Legionnaires' Disease Lawyer

  Image Credit: Zach Gibson/The New York Times

     Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Gina McCarthy attended a house hearing today regarding the water crisis in Flint, MI. The hearing was intended to clarify some of the circumstances surrounding the water crisis, and give both the governor and EPA a chance to publicly speak about their perspective.

While appearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Governor Snyder admitted that the Flint water crisis was a result of a “failure of government at all levels”. This statement served two purposes for Governor Snyder: it showed humility by accepting at least part of the blame for the situation, but it also indicated that he was not solely responsible and that all levels of the government in Flint failed the protect the people.

Without naming names, Governor Snyder suggested that the “so-called experts” and “career bureaucrats” he worked with continually reassured any qualms that Snyder had regarding issues with the water. However, it is clear from the emails between staff members, that were later exposed as part of the investigation, that many were aware Flint’s water supply had major issues.

Gina McCarthy was also harshly criticized at the hearing, but tended to stand behind her belief that the state of Michigan’s government had failed the EPA. However, when asked if she was partly responsible she responded by saying “the system failed” and “we were part of that system”.

As Dyson and McCarthy suggested, it is hard to point the finger at one particular person in a situation like this. However, in the next year(s) we will eventually find out the circumstances that led to such a terrible crisis.

For further information, please read the New York Times article: HERE