Table of Contents
1. Introduction. 1
2. Background. 2
3. Research Problem.. 3
4. Research goal 3
4.1. Flint crises of 2014
and what were the reasons which leads to this crises. 3
5. Research Design and
Literature Review.. 3
5.1. Research design. 3
5.2. Literature Review.. 4
6. Action Plan for Flint
Crises. 1
7. Discussion of Results
and Findings. 0
7.1. Water Treatment at
Flint Water Treatment Plant 0
8. Conclusions and
Recommendations
Introduction of Flint Crisis of 2014
Flint crisis raised in 2014 in the
Michigan state and it was due to bad decision making and environmental
injustice. The disaster raised when the tap water of Flint became contaminated
with higher levels, and the city turned to river water in April 2014. It was
due to the flow of river water, corrosive water that caused leaching of water
from the joints, fixtures, and pipes. The water services lines in flint were
installed in the years 1901 to 1920. At that time those pie were constructed
with lead because it was inexpensive and working with lead was a lot more
tranquil than cast iron. As pipes were built with lead the chances of lead
contamination in water were high. However, the Detroit Water& Sewerage
Department treated the water up to the standard which is acceptable by the Federal
Government. In this research report, the
factors behind the flint water crisis are going to be analysed critically.
Along with the factors, the research report will discuss how the flint crises were
resolved and what initiatives were taken for controlling the lead
contamination. For the vast research amount of secondary data have been
collected and the research is based majorly on the literature provided by
various rescuers.
Background of Flint Crisis of 2014
The water services lines
in flint were installed in the years 1901 to 1920. At that time those pie were
constructed with lead because it was inexpensive and working with lead was a lot
more tranquil than cast iron. As pipes were built with lead the chances of lead
contamination in water were high. However, the Detroit Water& Sewerage
Department treated the water up to the standard which is acceptable by the Federal
Government. The problem of lead contamination first arises in April 2014 when
the city of Flint changes the water source.
Before the change, the town gets its water from Detroit River & Lake
Huron, but after changing the source, the city starts getting water from river
Flint. Flint River water was not appropriately treated which becomes the reason
for lead contamination.
Flint crisis raised in
2014 in the Michigan state and it was due to bad decision making and
environmental injustice. The disaster raised when the tap water of Flint became
contaminated with higher levels, and the city turned to river water in April
2014. It was due to the flow of river water, corrosive water that caused
leaching of water from the joints, fixtures, and pipes. The spike of toxic lead
increases the levels of problems in children. The cost of the crisis was
estimated at $55 million. The blame of flint water crisis was on series of
government failures and series of emergency managers. The federal government
took action for 15 parts per billion, and state officials developed new water
supply for Flint residents (Flint, 2014).
After
the Flint crises, many lawsuits have been filed by the citizens against the
officials of the government. After disasters, the city was affirmed as in the
state of emergency of the state government. Many officials resigned because
they were unable to manage the crisis efficiently. The governor of Michigan
state apologies to the citizens regarding the disasters and ensure the citizens
that the problem will be fixed. Several significant steps such as
infrastructure upgrades were taken for resolving the dilemmas. The city’s water
system was upgraded so that the lead contamination can be mitigated up to
acceptable levels. In the year 2017, the report of MDEQ shows that the lead
contamination has reduced and reached below the federal limits.
Research
Problem of Flint Crisis of 2014
Often, the rarity of water
is recognised as the lack of any access to water, but with the pollution of existing
water resources, it is the quality which becomes an issue. The pollution of
water is the mixing of pollutants in water. The water contamination crises
should be a matter of concern for the government because such issues are
related to public health.
Research goal of Flint Crisis of 2014
The main goals of the research are as
follow:
Flint crises of 2014 and what were the
reasons which lead to these crises.
The main
objective of this research is to analyse the flint crises of 2014 in the US and
what is the main factor that is contributing towards the water contamination.
The water pollution is becoming a matter of great concern in the United States
that is creating many of the issues like polluting the rivers and lakes that
eventually make the drinking water dangerous for health. The research aims to
come up with effective policy implementation to overcome this urban issue in
the US.
Research Design and Literature Review of Flint Crisis of
2014
Different research studies
on flint crises along with the pollution of water in the United States are
analysed in this research paper with the assistance that secondary data gives.
Furthermore, there are also some factors which seem to raise the pollution of
water. It can be said that the secondary research has given further information
on the current study. After all, the secondary data is believed to assist the
present research while providing effectiveness.
Research design of Flint Crisis of 2014
Secondary data has been
analysed for gaining a better understanding of the current case. A detailed
Literature review has been carried out for understanding the Flint crises. Through
this analysis, answers can achieve which are related to the particular questions
of research present in the research. For helping the present study, there is a
focus on the previous authors that relevant to the Flint crises in the US or
the efforts that are being put by the country for reaching the best quality of
water. The study has not only collected that data regarding the flint crises
but also regarding various Pollutants that cause water pollution. Through the vast
amount of data collection, the flint crises can be analysed more critically
Literature Review of Flint Crisis of 2014
By evaluating the data
collected from the secondary research, it can be said that the Production of
these types of eatables contaminates the water bodies which leads to blooms and
dead zones. Acidification pollutes the oceans which raise in the carbon dioxide
that is absorbed by the rivers from the environment. Just as evaluated by the
researchers, twenty-five per cent of carbon goes right into the oceans due to
which the chemical makeup is changed; the level
of pH falls which makes the water acidic. The level of pH since the 1800s
has decreased by 0.1 pH units which don’t sound that harmful, but on the
Richter scale, it is equivalent to a thirty-percent increment in the acidity.
Considering the American economy, the pollution of water is harming the
industry of shellfish which is worth a hundred billion dollars. In the last four decades, the bleaching of coral has
increased five times, and in the early 1980s, it took place every thirty years,
and by 2016, it seems to take place every six years. Just as it is indicated,
the levels of acidity will fifty per cent higher bu almost 2100 which is the
highest since the Miocene era. The high levels of carbon dioxide might
benefit kelp, seagrass, and algae but shells, clams, and mussels are eroded due
to the acidity which depletes the food source (Saxer & Rosenbloom, 2018)
The research study
conducted by Lindsey J. Butler, Madeleine K. Scammell and Eugene B. Benson has
provided detail information about the Flint water Crises. In the study, several
Regulatory failures were identified which were the leading causes of Flint
water crises. The management of the
water system or the authorities has not taken rational decisions due to which
the people of Flint faced a severe water crisis. If the authorities upgrade the
lead pipes before changing the water source than the issue might not occur. Also,
the water treatment was not as much effective as the Detroit Water&
Sewerage Department. Therefore, the water becomes contaminated with lead.
To survive, healthy
ecosystems depend on the complex network of animals, bacteria, fungi, and
plants which seem to connect indirectly or directly. If any of these organisms are
harmed, it will create a chain effect. When a bloom of algal occurs in the marine
environment by the pollution of water, plant growth and algae are stimulated by
the proliferation of nutrients due to which the level of oxygen is reduced
underwater. This causes the plants and animals both to suffocate and slowly die
away. It creates dead zones (Denchak, 2018) where no pattern of life exists in the
ocean. In the top economies, pollution is one of the potential worries, and
half of the American rivers aren’t suitable for humans.
Marine ecosystems are
threatened by the marine debris which suffocates, starve, and strangle animals.
A lot of it is composed of solids like plastic bags and soda cans which are
swept into the sewers and then to the sea which pollutes the oceans. The
pollution by phosphorus has reached dangerous levels globally, and until 2011
the commercial use of fertiliser was very high. In America, waterways haven’t
always been in a compromised condition. When stream flowed from rocks, they
were suitable for not even agricultural use but also drinking. As the
populations of immigrants got high over the nation of America, the resources of
water started to pollute both from dumping and runoff of different types of
waste. These are the practices that seem to decrease the quality of water in
the US since urban sprawls keep coming to beautiful areas and regions (Snyder, 2018).
The
research study conducted by Susan J. Masten, Simon H. Davis & Shawn P.
Mcelmurry have discussed the Flint crises of 2014 in detail. The research
findings have shown the mismanagement of the situation. The water
infrastructure was older and did not upgrade with time. Moreover, the water
treatment facilities were not as better as they should be. All these issues
cause flint crises, and many people faced inconvenience and problem. Such items
show that there is a need to take necessary actions for further improvement
& development of the water infrastructure in the USA.
The bloom
of red algae in 2018 createdan emergency in the southwest coast of Florida and
1.5 million dollars were promised in the emergency by the state. Efforts regarding the red-tide
clean-up between 2004-7 reached 250,000 dollars per event, and the admissions
got high by almost fifty per cent because of the vapours (Achenbach, Furby, & Horton, 2018). The pollution of
water has various economic efforts. In terms of economy, the industry of food
production suffered in the US because of the pollution of water when it was
suggested by Greenpeace to stop eating dairy, eggs, and meat products.
Action
Plan for Flint Crises
Several Major Steps were taken for
controlling the crises and making the water safe for human consumption. The
governor of Michigan sent $28 million for the citizens of Flint for
infrastructure upgrade and medical care. The government again sent $165 million
for replacing the lead pipe. $170 was spent on improving the water system of
the city. Special measures were taken for improving the infrastructure of the Flint
city. Due to the significant infrastructure developments and water system
improvement the lead in the water level decline below the federal limits.
However, authorities state that further improvements are needed for making the
water system safer.
Source: http://www.publicworksgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FlintWaterAnalysis20160213.png
The above pie chart was describing the
situation of the year 2016 when the total of 9264 sites was tested regarding
the lead contamination. From them, only 7% were above the action limit. 93% of
the sites show a lower level of lead contamination. The above-discussed
initiatives reduced the lead I the water and that how the issue of Flint was
finally resolved.
Other Policies for Mitigating such Issues
Other than the regulatory policies and
voluntary options, three economic methods can be used by EPA to reduce the
pollution of water (EconPort, 2019). Following are these tools:
Taxes: set
charges on the firms which are polluting or on units which are pollution
emitted. For instance, Y must be paid by the firm for all the chemicals that it
uses X. The standards of emission are illustrated as:
Subsidies:
Payment should be received by the firm as a subsidy if
the pollution levels in the impacted bodies of water are lower than or
equivalent to the amount that is desired.
Tradable
Pollution Permits: Permits would be traded by businesses if
the cost is lower than the cost needs for decreasing the pollution for a buying
company or if the price is over the abatement cost for the selling company (EconPort, 2019). Two sources’
Abatement Cost is represented by the following graph:
Discussion
of Results and Findings of Flint Crisis
of 2014
By analysing the data
gathered from the research, it is found that the US’s economy has suffered a
lot because of the diverse impacts of the pollution of water. Many sectors
including commercial fishing, recreational businesses, tourism, and property
values have suffered. The costs of treatment are immensely increased by algal
blooms and nitrates. Systems for removing nitrates in Minnesota causes an
increment in the prices of supply, and it reached ten cents per 1000 gallons to
over four dollars per 1000 gallons. Billions are cost by the treatment of polluted
water, and every penny invested in the safety of drinking water saves in the
costs of treatment of water. The loss in tourism is another economic effect of
the pollution of water in the US; the decline in this industry is near one
billion dollars every other year, mostly due to the injuries in fishing as a
result of bodies of water impacted by pollution and algal blooms.
1.1.Water
Treatment at Flint Water Treatment Plant
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353852/bin/nihms845813f2.jpg
In the above diagram, the water
treatment plant of Flint city can be seen. The water treatment plant of Flint
city was unable to treat the water as Detroit treatment plant was treating the
water. That is why the Flint River water gets contaminated with lead.
The above line graph is depicting the
use of polymer in the water treatment plant. Before the crises, the use of
polymer was quite lower. However, after the crises the treatment plant has
increased the use of the polymer.
Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353852/bin/nihms845813f4.jpg
The industries of
shellfish are hurt by harmful algal blooms as shellfish are contaminated, and
fish is killed. Millions of dollars are analysed as annual losses to these
types of industries from the pollution of water. The value of a close house can
be raised by the clean water up to almost twenty-five per cent, and it can also
be decreased due to the unpleasant sight and bad odour emitting from the algal
blooms (Environmental Protection Agency, 2019). A negative
externality is caused by water pollution as an economic cost. Recreational
facilities are harmed, especially the ones around freshwater lakes which can be
analysed by the rent values and attendance loss. The costs of pollution of
water put significant weight on the municipal budget which includes treatment
and inspection.
It can be said that heavy
instruments are needed in the infrastructure for securing reliable and
uncontaminated sources for many large cities like waterworks, treatment plants,
dams, and pumping stations (Rodrigue, 2019). The behaviour of businesses would be
changed by shifting the macroeconomic objective towards the maintenance of
systems of life-support and away from expansion. In the US, a true-cost economy
should be created with the objective of sustainable and equitable well-being
instead of consistent growth. In the medium, the players in such an economy
would be caring more about the future instead of quarterly returns. For
example, companies of chemicals would have to engage themselves in sustainable
and green chemistry while utilities would produce renewable energy. The
liability approach is represented by the following graph for policy options.
Moreover, environmental quality is actually
the main asset over which regulators are worried. The environmental quality,
however, is facing an issue because of the resources’ public nature. Obviously,
water is recognized as a public good which is normally subjected to free use
and riding. That is why private firms don’t provide it, and this will not be
making them any better. Resources with open access are the most problematic,
and it is an asset that is quite valuable and able to delivereconomic value so
that individuals can utilize it without anyone owning it. Resources with open
access are the most troublesome as an asset that is important and capable of
delivering economic value to the people that use it. Environmental goods are
applied by it that seem to belong to this category. Some specific countries own the oceans, but the areas which are not owned
by a person will be resources with an open-access (Yung-tse, Lawrence, & Nazih, 2012).
Conclusions and Recommendations on Flint Crisis of 2014
If all the above
discussion is summarised than it is evident that flint water crises occur due
to severe negligence and mismanagement by the authorities. The crisis raised
when the tap water of Flint became contaminated with higher levels and the city
turned to river water in April 2014. It was due to the flow of river water,
corrosive water that caused leaching of water from the joints, fixtures, and
pipes. The spike of toxic lead increases the levels of problems in children.
The cost of the crisis was estimated at $55 million. The blame of flint water
crisis was on series of government failures and series of emergency managers.
Nutrient pollution in
groundwater is caused by countless people in the US and can be quite damaging
at low levels. Children are quite sensitive to the compounds which are based on
nitrogen in the drinking water. Water pollutants are created because of the
excess of nitrogen in the environment like ammonia and ozone which can affect
the ability of humans to limit visibility, alter the growth of plant, and limit
the human ability to breathe properly The health of soils, waterways, and
forests is harmed by the excess of nitrogen (US Water Alliance, 2017).
The flint water crisis was
resolved through upgradation of the lead water pipes. When the old
infrastructure was replaced with a newer one than the contamination of lead
decline up to a lot of extents. Changing the lead pipes with plastic pipes and
improving the water treatment system is the only solution to the problem. Organizations
must have an eco-auditor just as a financial auditor. Companies’ eco-auditors
should be accountable for assessing if an organization is externalizing the
costs and if the organizational production has been harming the systems of
life-support; they must also be obligated to show just how organizations can
evade the pollution of water. The EPA or Environmental Protection Agency was
formulated by the American government to address the negative externalities
which are caused by various pollutions including water pollution (Blackwelder, 2014).
References of Flint Crisis of 2014
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K., & Horton, A. (2018). Florida declares a state of emergency as red
tide kills animals and disrupts tourism. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/08/14/red-tide-algaes-deadly-trail-of-marine-animals-has-triggered-a-state-of-emergency-in-florida/?utm_term=.cebe35f8ad92
American Geophysical
Union. (2018). Phosphorus pollution reaching dangerous levels worldwide.
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https://phys.org/news/2018-01-phosphorus-pollution-dangerous-worldwide.html
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of All U.S. Rivers Are Too Polluted for Our Health. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/03/half-all-us-rivers-are-too-polluted-our-health/316027/
Blackwelder, B.
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impact. Retrieved from
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Flint, H. (2014). Latin
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Appendices
·
Annex 1
(Wike & Parker, 2015)
Annex 2
(Bennett, 2013)
·
Annex 3
(M, 2017)
·
Annex 4
(Scavia, 2011)
· Annex 5
(American Geophysical Union, 2018)
·
Annex 6
(Sencer, 2017)
Annex 7
(Cedre, 2016)