Welcome to Flint Town 39m As a water crisis erupts and a new mayor is sworn in, the understaffed police department faces uncertainty while struggling to protect the city. These eventsand a Trump presidential campaign that made multiple visits to Flintshadow the police force as it struggles to keep up with 911 calls. Where there were once 300 officers, there are now less than 100, serving about 100,000 residents. Chris McManus, 60, points to examples of why she has no trust. person will not be tolerated. Flint again became the focus of national attention in the 2010s when gross mismanagement of the citys water supply led to a crisis that left residents exposed to dangerous levels of lead. Custer, who is also a local TV anchor, says Flint is better off now than it was before the water crisis. "In other ways, we're forever poisoned, damaged, traumatized that's not gonna ever be better.". Network: Thats because, as were told in the first episode, the Flint police department has been stripped of resources and manpowermore so than any comparable city in America. Director Zackary Canepari tells Bustle, "We [Canaperi and co-directors Jessica Dimmock and Drea Cooper] dont want to be filmmakers who make the thing then bail on the community and move on to the next thing. NRDC.org stories are available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you cant resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you cant republish our material wholesale or automaticallyyou need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when youve used one of our stories. "Flint Town," an eight-part documentary series premiering Friday on Netflix, spends a little more than a year in the beleaguered city of Flint, Michigan, mainly following members of its. Please be forewarned about scenes with profanity. Be Proactive. Not surprisingly, the word plumbing is a derivative of plumbum, the Latin word for lead. January 30, 2017 - A $722 million class action lawsuit is filed against the EPA on behalf of more than 1,700 residents impacted by the water crisis. The Tri-County Times asked Balasko for an interview. On April 25, 2014 officials from Flint, Michigan switched the city's water supply to the Flint River as a cost-cutting measure for the struggling city. Pop. Flint was founded as a village by fur trader Jacob Smith in 1819 and became a major lumbering area on the historic Saginaw Trail during the 19th century. The court cases continue to unfold, and the city slowly replaces its lead lines. But the work of Flint residents and their advocates isnt finished yet. The Flint water crisis begins. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Photo courtesy of Jamie Kelly. But the 1980s put the brakes on that period of prosperity, as rising oil prices and auto imports resulted in shuttered auto plants and laid-off workers, many of whom eventually relocated. Long before the recent crisis garnered national headlines, the city of Flint was eminently familiar with water woes. Cloudy skies. We just sold my mother's 1400 square foot house after her passing in a nicer part of Flint for $5000.00 (yes, 5k, not a typo). April 20, 2016: Two state officials and a local official are charged with evidence tampering and other crimes in the state attorney general's investigation the first charges to come from the probe. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. However, tests have shown Flint's tap water has improved greatly since the depths of the water crisis. criticschoice.com Third Annual Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominations Unveiled - Critics' Choice Awards 448 122 comments 17 shares He also has been charged with some count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree which is also punishable by life in prison. By contrast, Edwards says the treatment chemicals that would have kept the . We are extremely honored to hear that FLINT TOWN was nominated for two Critics' Choice Documentary awards, Best Limited Documentary Series and Best Political Documentary! A pair of Flint Police Department officers whose budding romance was featured as a part of the Netflix series "Flint Town" has married. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The third-largest outbreak of Legionnaires disease recorded in U.S. historyas well as the discovery in 2014 of fecal coliform bacteria in city waterwas likely a result of the citys failure to maintain sufficient chlorine in its water mains to disinfect the water. While theresidents of Flint continue to experiencethe effects ofcitywidelead contamination, these five cities facewater debacles of their own. After officials repeatedly dismissed claims that Flints water was making people sick, residents took action. The citys switch from Detroit water to the Flint River coincided with an outbreak of Legionnaires disease (a severe form of pneumonia) that killed 12 and sickened at least 87 people between June 2014 and October 2015. New lines ensure fewer lead-related issues will arise, and now, the pipes abide by the federal Lead and Copper Rule. Idiot! Thanks for signing up. The next year Buick came under the direction of William C. Durant, who in 1908 consolidated Flints major manufacturing resources into the General Motors Company. The series, which looks through . Meanwhile, there are many contaminants that arent even monitored or regulated, such as perchlorate (a component of rocket fuel) and PFOA/PFOS/PFAS (chemical cousins of Teflon). For the record, Flint is 57% black, 37% white, 4% Latino and 4% mixed race; more than 41% of its residents live below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census. What's New On. March 2, 2018 Netflix While Flint, Michigan may not be in the news as much as it was in 2016, the situation in ailing the city has not been totally solved. Far more than pipes were corroded during the Flint water crisis. Stylist Dan Buccilli and his husband, David Custer, opened a new hair salon in downtown Flint last month in a rehabbed print shop. There is an ENORMOUS amount of flashing blue and red lights all through the show which gets pretty annoying. Luckily, Monica Lewis-Patrick is providing it to those in need. Theres just one downside, public health experts say: You might die if you drink it, Read More: It's 2018 and People in the US Are Actually Drinking 'Raw Water' by Choice, To: Anybody who drinks or is considering drinking "raw water." These women speak directly to the camera about what it means to be with a police officer: how they all have a plan for the worst, how they worry about being out with their partners off-duty, because someone they arrested might recognize them and how they are constantly on alert. A recent NRDC analysis found thousands of community water systems have violated federal drinking water laws, including the Lead and Copper Rule, which provides safeguards against lead. I heard testimonies from poor, African American residents of Detroit who were forced to make impossible choices to pay the water bill or to pay their rent.. Zackary Canepari Filed 10:48 a.m. 03.05.2018 The Frame Policing a City in Crisis In 'Flint Town', a new documentary series on Netflix, cops wrestle with broken bonds with their community. Documentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated water crisis. Another Huge Drinking Water Fail Surfaces in Michigan, Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Though not without flaws, the rule now gives the state the strongest lead drinking water protections in the country. These people are still there and they are still trying to make it work. This is by far the most accurate description of Flint. Scientists who said it was safe now say they were censored - Dallas News https://t.co/pg1C9CwX1Kpic.twitter.com/EfTHx6DBUm. Be Nice. This includes police roll call the day after the Dallas police shooting in July 2016, when a black army veteran killed five police officers during an anti-violence demonstration. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. A week later, House Republicans conclude their . Read More: Years Later, Flints Water Crisis May Be Causing Miscarriages. Were Flint Town to return, the second season would likely be as different from the first season as the first season is from T-Rex ultimately pointing the lens to a new part of Flint and telling a new story. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Flint Town The Dayton Family. or anything. What a boon to the community. Flint Town Is an Alarming Portrait of Cops, Politics, and a Reeling City By Matt Zoller Seitz, critic, filmmaker, and staff writer for Vulture and New York Photo: Zackary Canepari/Netflix Not. The Flint water crisis started in 2014 when city officials switched the city's water source from the Detroit River to the Flint River to save money but failed to add anti-corrosive agents to the water. While awaiting trial, Lyon remains the states health director. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Scientists suggest that the elevated lead levels may be, Worldwide, including IN parts of the US, a, That's why Global Citizen campaigns on ensuring everyone in the US and around the world has access to safe, healthy, and reliable drinking water. . The men had taken some painkillers and passed out with . The Flint Institute of Arts, the Robert T. Longway Planetarium, and the Alfred P. Sloan Museum (which displays carriages and antique autos) form part of the Flint Cultural Center, a cultural complex founded in 1957. "Environmental Racism + Indifference = Lead in . Robert Frost and Detective. Living. Who Does Denji End Up With? The city said the fire happened Saturday afternoon at the Elms Mobile Home Park on S . Flint's mayor has said replacing the lead pipes could cost $1.5 billion - plus the cost of possible health damage. Despite protests by residents lugging jugs of discolored water, officials maintained that the water was safe. In 2014, the city switched from Detroit's water system to the Flint River, setting the stage for a crisis that sickened residents and cost the mayor and other officials their jobs. Directors Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper and Jessica Dimmock walk the thin line of trying to create an entertaining documentary without seeming partisan. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. December 10, 2016. A study conducted the following year by researchers at Virginia Tech revealed the problem: Water samples collected from 252 homes through a resident-organized effort indicated citywide lead levels had spiked, with nearly 17 percent of samples registering above the federal action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), the level at which corrective action must be taken. The episode where Watson arrests his longtime pals son is loosely focused on the uptick in crime at Halloween, but also features Donald Trumps visit to Flint while running for president. The Flint Police Department's mission is to enforce the laws of the City of Flint, State of Michigan, and United States of America with the goal of enhancing the safety and security of people who live, work, and visit the City of Flint and their property. The police are a multiracial group, lead by a black police chief, but the citizens theyre serving are overwhelmingly black. Flint Police Officer Bridgette Balasko, 29, a 2007 graduate of Lake Fenton High School, is featured in an eight-part Netflix documentary called Flint Town.. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. While T-Rex provided an uncommon look at Flint, Cooper believes that "Flint Town was our opportunity to go, 'You know what, you cant shy away from the other issues in Flint.'". I have always had respect for police and I think we need more "reality" shows like this, not like the other reality crap thats on. If you are concerned about your own drinking water, take a look at your water utilitys annual water quality report (also called a consumer confidence report), which is usually posted online and is required to disclose if contaminants have been found in your water. These community organizers are busy picking up the slack. Heres what to do if this crisis affects you. The Flint water crisis has had serious consequences. A wrought iron archway in downtown declaring Flint Vehicle City speaks to its grander past. The US Centers for Disease and Control specifically warns against drinking untreated water because it could be contaminated with potentially fatal diseases like cholera and typhoid. What keeps you watching, rather, is the wider drama with members of the community, who complain about the police department and accuse it of squandering resources. Youre drinking toilet water with birth control drugs in them, one man told the New York Times. The city and state government routinely test Modestos water and deem it safe for human consumption, but the chemical, which the Environmental Protection Agency regards as a likely human carcinogen, still threatens to seep into wells. Rarely, if ever, do the directors address the systematic disenfranchisement of residents of the city, nor do they offer more than fleeting images of the lived experience of poverty. The little bit were doing, maybe her son can walk down the street, clean, for two weeks, Urquhart says. As NRDC President Rhea Suh noted at the height of the crisis, When it comes to providing public services, few things are more fundamental than clean drinking water. Flint Michigan officer Bridget Balasko, center, is one of. Balasko is the female officer portrayed in the documentary. But while businesses are moving forward, many city residents are having trouble. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The. Resident Lorenzo Lee Avery Jr. stands outside of Flint City Hall during a Flint Lives Matter event in 2016. Heres whyand what you can do to help. Dow and the other manufacturers knew that the chemical perchloroethylene known as perc or PCE was poisonous but still instructed cleaners to pour it down the sewer. If you discover your water is contaminated, one option is to use NSF-certified water filters that are designed to eliminate specific contaminants. Nearly one in six of the citys homes has been abandoned. And thats an impossible situation.. You can go one step farther by having your water tested, either by your water supplier (which may provide this service for free) or by a certified lab. Indeed, there is some evidence that the situation in Flint is improving, with lead levels remaining below the federal action level for the past four six-month monitoring periods, from July 2016 to June 2018. NO CITY IN AMERICA has gone through what Flint has. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism The documentary focused on the thoughts and conflicted emotions of the police officers who serve to protect the urban areas of Flint, Michigan. 3// DALLAS, TEXAS. Later this year, the city hopes to inspect the last of nearly 30,000 pipes connecting homes to city water mains. 2021-22 Welsh Premier League, Regular Season. At least five people died from l, Capitalizing on a vague distrust of municipal water supplies, Silicon Valley financiers are enabling consumers to purchase, The US Centers for Disease and Control specifically warns against drinking untreated water because it, While the water flowing in the streams and rivers of the backcountry may look pure, it can still be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other contaminants,, Tap water? According to the trailer introduction, In the aftermath of the Flint water crisis, Flint Town takes an intimate look at the state of policing in America through the lens of the Flint Police Department. I think thats really giving ourselves high praise [but] thats the aspiration." In towns like Coamo, residents depend on donations and Federal Emergency Management Administration relief to access clean water. Those efforts paid off. And while the photography is gorgeoussnowy footage of abandoned homes shot overhead by drone camerasthe filmmakers make a few missteps: tracking the romantic relationship between two photogenic white officers feels like a crass attempt at an idea of mass-market appeal thats unworthy of the series. Even if studies indicate Flints water is safe, its tough to expect its families to drink a glass of tap water without fear. pic.twitter.com/OH1eUdP6fY, In 2017, more than 17,500 Detroit residents lost water access, the Detroit Free Press reported, and thousands more remain vulnerable to a practice the UN called contrary to human rights., It is contrary to human rights to disconnect water from people who simply do not have the means to pay their bills, said UN Special Rapporteur Catarina de Albuquerque in 2014. Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States.Located along the Flint River, 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. The body, spring, and wheel companies of the carriage industry became suppliers for the Buick Motor Company, which moved from Detroit to Flint in 1903. A more momentous win came the following March with a major settlement requiring the city to replace the citys thousands of lead pipes with funding from the state, and guaranteeing further funding for comprehensive tap water testing, a faucet filter installation and education program, free bottled water through the following summer, and continued health programs to help residents deal with the residual effects of Flints tainted water. Use the 'Report' link on Updates? In theory, the United Nations says, water is a universal human right. When a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington studied private wells in the Dallas-area, they discovered dangerous levels of arsenic, which they attributed to fracking. From: Everybody who has ever died of cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, or tooth decay. Has your water been tainted by fracking? Ensuring that the provisions of the 2017 settlement are met is an ongoing task. Flint Town states that this is "the lowest number of officers for any comparable city," and the series shows the toll that this takes on both the police and the citizens of Flint. "We joke that we have some of the best water in the country now," says Custer. Be! It seems everyone has something different to say about the eight-episode series. In 2014, the city switched from Detroit's water system to the Flint River, setting the stage for a crisis that sickened residents and cost the mayor and other officials their jobs. What you say is true. 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