Alarmingly high levels of lead in tap water in Flint, Michigan, first prompted extensive emergency measures to keep residents safe — and now, a federal investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan is probing issues related to the crisis, office spokeswoman Gina Balaya told CNN Tuesday.
“The reason we responded the way we did is in an effort to address the concerns of Flint residents, and we’re working with the EPA,” Balaya said.
The spokeswoman did not offer any details on the investigation, including who it’s focusing on and what charges it could produce.
Still, it signals that criminal charges could be on the way.
The probe comes more than a year after the city of more than 100,000 people began getting water from the Flint River instead of getting it from Lake Huron via Detroit’s water system. The move was announced as a temporary, cost-cutting measure until Flint could get Great Lakes water on its own, according to CNN affiliate WDIV-TV.
But then came residents’ complaints about strangely colored tap water. This was followed by studies showing that lead piping elevated lead levels 10 times higher than they had previously measured. A local hospital discovered that the percentage of Flint children with elevated lead levels nearly doubled after the switch, reported WDIV.
This prompted a host of actions to address what was labeled a public health emergency. For instance, the city ordered public schools stop running water for taps and water fountains, according to WEYI, another CNN affiliate. And government agencies passed out over 6,000 water filters, said state health department director Nick Lyon.
Even with these efforts, many Flint residents got by thanks mostly to charity organizations and the kindness of neighbors and strangers for potable water.
The situation got under control after city and state officials announced last fall that Flint would switch back to Detroit’s water supply.