Michigan’s attorney general has charged six more state employees with crimes related to the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint.
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“Pregnant moms and mothers with newborns still should not drink the water and that’s not right”, Schuette said last week. State officials didnt require that the river water be treated for corrosion, and lead from aging pipes and fixtures leached into Flint homes and businesses. In rare instances where criminal charges have been brought, he added, “the misconduct has involved sewage or wastewater disposal, not drinking water violations”. Experts also suspect a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak was tied to the water.
The employees are accused of purposely falsifying reports to hide lead contamination in Flint’s water supply.
The defendants who remain at the health department are Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott.
“And this put children of Flint in the crosshairs of drinking poison”. Shekter-Smith has left the MDEQ; Rosenthal and Cook were still there as of today, Schuette said.
Shekter Smith was sacked from the environmental department.
Peeler and Scott’s charges center around a report epidemiologist Cristin Larder prepared last fall showing elevated blood lead testing in Flint residents last July, August and September, according Jeff Seipenko, an investigator in Schuette’s office. “I think we’re going to be really hard-pressed to find that she did anything wrong, and certainly nothing criminally wrong”.
“I don’t get it. I don’t understand the lack of compassion”.
“Some people failed to act, others minimized harm done and arrogantly chose to ignore data, some intentionally altered figures… and covered up significant health risks”, Schuette said. No level of lead exposure is safe ― even at low doses, the heavy metal can cause a range of problems, most notably brain damage in small children. Charges were authorized against three Department of Health and Human Services employees and three Department of Environmental Quality employees.
He said that Miller repeatedly told staff to take no action regarding the research and “effectively concealed” the findings.
She faces a felony charge of misconduct in office and a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty.
Both have both been charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy, and willful neglect.
Rosenthal: 1 count misconduct in office (felony: 5 years and/or $10,000); 1 count willful neglect of duty (misdemeanor: 1 year and/or $1,000); 1 county tempering with evidence (felony: 4 years and/or $5,000).
Peeler, Miller and Scott are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to commit misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty.
Officials say the investigation continues and other charges may be forthcoming.
In June, Schuette and the investigative team announced that civil suits and criminal charges would be brought against those contributing to the water crisis.
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The presence of E.Coli preceded the crisis, with residents complaining about the odor, taste and color of the tap water.
