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LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was charged on Wednesday with two counts of willful neglect of his duties stemming from an investigation into the water crisis in Flint, which has left residents with lead contaminated water and was charged with a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.
The charges, listed in an online court record, are felony punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of $ 1,000.
The indictment filed by the attorney general’s office is groundbreaking: no governor or former governor in Michigan’s 184-year history has been charged with crimes related to his time in that office, according to the archivist of the state. Snyder’s attorney, Brian Lennon, said he couldn’t immediately comment. Attorney General Dana Nessel and investigators scheduled a press conference for Thursday.
Besides Snyder, a Republican who served until 2019, charges are expected against others, including former officials who served as state health director and senior adviser.
Flint was in chronic financial difficulty in 2014 when a director appointed by Snyder, who ruled the predominantly black city, made the decision to save money by using the Flint River for water. while a regional Lake Huron pipeline was under construction. Corrosive water, however, was not treated properly and released lead from old plumbing in homes in one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in US history.
Despite desperate pleas from residents holding jugs of discolored, skunky water, the Snyder administration took no meaningful action until a doctor reported it. elevated lead levels in children about 18 months later.
“I’m sorry and I’ll fix it,” Snyder vowed during his 2016 State of the State address.
Authorities have counted at least 90 cases of Legionellosis in Genesee County, including 12 deaths. Some experts have found that there is not enough chlorine in the water treatment system to control Legionella bacteria, which can trigger a severe form of pneumonia when spread through misting and cooling systems. cooling.
The disaster made Flint a national symbol of government dereliction, with residents forced to queue to buy bottled water and parents fearful that their children had suffered permanent harm. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavior problems. The crisis was presented as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
More than 9,700 home lead service lines have been replaced. Flint’s water, which now comes from a regional agency in Detroit, gets good marks, though many wary residents still use filters.
The criminal investigation lasted five years under the direction of two teams of prosecutors. Todd Flood, who was convicted of a seven-person misdemeanor, was ousted in 2019 after the election of Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat. Fadwa Hammoud later dropped the charges in eight outstanding cases and said the investigation would restart. She said the first team failed to gather all the available evidence.
Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering company have agreed to a $ 641 million settlement with residents over the water crisis, including $ 600 million from Michigan. A judge said she hoped to decide by Jan.21 whether or not to grant preliminary approval. Other lawsuits, including one against the US Environmental Protection Agency, are ongoing.
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