LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was charged on Wednesday with two deliberate dereliction of duty as a result of an investigation into the Flint water crisis, which left residents with lead-contaminated water and blamed for a deadly Legionnaires disease outbreak.
The charges, set forth in an online court report, are crimes punishable by up to one year in prison and a $ 1,000 fine.
The charge filed by the Attorney General’s office is groundbreaking: No governor or former governor in Michigan’s 184-year history had been charged with crimes related to their time in that office, according to the state archivist. Snyder’s attorney, Brian Lennon, said he couldn’t comment right away. State Attorney General Dana Nessel and detectives have scheduled a press conference on Thursday.
In addition to Snyder, a Republican who served until 2019, charges are also expected against other people, including former officials who served as state health director and senior adviser.
Flint was in chronic financial trouble in 2014 when a Snyder-appointed manager who ran the majority of the Black City made a money-saving decision to use the Flint River for water while a Lake Huron regional pipeline was under construction. However, the corrosive water was not treated properly, letting lead out of old pipes into homes during one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in US history.
Despite desperate pleas from residents holding pitchers of discolored, smelly water, the Snyder government took no significant action until a doctor called in increased lead levels in children about 18 months later.
“I’m sorry and I’ll fix it,” Snyder promised during his 2016 State of the State address.
Authorities counted at least 90 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County, including 12 deaths. Some experts found that there was not enough chlorine in the water treatment system to fight Legionella bacteria, which can cause severe pneumonia when spread through fogging and cooling systems.
The accident made Flint a national symbol of government destruction, with residents forced to queue for bottled water and parents fearing permanent harm to their children. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavioral problems. The crisis has been highlighted as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
More than 9,700 main service lines at homes have been replaced. Flint’s water, which now comes from a Detroit regional agency, is getting good grades, though many suspicious locals still use filters.
The criminal investigation lasted five years among two teams of prosecutors. Todd Flood, who was convicted of a felony by seven people, was impeached in 2019 following the election of Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat. Fadwa Hammoud subsequently dropped the charges eight open cases and said the investigation would start again. She said the first team had not collected all of the available evidence.
Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering firm have agreed to a $ 641 million settlement with residents over the water crisis, $ 600 million of which is from Michigan. A judge said she hopes to decide on Jan. 21 whether she will grant preliminary approval. Other lawsuits, including one against the United States Environmental Protection Agency, are pending.