A town with less than 100,000 citizens, just 66 miles northwest of Detroit has recently garnered national attention. On January 5, the city of Flint, Michigan declared a state of emergency. What led to President Obama sending in the National Guard to this Michigan town? Children of Flint are victims of a “man-made disaster,” as Representative Dan Kildee has labelled the situation. The corrosion of lead pipes by the salty Flint River has resulted in instances of lead poisoning among Flint residents. Lead is unsafe in any small amount so those who ingested contaminated tap water are now at risk for the physical and neurological symptoms of lead exposure. 

CNN reports that the root of the emergency began in April 2014 when financial troubles prompted the city to switch its water source to the notoriously dirty Flint River. While a few citizens berated the local government for this risky attempt to cut costs, the people of Flint were assured that the murky brown water was safe to drink.

After observing patients with symptoms such as rashes and hair loss, Dr. Hanna-Attisha began running tests. She found that blood lead levels in children had doubled and even tripled in some cases (CNN.com).  Alarmed, she took her findings to members of the state government who dismissed her results for a week before admitting that they knew about the problem. 

A major reason for panic beyond physical symptoms like hair loss is that the chemical can irreversibly alter one’s brain chemistry. Dr. Hanna-Attisha was quoted in CNN saying that “[lead] drops your IQ … [and] it’s been linked to criminality.”

By declaring Flint in a state of emergency, President Obama has been able to free up federal aid to the extent of $5 million. Sadly, this will likely be a drop in the ocean of the future assistance that Flint will require. Senator Debbie Stabenow released a statement urging the government to “set aside a future fund to address the long-term needs of children and families.”