Flint Officials Could Face Manslaughter Charges

A top state investigator says Flint officials could face manslaughter charges in the aftermath of the lead contamination scandal that has rocked the Michigan city.

Todd Flood, special counsel for the state attorney general’s office, is leading a probe into how officials responded to the crisis. Critics say state and federal officials did little to protect residents after the city’s toxic tap water was discovered.

“We’re here to investigate what possible crimes there are, anything [from] involuntary manslaughter or death that may have happened to some young person or old person because of this poisoning, to misconduct in office,” Flood said, per TheWashington Post. “We take this very seriously.”

Flood said manslaughter charges “could be on the table if government officials were grossly negligent in their handling of the city's water change and the aftermath. The maximum prison sentence is 15 years,” the Associated Press reported.

"If I knew something bad was going on... and I just want to turn my blind eye, that could be a problem," Flood said.

In Flint, the enormity of the impact on public health remains impossible to determine. Researchers have predicted far-reaching consequences. Officials have already identified at least 200 children in Flint who have elevated blood-lead levels. And the area has also seen a spike in cases of Legionella bacteria.

“From June 2014 to March 2015, 45 cases of Legionella bacteria were confirmed in Genesee County, according to the state Health and Human Services Department Director Nick Lyon. Three of those were fatal,” Michigan Live reported.

Chief Medical Executive for the Health and Human Services Department Eden Wells weighed in: "87 cases is a lot. That tells us that there is a source there that needs to be investigated."

Flint was thrust into the national news this year when the governor declared a state of emergency over a lead contamination crisis that is taking a toll on public health. Everything from lead to disinfectant byproducts have plagued the supply since the city switched from Detroit water and began drinking Flint River water two years ago.

Officials are still grappling with how to respond. The emergency is prompting Governor Rick Snyder “to propose another $195 million in aid in his annual budget proposal, including $25 million to potentially replace old lead and copper pipes. Snyder also plans to call for $165 million in funding for infrastructure needs across Michigan in the 2016-17 budget,” the Associated Press reported.

To keep up with all of our Flint coverage, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solutions Center.