The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the Flint River became the drinking water source for the city of Flint, Michigan. Due to insufficient water treatment, over 100,000 residents were potentially exposed to high levels of lead in the drinking water. A federal state of emergency was declared in January 2016 and Flint residents were instructed to use only bottled or filtered water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. As of early 2017, the water quality had returned to acceptable levels; however, residents were instructed to continue to use bottled or filtered water until all the lead pipes have been replaced, which is expected to be completed no sooner than 2020.
2007-2013 – Officials for the City of Flint formulate a plan to use the Flint River as a backup emergency water source.
March 22, 2012 – County officials announce plans for a new pipeline to reduce costs by delivering water from Lake Huron to Flint
April 16, 2013 – The city terminates its water service contract with the city of Detroit and the switch to the Flint River is to be effective in April 2014.
April 21, 2014 – After construction delays, the water source switch to the Flint River is completed.
August 14, 2014 – The city announces a water boiling advisory for parts of the city. The advisory is lifted on August 20. A second warning is issued in September.
October 2014 – Flint’s General Motors Flint Truck Assembly plant discontinues using Flint tap water due to corroding engine parts from high levels of chlorine.
2015
January 12, 2015 – City officials decline an offer to reconnect to Lake Huron water, concerned of higher water rates.
January 21, 2015 – Flint residents complain of health issues caused by city water. Residents bring bottles of discolored tap water to a community meeting.
February 26, 2015 – EPA manager Miquel Del Toral detects that lead levels in the water at the home of Flint resident Lee-Anne Walters is seven times greater than the EPA's acceptable limit.
March 23, 2015 – Flint City Council members vote to reconnect with Detroit water. Emergency manager Jerry Ambrose overrules the vote.
June 24, 2015 – EPA manager Miquel Del Toral states in a memo that Virginia Tech scientists, led by water expert Dr. Marc Edwards, found extremely high lead levels in four homes.
July 9, 2015 – Flint Mayor Dayne Walling drinks Flint tap water on local television in an attempt to dispel residents’ fear of drinking the water.
July 13, 2015 – In response to Del Toral's memo, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality official tells Michigan Public Radio, “Anyone who is concerned about lead in the drinking water in Flint can relax.”
September 8, 2015 – Virginia Tech’s water study team reports that 40% of Flint homes have elevated levels of lead.
September 9, 2015 – MDEQ spokesman Brad Wurfel states that Flint needs to upgrade its infrastructure but is skeptical about Virginia Tech’s water study.
September 11, 2015 – Virginia Tech recommends that the state of Michigan declare that the water in Flint is not safe for drinking or cooking.
September 24, 2015 – Hurley Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha releases study showing increased number of children with high lead-blood levels after water switch.
October 15, 2015 – Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signs a bill for $9.35 million to re-connect to Detroit water and provide relief. The switch is made the following day.
December 15, 2015 – Flint Mayor Karen Weaver declares a state of emergency.
December 29, 2015 – MDEQ Director Dan Wyant resigns.
2016
January 5, 2016 – Governor Snyder declares a state of emergency in Genesee County.
January 12, 2016 – The Michigan National Guard is mobilized to help distribute water in Flint.
January 13, 2016 – Governor Snyder announces an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease occurred in the Flint area between June, 2014 and November, 2015.
January 14, 2016 – Governor Snyder asks President Barack Obama to declare a disaster in Flint.
January 16, 2016 – President Obama declares a state of emergency in Flint and authorizes $5 million in aid.
February 3, 2016 – The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform holds a hearing on the Flint water crisis.
February 8, 2016 – Governor Snyder turns down a second invitation to testify at congressional hearing on the crisis.
March 17, 2016 – Governor Snyder testifies before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
April 20, 2016 – Criminal charges are filed against government employees: Mike Glasgow, Stephen Busch, and Mike Prysby.
May 4, 2016 – President Obama visits Flint.
July 29, 2016 – Six state workers are criminally charged, as investigations continue.
December 20, 2016 – Four officials are charged with felonies of false pretenses and conspiracy.
2017
January 24, 2017 – The MDEQ declares the city’s water tested below the federal limit in a six-month long study.
February 8, 2017 - State official, Richard Baird informs Flint residents that the year long state water bill subsidy will end, effective March 1, 2017.
February 16, 2017 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds the first genetic link from Legionnaires' disease to Flint's water supply.
February 20, 2017 - State considers ending bottled water distribution in the City of Flint.
March 1, 2017 - State officially ends water bill subsidies for residents of Flint.
March 15, 2017 - President Trump meets with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver to discuss infrastructure funding for Flint.
March 16, 2017 - Governor Snyder creates the Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission in an effort to avoid future lead poisoning outbreaks.
March 28, 2017 - A federal judge approves $97 million in funding for Michigan to examine and replace lead water service lines for 18,000 Flint homes to be completed in a three-year time frame.
April 18, 2017 - Flint Mayor Karen Weaver recommends staying with the Great Lakes Water Authority, which would reverse a 2012 decision that kickstarted the water crisis. Governor Snyder agreed with her decision.
April 20, 2017 - Six people were arrested at a town hall meeting regarding the crisis at a Flint church for disorderly conduct and interfering with police. The meeting was criticized as violating Michigan's Opening Meetings Act.
April 28, 2017 - Flint Mayor Karen Weaver announces the city has plans to remove lead piping at 6,000 homes by the end of the year. The project is funded by a $100 million grant approved by Congress earlier that week.
May 3, 2017 - A notice warning 8,000 residents that their tainted water will be turned off due to lack of payment causes a controversy in the city.
(*Wikipedia*)
Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti)
Speaking of: #Flint residents still don't have safe water. We gon stay woke or nah?
Facts and Side Effects:
Children exposed to lead poisoning can experience permanent damage, according to the World Health Organization. Lead can seriously affect children’s cognitive and physical development, leading to issues from lower IQs and aggression problems, to anemia and kidney dysfunction.
What Are We Doing?
I've decided to put together 5 different charitable book anthologies with various authors with the proceeds going towards sending bottles of clean water to Flint, MI, there are also some authors who cannot donate words, but want to donate funds, and as there are Flint residents who are now being charged for water they cannot use, there are two different charitable organizations who I have spoken to, located in Flint, who are dedicated to making sure the residents of Flint have their bills paid. I will follow up with them if we all (as a consensus) decide to send some of the funds in that direction. I'm thinking we may even be able to contact the water company directly and pay directly to them, but that is another few calls to be made. I will keep you all abreast of how that goes.
But I need your help, no matter what! Firstly, I need stories.
The THEME is: Centered around People triumphing during times of adversity or struggle/Hope/Strength/Also, if water could play a central focus that would be great. So a couple who meet digging a well in a foreign country, two kids who meet and become friends at a pool, a kid who gets over being scared to swim at the pool, etc., something with water. It doesn’t have to be contemporary. It can be any genre. All subgenres welcome.
LENGTH: 5k-20k. Some of you can write very short stories and some of you need the extra wordage so have at it. If you want to write for each volume, that works as well. Do whatever moves you. I am open to longer or shorter, depending on the story, just let me know.
TERMS: All rights belong to the authors. Stories are non-exclusive and I am looking to keep them in the anthology for one year. If you are writing a romance story: any heat levels welcome (hot sex, no sex, and everything in between). However, if you are writing a horror story in the General Fiction volume, please keep the violence and horror to a minimum. I am hoping that since the residents of Flint are primarily minorities that we have a large number of submissions that feature main characters that are diverse, however, this is not a requirement, merely a request.
VOLUMES OF SUBMISSION:
1. General Fiction (This includes sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc.)
2. Mainstream Romance (M/F-since most of the residents of Flint are minorities, I would really love to have diverse characters. That's for most of the stories.)
3. LGBTQ Romance (M/M, F/F, Trans*, etc)
4. YA/Children's Fiction
5. Poetry/Non-Fiction Short Stories of Hope, Courage, and Strength
CHARITIES:
http://www.unitedwaygenesee.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5https://www.cfgf.org/cfgf/GoodWork/FlintArea/WaterCrisis/tabid/855/Default.aspxhttp://www.flintschools.org/apps/contact/http://www.catholiccharitiesflint.org/flint-water-crisis/These are the charities that I am considering. The Catholic charity I have been in contact with and the Flint School I know is an area where many residents go and pick up water bottle donations. The other charities is where monetary donations can be made, however, the United Way charity purchases bottled water, filters, and emergency support services. While I would rather we send bottled water directly to a central location and pay residents' water bill, I'm not exactly sure how to go about that at this time, so we may have to use one of these. I would be more comfortable with United Way, Flint Catholic Charities, and Flint Schools. I will update you all on which one(s) I finally settle on, or we will all vote.
DEADLINE: October 8th-9th for Volumes I and II (Descriptions 1 & 2 above) October 15-16th for Volumes III and IV (Descriptions 3 & 4 above) October 22-23rd for Volume V (Description 5 above) October 29-30 is for any stragglers who have spoken to me ahead of time.
HEA/HFN?: These people have suffered. I want stories of HEA/HFN, Courage, Strength, Hope, Joy, and Love in the midst of suffering.
EDITING: Will take place in the month of October.
RELEASE DATE: I'm planning to start publishing the books in the middle of December, so that we can start delivering the water around before Christmas. They will be published by volumes. Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, Volume IV, Volume V. After that we'll see where we go. If we have a narrator, or narrators who want to narrate for free, then we'll put them into audio. If we get someone to do the covers for each story for free, then we'll release each story individually. We'll just take the next steps after, but for now, this is what we're doing.
DO's AND DO NOT's:
Standard restrictions apply: no scat, rape for titillation, pedophilia, incest, bestiality (shifters don’t count), etc. (Amazon will NOT publish any of these and the whole anthology would get pulled for them.)
PUBLISHING:
E-book and Paperback releases (POD).
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
I need the word spread to authors. I need proofreaders (I have a few who have offered), beta readers, editors to donate their time (I have one who has offered to edit an ENTIRE volume-thank you!!). I need artists who are willing to donate covers (I have two so far!), I need someone to set up a website to purchase the anthologies, and I'm going to contact my friends in Flint about how to make sure the water gets to those who need it.
I have set up an email address so people can email me and submit their stories or offer to help:
FlintAnthologies@gmail.comThe issue in Flint has weighed on my mind and heart for a very long time and I want to help. This is how we give back.
The Anthologies are going to be titled:
FLINT: The Charity Anthologies (General Fiction)
Flint Residents Deserve Clean Water
FLINT: The Charity Anthologies (Romance)
Flint Residents Deserve Clean Water
FLINT: The Charity Anthologies (LGBTQ Romance)
Flint Residents Deserve Clean Water
FLINT: The Charity Anthologies (YA/Children's Fiction)
Flint Residents Deserve Clean Water
FLINT: The Charity Anthologies (Poetry/Non-Fiction)
Flint Residents Deserve Clean Water
Who Am I?
My name is Vicktor Bailey, though I write under multiple pseudonyms: Vicktor Alexander (Gay Romance and Fiction), Veronica Victorian (Lesbian Romance and Fiction) (both of which are international bestsellers) and I've just recently branched out into writing YA under the pseudonym: V. Alex, Children's fiction under the pseudonym Alexander Bailey, M/F Romance under the pseudonym: V. Vee, Nonfiction under the pseudonym: Vicktor Bailey, and General Fiction under the pseudonym: V. A. Bailey.
I'm a disabled veteran who served in the United States Army. I'm a single father to a beautiful daughter who is currently in college. I'm a proud black man who is Jewish, transgender, and gay. I'm also very into philanthropy and have been since I was twelve. 90% of my books have profits from them being donated to a charity or organization to help a cause. This is not to boast about how great I am, just to point out that I am involved with and always donating to different causes.
I don't usually get others involved but this (THE FLINT WATER CRISIS) was something other authors had spoken on around me so I knew it was something a lot of people were concerned about. So I decided to get a bunch of other people involved to see how far our reach could be. I'm hoping it can be extremely far.
My Twitter handle is: @VVeeB. That's probably one of the best places to get to "know" me. I turn off the author and am just myself there. Probably because there's a limited amount of space to talk and no edit button.
My Facebook page is: Facebook.com/authorvicktoralexander
Or there's:
Facebook.com/vicktoralexanderb
Thank you in advance for sharing about our efforts to help the people of Flint and I hope you submit a story, volunteer to edit, volunteer to narrate, or get involved in some type of way.
Thank You,
Vicktor
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