The Value of Water: The Flint Water Crisis as a Devaluation of Natural Resources, not a Matter of Racial Justice

Abstract

The Flint water crisis has garnered a great deal of political attention, as the impacts of political decisions to alter Flint's water supply have left many residents with mistrust of government and unusable water. This article reviews water issues in Michigan over the past 15 years to uncover whether the water crisis in Flint is an aberration or a continuation of water policies. In consideration of Michigan's state constitution, the federal Clean Water Act, and lawsuits that have already been filed in Michigan related to water issues, this article posits that what happened in Flint that led to systemic failure to protect public health was not a result of racial disparity. Water has consistently been devalued by the Michigan government, causing unmitigated pollution in rural areas before it was known in Flint. Michigan's government officials have a profound history in the devaluation of water and natural resources and have systematically undermined environmental protection for years. This article covers the incidents related to mismanagement and disregard for water as a public resource within Michigan to highlight Flint's water crisis as an environmental, rather than a racial, injustice.