#FlintWaterCrisis

#FlintWaterCrisisA reputational management case study of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)Mark BilawchukAdvanced Practices in Digital Reputation Management

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OverviewMany stakeholders and organizations have taken significant blows to their reputations as a result of the drinking water crisis in Flint, MichiganThis case study focuses primarily on Michigans Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

Many stakeholders and organizations have taken significant blows to their reputations as a result of the drinking water crisis in Flint, MichiganFor this case study I plan to focus primarily on Michigan states Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), their public reaction to the events in Flint and what theyve done in responseThere is a strong connection between the DEQ and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, whos been at the centre of this crisis since 2013, and acts as the spokesperson on the crisisMichigan Governor Rick Snyders role is included as hidden slides at the end of this presentation, however due to length constraints, cannot be fully detailed in this case study

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OverviewThere are two phases to how the DEQ handled this crisisPhase 1: Apr. 2015 - Jan. 2016From the time Flint begins using the Flint River as an alternate water supply to the time an independent task force finds the DEQ responsible for the crisisPhase 2: Jan. 2016 - TodayOnce the task force finds the DEQ responsible, the Director resigns and Governor Rick Snyder hires a PR firm to handle crisis management at the DEQ

To be able to explain the strategy these two groups took, and how effective (or ineffective) it was, I will need to spend some additional time on the situational analysis and the strategic considerations (all the events that have happened / are happening)

There are two phases to how the DEQ handled this crisisPhase 1 From the time Flint begins using the Flint River as an alternate water supply to the time an independent task force finds the DEQ wholly responsible for the Flint water crisisPhase 2 From the time of the task force report and the DEQ director resigns, to today

This crisis is still ongoing (and has been for two years)

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Situational Analysis By 2011, Flint, Michigan has faced years of losing business, people and money and is billions of dollars in debtMichigan Governor Rick Snyder appoints an Emergency Manager to oversee city operations and finances In 2013 discussions begin about finding an alternative to using expensive Detroit water as Flints water supplyThe decision is made to use water from Lake Huron, but the pipeline from the lake will not be complete until 2016In the interim, Flint decides to a backup water source, the Flint River and the citys own water treatment plantThe move was expected to save the city $5 million

Flint, Michigan was billions in debt, riddled with crime and had seen much of its affluent tax base disappear.

In 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appoints the first of four Emergency Managers to oversee city operations and finances in Flint

EMs appointed by Rick SnyderDec 2011 - Aug 2012Michael BrownRick SnyderAug 2012 - July 2013Ed KurtzRick SnyderJuly 2013 - October 2013Michael BrownRick SnyderOctober 2013 - January 2015Darnell EarleyRick Snyder[37]January 2015April 30, 2015[38]Jerry AmbroseRick Snyder[39]

In 2013, in an effort to save money discussions begin about finding an alternative to using expensive Detroit water as Flints water supply

The decision is made to use water from Lake Huron, construction on the pipeline begins in June 2013 but will not be complete until 2016

In the interim, Flint decides to use their backup water source, the Flint River and the citys own water plant

The move was expected to save the city $5 million

In an effort to save this money, the Cityswitched its drinking water source from the Detroit system to the Flint River in April 2014.

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Situational AnalysisThe DEQ provides recommendations and issues the permits required to improve Flints water treatment plantIn April 2014 Flint switches water sources from Detroit to the Flint RiverWater tested at the source is safe to drinkDEQ recommends Flint monitor water for one yearbefore adding chemicals tocontrol corrosion

Play video

The DEQ meets with Flint to discuss the feasibility of using the Flint River and issues the permits required to improve Flints water treatment plant

Water was tested at the source and determined safe to drink.

The State recommended that the City do two six-month monitoring sessions before they can determine if the right chemicals are in place to prevent corrosion in the pipes.

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Timeline

Flint changes to Flint River April 2014Boil water advisories Aug-Sep 2014TTHM levels Jan 2015EPA finds high lead levels, leaks memo July 2015Flint changes back to Detroit water Oct 2015State of Emergency Jan 2016Legionnaires disease linked to Flint water, 9 deaths Jan 2016DEQ hires PR firm Jan 2016

Flint Water Timeline: http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/02/03/flinttimeline1.png

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Key stakeholders and audiencesMichiganGovernorRick Snyder (R)MichiganDepartmentof Environmental Quality (DEQ)EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)Former and current mayor of FlintEmergency ManagersFlint Water Researchers: Miguel Del Toral; Marc Edwards; Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha LeeAnne Walters, Flint resident and mother Residents of Flint, with and without lead pipesResidents of other municipalities with lead pipesCelebrities and social activists

Stakeholders MichiganGovernorRick Snyder (R)MichiganDepartmentof Environmental Quality (DEQ)EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)Former Flint mayor Dayne Walling and current mayor Karen WeaverEmergency Managers: Ed Kurtz, Michael Brown, Darnell Earley, Jerry Ambrose

Audiences

Flint Water Researchers: Miguel Del Toral (EPA); Marc Edwards (Virginia Tech); Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha (Hurley Medical Center) LeeAnne Walters, Flint mother who alarmed the EPAResidents of Flint that have lead pipes and those that do notResidents of other municipalities with lead pipesCelebrities and social activists

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Phase 1: Apr. 2015 - Jan. 2016

http://flintwaterstudy.org/

http://flintwaterstudy.org/2015/09/commentary-mdeq-mistakes-deception-flint-water-crisis/

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Strategic Considerations Phase 1People started complaining about water quality immediately after the switch from DetroitIn the summer of 2014 three boil water advisories were issued (E.coli and fecal coliform), water treated with chlorine Jan. 2015, Flint water exceeded federal limits for trihalomethanes, a cancer-causing by-product of the chlorine treatment Mar. 2015, Flint rejects Detroits offer to switch back to their water supply

People started complaining immediately after the switch Gvr. Snyder got complaints of smell, taste, odour, City of Flint investigated

(Aug and Sep 2014) Water tests high for e.coli and fecal coliform, three boil water advisories were issued, water treated withchlorineIn Jan 2015, a water warning to Flint that water has exceeded federal limits for trihalomethanes, a cancer-causing by-product of the chlorine treatment

Flint rejects Detroits first offer to switch back to their water supplyThe city returned to Detroit water in October 2015 after testing detected increased lead levels in residential water supplies and in children's blood.

Legionnaires Disease - legionella - a bacteria found in the Flint water supply, is suspected for killing 9 peopleJan 2016 the State began to bring in bottled water for citizens of Flint, state of emergency declaredThe city bought water filters for its citizens

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Strategic Considerations Phase 1Feb. 2015, Flint mom LeeAnne Walters complains to City Council about suspected lead levels in her water, contacts EPAEPA finds levels of lead in Walters home alarming and sends a copy of a draft EPA memo to Walters who shares it with the mediaCorrosion of the pipes caused lead, copper and iron to leach into the Flint water supplyNo corrosion-control chemicals were being added to the water as it was still being monitored

Feb 2015, LeeAnne Walters complains to City Council about suspected lead levels in her water, contacts the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Report leaked from the Dept of Environmental Quality (Del Toral) said the State's previous tests were flawed, high lead levels were present - DEQ won't discuss

Tests from Leanne Walters home test for nearly 3x the amount of lead required to categorize water as toxic waste (15ppb = acceptable, 5000ppb = toxic waste, Walters home = 13000ppb)

Because the water from the Flint River was being monitored for one year to determine the correct chemical balance to prevent corrosion of the pipes to homes. Also Chlorine increases corrosion in pipes.

In August 2015, DEQ is notified that Marc Edwards (Virgina Tech water researcher) will study Flint water, finds elevated lead levels in Flints water, DEQ disputes the findings

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Strategic Considerations Phase 1In Sep. 2015, the Hurley Medical Centre in Flint findselevated levels of lead in children, Flint issues a leadadvisory to its citizens

Department of Health and Human Services confirms results, a public health emergency is declaredIn Oct. 2015 Flint switches back to Detroit waterThe switch from Detroit to the Flint River was supposed to save $5M for the City, however the return to Detroit water alone cost over $9M

In September 2015, Hurley Medical Centre researcher Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha shows high levels of lead in children

DEQ calls people reacting to the water situation as near hysteria

Flint issues a lead advisory to citizens

The Dept of Health and Human Services confirms the results of Dr. Hanna-Attisha

DHHS declares public health emergency, tells residents of Flint not to drink the water

Snyder says while the water is safe to drink at the source, the water in your homes may not be due to the lead piping. Muchmore (Governors advisor) tells Snyder that switching back to DWSD would be the only way to bring back confidence in the community, so Flint switches back. In costs over $9M to switch back.

Community Resilience Is Key in the Aftermath of Flint's Lead Water Volunteers distribute bottled water to help combat the effects of the contaminated water crisis in Flinthttp://wwwassets.rand.org/content/rand/blog/2016/03/community-resilience-is-key-in-the-aftermath-of-flints/_jcr_content/par/blogpost.aspectcrop.868x455.ct.jpg/1457552865154.jpg

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DEQs response - Phase 1The DEQ was silent for 10 months after public complaints beganDEQ sent conflicting messages, first stating Flint had an optimized corrosion-control program then two months later admitting Flint had no corrosion control in placeDEQ disputed the findings of both Virginia Tech and Hurley Medical Centre researchers, would not comment on leaked EPA report and calls public response to the situation near hysteriaEighteen months after the switch to the Flint River, DEQ states I believe now we have made a mistake

The DEQ and Governor Rick Snyder were silent on the issue until Feb 2015 (10 months after complaints began):

In April 2015, DEQ admits that Flint has no corrosion control in place, but is monitoring mineral levels - DEQ states that this is an optimized corrosion-control program

DEQ will not comment on the leaked EPA report shared earlier with Walters, Virginia Tech researcher finds elevated levels of lead, DEQ disputes the findingsDEQ calls the public response near hysteria, DEQ challenges Hurley report, wont comment on EPA memo

After the Hurley medical report, DEQ spokesperson says that the water controversy is near hysteria a public health emergency is declared one week laterAfter the switch back to Detroit in Oct 2015, the DEQ publically states I believe now we have made a mistake

https://www.deq.state.ms.us/mdeq.nsf/page/Main_Newsroom?OpenDocument

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Strategic approach Phase 1When Flint first switched over to the Flint River, the DEQ was not in command of the situation (City of Flint)When the DEQ did speak out (10 months into the crisis)it was only reactive, when prodded by journaliststhey believed the issue to be localized to a few homes with old lead pipesthey sent conflicting messages (e.g. Flint has a corrosion control program vs. Flint is currently controlling corrosion) they either discredited or refused to comment on research that disputed their own findingsThey allowed politics to dictate messaging, and allowed Rick Snyder to be their spokesperson

The DEQs approach was defined by its role early on in the crisis. When Flint first switched over to the Flint River, the DEQ was not the most authoritative organization (the City of Flint was)

Communications were left to Flint, and because of this the DEQ was silent for 10 months after the switchAccording to the information they had early on, the DEQ acted accordingly in approving the use of the Flint River as in interim water supply.

Flint got into a war over water with Detroit, and Flint became responsible for treating its own water.Flint had issues with e.Coli and fecal coliform long before there was a lead problem

The State (Snyder) was responsible for putting the emergency manager in place and giving him the power to make operational decisions.

The DEQ made two key mistakes: First, the DEQ recommended monitoring the water supply for one year before treating it for corrosion Second, when presented with results that differed from their own, the DEQ disputed them rather than opening up another investigation

The first time the DEQ came out to speak, it was when the director came out to admit that they had made a terrible mistake

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Why this strategy was ineffective Phase 1The DEQ allowed others to control the conversationWhen the DEQ finally was dragged into participating they were defensive, passed blame, refused to apologize or admit they made mistakeThey only spoke through traditional media, rather than establish their own voiceWhenever a DEQ statement was uncovered that contradicts an earlier statement, they lost public trustWhen they disputed research that turned out to be accurate, they lost public trustThe DEQ was unwavering in their position until the task force found them responsible

By not speaking out about the situation for the first 10 months, they allowed others to be established as the authoritative voice (i.e. City of Flint, LeeAnne Walters, Media)

When the DEQ did start to become involved in the conversation, they were defensive about their own findings, put the blame on other organizations, and only spoke through traditional media

The DEQ stuck to their position, refusing to admit they had made a mistake (until it was way too late) and shared conflicting messages which when discovered immediately lost them public trust

They also disputed findings of third-party researchers, which when discovered to be accurate research, also lost them public trust

By not having their own voice and their own digital presence (or using what existed) they allowed Rick Snyder to be the voice of the State and the DEQ. Snyder was clearly not informed enough, or savvy enough, to act as both a spokesperson for organization that oversees drinking water health in Michigan and the politician who had hired the emergency manager of Flint.

The DEQ was unwavering in their position until the task force found them responsible for the crisis, it was clear that they would now need a new strategy

*Note: Although the DEQ took the brunt of the blame, both the Mayor of Flint and the Regional Director of the EPA have already lost their jobs because of this. Rick Snyder will be next. 14

What impact did this have on stakeholdersCitizens of Flint Governor Rick SnyderIndependent researchersVirginia TechHurley Medical CenterOther governing bodiesEPA, City of FlintOther stakeholdersMayors, Emergency Managers, LeeAnne Walters, Social Activists

The conflicting messages shared with the public (corrosion control, localized issue, acceptable levels of lead, quality of the water) damaged the DEQs reputation with their stakeholders

How did the DEQs actions (or non-actions) affect stakeholders? The stakeholders most effected were the citizens of Flint and Governor Rick Snyder:

Citizens of Flint Citizens were mislead by several government organizations. Some have been poisoned and all residents have been affected. There are various water programs in place and lives have been considerably different over the past two years. Residents were paying for this water until just recently when Snyder announced that they would reimburse water bills from Apr 2014 on

Governor Rick Snyder Rick Snyder has had to act as the person ultimately responsible. Snyder hired the emergency manager, the DEQ reports up to Snyders office, is a politician trying to save his reputation, has tried to make decisions regarding the appropriate treatment of a drinking water supply (relying on experts whove made errors), is currently testifying before congress. Every city and state employee while Flint was under emergency management was accountable to him. Detroit Free Press, March 20, 2016

The DEQ discrediting the research (EPA [no comment], Hurley Medical, Virginia Tech) that later turned out to be more accurate than their own data destroyed whatever credibility they had left with the public

Independent researchersVirginia TechHurley Medical CenterMarc Edwards has been awarded a bursary to study Flints water for one year and is repeatedly used as a spokesperson on the measures the EPA and DEQ are taking to fix Flints water problemDr. Mona Hanna-Attisha has won an award (with Walters) for their actions leading to saving the publicThe EPA official who leaked the report (Miguel Del Toral) is being portrayed as a hero

Other governing bodiesEPA, City of FlintSusan Hedman, EPAs regional director (inc. Michigan) resigned and the EPA took over Flint water monitoring/reporting. Once an independent task force found the DEQ responsible for causing the crisis (no corrosion control), the DEQs director resigned and responsibility for Flints water testing and reporting was turned over to the EPA

Other stakeholdersMayors, Emergency Managers, LeeAnne Walters, Social Activists

Snyder is trying to blame Dayne Walling (former mayor of Flint) who lost his job in November but since an emergency manger was in place, its ultimately the governor whos accountableCurrent mayor Karen Weaver is trying to fix the problem

Emergency Managers: Ed Kurtz, Michael Brown, Darnell Earley, Jerry Ambrose are all immune (Emergency Manager Bill)

Residents of Flint that have lead pipes and those that do not and residents of other municipalities with lead pipes have all been made more aware of the corrosion problem in America, especially in cities with old (lead) infrastructure

Celebrities and social activists Examples include Michael Moore, Cher, Erin Brockovich

Moore photo: https://d2nyfqh3g1stw3.cloudfront.net/photos/Screen_Shot_2016-01-07_at_6.53.30_AM_19952.png

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Social (media) activistsFlint native Michael Moore accuses government of intentionally poisoning people, calling first for the resignation and then the arrest of Snyder

Celebrities have taken to twitter calling for aid to Flint and for Snyders resignation (or arrest)

Flint native Michael Moore accuses Snyder of intentionally poisoning thousands of people. Moore has referred to the crisis as genocide (Flint is mostly Black), calling for the arrest of the Governor Moore has over 600,000 signatures on his petition: http://michaelmoore.com/ArrestGovSnyder/

Celebrities and social media activists have gotten involvedCher tweeted out thatSnyderis a murderer and that she had been in contact with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver about his actionsMichael Moore has created an online petition to arrest SnyderCivilRightsactivists have organized protests in Flint via TwitterBig Sean, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy have all tweeted out to their followers Jimmy Fallon has donated $10,000 to CFGF.org. Announced via Twitter

http://media2.wxyz.com/photo/2016/01/06/cher1_1452086288640_29450722_ver1.0_640_480.png

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Social (media) activists

Established hashtags on Twitter#FlintWaterCrisis (Social Medias) (est. 5099/day)#ArrestGovSnyder (Moores) (est. 376/day)#FlintFWD (Snyder's) (est. 178/day)#JusticeForFlint (Event) (est. 88/day)

Established hashtags#FlintWaterCrisis (Social Medias) (est. 5099/day)#ArrestGovSnyder (Moores) (est. 376/day)#FlintFWD (Snyder's) (est. 178/day)#JusticeForFlint (event) (est. 88/day)

https://www.hashtags.org/analytics/FLintWaterCrisis/ 17

Bonus An effective strategy for Phase 1Authority needed to be assumed by the DEQ and coordinate messagingDEQ needed to (positively) influence operational decisions within FlintA single source of truth for residents (e.g. the Flint Water Response Team) should have been established as complaints or conflicting test results first beganHire a professional to manage this crisis, which was not done until January 2016

The DEQ was in a very difficult position because they did not make the decision to switch Flint's water supply, and they could not tell Flint what to do("It would be unprecedented for the state to force one community to enter into an agreement with another, simply to artificially help one community at the other's expense." Fonger, Ron (April 2, 2013). "Detroit 'water war' claims 'wholly without merit,' Genesee County drain commissioner says". Flint Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2016.)

The DEQ recommended upgrades to Flints water treatment plant - which Flint did - and the new source and locally treated water met allEPA standards. The DEQ never had (or exercised) authority over other governing bodies unless the testing revealed that the water was not safe at the source.

The DEQ could have requested more testing once complaints started coming in. The DEQ also could have investigated the findings in the leaked EPA memo.

As soon as conflicting data was found, they should have set up a single source of truth for residents and a separate entity that could focus online on the Flint water crisis (e.g. the Flint Water Response Team)

The City of Flint could have established public programs, which the DEQ could have assisted with had they had the correct data.

This is a long and complicated crisis, a professional crisis firm should have been hired much sooner - January 2016 begins Phase 218

Phase 2: Jan. 2016 - TodayDEQ Director Resigns

Director Dan Wyant resigns after task force blasts MDEQ over Flint water crisishttp://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/12/deq_director_dan_wyant_resigns.html 19

Strategic Considerations Phase 2The crisis has cost over $70M thus far, and is expected to cost $230M to completely mitigateThe Flint water crisis has lasted two years, and is still ongoingFlint is currently in a state of emergencyAn independent task force found the DEQ responsible for the crisis, the Director resigned in Oct 2015There have been nine deaths reported due to waterborne Legionnaires disease EPA takes over responsibility of managing water testing/ reporting in FlintIn Jan. 2016 the DEQ hired a PR firm to help manage the crisisNational media coverage and an ongoing conversation on social media

The crisis has cost over $70M thus far, and is expected to cost $230M to completely mitigate. The Flint water crisis has lasted two years, and is still ongoing

A local state of emergency was declared Dec 2015. A county state of emergency was declared in Jan 2016, a state declared state of emergency followed immediately afterwards

On Dec 29, 2015 the task force set up by Governor Snyder finds that the DEQ responsible for the Flint water crisis. The DEQs minimalist approach to regulatory and oversight responsibility is unacceptable and simply insufficient to the task to public protection. The DEQ director (Wyant) and spokesperson (Wurful) both resign.

Snyder announces 87 cases of Legionnaires disease in Genesee County, including 10 deaths (revised later to 9)

After the EPA announces it will take over water testing in Flint (the EPAs regional director also resigns) EPA will conduct an audit of what happened to lead to such an oversight. The EPA orders an inventory of lead lines in Flint, and to set up a website that shares all water sampling results The DEQ says it will comply, but questions the authority of the EPA to order such actions

In Jan. 2016 the DEQ hired a PR firm to help manage the crisisSnyder has hired Mercury, a nationally prominent public relations firm known for crisis management, for which, ironically, hes taking a PR hit.

There is consistent national and international media coverage and an ongoing conversation on social media

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DEQs response Phase 2Establishes Flint Water Response teamEstablishes 5-part strategy

Establishes dedicated website

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has embarked on a five-part strategy to establish a baseline of data to determine when the water is safe to drink.

The strategy includes:Residential water testingSchool testingFood service/restaurant provider testingBlood level testingFlint water distribution system testing

http://www.michigan.gov/flintwater/0,6092,7-345--375133--,00.html21

DEQs response Phase 2Begins public programsWater bill refundsWater pickup locationsBottle recyclingWater filters

Snyder established new hashtag #FlintFWDDEQ targets residents with #Flint

Public programs: Filter installs, Distress helpline, residential and community information and reports, testing results, DEQ reporting to EPA, second languages, requests for government assistance, water pickup and bottle drop-offs, free testing and filters

Rick Snyders Action Plans: https://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277--379415--,00.html

Twitter hashtags: Base on Twitter alone, I could make a pretty solid prediction and the PR firm took over the DEQs twitter account on January 8, 2016. Tweets prior to that date were about once per week and rarely ever spoke of water quality, and never in Flint. After that date they tweet every other day and mostly to Flint residents about the resources/programs they have available to them22

Why Phase 2 was more effectiveSpoke with one authoritative voiceThe PR firm took over the messaging for the DEQ and Governor on this issueEstablished the Flint Water Response TeamPublished a single source of truth (website) and speak with one voice (e.g. #FlintFWD)Crisis comms influences operations The City of Flint and EPA defer to this website/campaignResearchers from Hurley Medical Centre and Virginia Tech previously dismissed have been invited to participate as subject matter experts on the response

Mercury the PR firm established a single source of truth website. They created a Flint Water Response team and opened multiple lines of communication (website, social media, text)

Launched multiple public programs and a large public education campaign (e.g. States Action Plans: https://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277--379415--,00.html)

Had Virginia Tech researcher comment on how the DEQ has responded since the report. Researcher from Hurley Medical Centre previously dismissed has been invited to comment as subject matter experts on the DEQs and Flints response.

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The DEQs reputation todayThe DEQ is working towards rebuilding public trust however the crisis in ongoingThe EPA has taken over many of the environmental and public safety responsibilities usually handled by state DEQsDespite all that Governor Rick Snyder has done since the task force found the DEQ responsible, he will likely never recover from his decision to hire an emergency manager for FlintThe DEQs current role is to communicate with citizens about public programs and resources in an effort to rebuild public trust in the state of Michigan

Since were still in the crisis, it is hard to say how much the DEQ has recovered from hits it has taken to its public reputation.

The DEQ has been stripped of a lot of its responsibilities by the EPA

Governor Rick Snyder has been asked to resign numerous times, despite all that hes done to atone for his mistakes

The DEQ with Mercury managing the crisis response has become a method to communicate to citizens about public programs and resources in an effort to start rebuilding public trust24

Thank you for your timeFor any questions or comments please tweet #FlintWaterCrisis to @Mark_

The #FlintWaterCrisis is still ongoing

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ReferencesHow Flint's water crisis unfolded: http://www.freep.com/pages/interactives/flint-water-crisis-timeline/The poisoning of a city: http://mashable.com/2016/01/24/flint-water-crisis/#taE92AnlZkqQFinancial emergency in Michigan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_emergency_in_MichiganFailing Flint: Who knew what and when?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTpsMyNezPQExclusive: Michigan Legionnaires' deaths were preventable, official says: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/12/us/flint-michigan-legionnaires/Social media helping to put a spotlight on the Flint water crisis: http://nbc25news.com/news/local/social-media-helping-to-put-a-spotlight-on-the-flint-water-crisis-01-15-2016

ReferencesFlint makes the switch to use river for drinking water: https://youtu.be/xmswRfQ_Bm0 Flint Water Timeline: http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/02/03/flinttimeline1.png Flint Water Crisis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder defends himself on Twitter as Democrats attack: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/michigan-gov-rick-snyder-defends-himself-as-democrats-attack_

ReferencesHashtag.org: https://www.hashtags.org/analytics/FlintWaterCrisis/With Flint water crisis center stage, Gov. Snyder hires national PR firm: http://michiganradio.org/post/flint-water-crisis-center-stage-gov-snyder-hires-national-pr-firm#stream/0 DEQ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichiganDEQRick Snyder on Twitter: https://twitter.com/onetoughnerd Gov. Snyder needs an emergency manager: http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/rochelle-riley/2016/03/19/gov-snyder-needs-emergency-manager/81974704/

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ReferencesMDEQ mistakes and deception make the Flint water crisis http://flintwaterstudy.org/2015/09/commentary-mdeq-mistakes-deception-flint-water-crisis/ State outlines initiatives to determine safe drinking levels http://www.michigan.gov/flintwater/0,6092,7-345--375133--,00.html DHHS provides list of steps being taken in Flint water crisis http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/dhhs_provides_list_of_steps_be.html Gov. Rick Snyder: State's action plans designed to ensure Flint's recovery and strong future https://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277--379415--,00.html Flint Water Advisory Task Force Final Report http://flintwaterstudy.org/2016/03/flint-water-advisory-task-force-final-report/

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Rick Snyders responseSnyder has asked for over $230M to clean up this crisis, securing over $70M since Oct. 2015The State has supplied nearly half a million bottles of water, over 100,000 water filters and nearly 50,000 lead testing kitsMichigan has given Flint $2M to begin a lead pipe replacement programIn Oct. 2015 Snyder forms an independent task force to investigate the crisis, two months later they find the DEQ responsibleSnyder activates National Guard in Jan. 2016

The governor has proposed more than $230 million in spending on resources for Flint residents. Secured funding totals $70 million since Oct. 1, 2015Supplying more than 439,775 cases of free bottled water, 108,456 water faucet filters, 227,041 filter replacement cartridges, and 40,887 testing kits for Flint residents$30 million to the city of Flint to credit residents water bills going back to April 2014Nine new nurses in local schools to monitor student health and well-beingTreating any children who have high lead levels in the blood, using diagnostic testing, nurse visits and environmental assessments in the home$2 million to the city of Flint to help kick off Mayor Karen Weavers Fast Start lead pipe replacement programThe Michigan National Guard is activated to help distribute water30

Rick Snyders responseAsks Obama to declare a federal emergencySnyder tells national media Its a disaster.Tells state No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe

Snyder asks Obama to declare a federal emergency and major disaster in FlintSnyder admits Its a disaster

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