water
• water

Whether it is drinking water in Michigan, floodwaters in Missouri and Mississippi, or dams versus salmon in Washington and Idaho, or wastewater from fracking in North Dakota — clean water is an issue that runs through the primaries that are taking place today.

Why This Matters:  The two remaining Democratic candidates have not had a chance to discuss these important water issues in the debates thus far.

• People

Hero of the Week: Little Miss Flint

• clean water
• Flint

When she was 8-years-old, Mari Copeny wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to meet with her and a group of people coming to Washington D.C. to watch congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis. He responded with a letter announcing that instead, he was coming to Flint to ensure the people there receive […]