Two weeks ago, President Obama asked me to head the federal response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Since then, I’ve spent time in Flint, talking with community members, government officials, and technical experts about what’s going on there. Understandably, residents are worried, confused and angry about the situation; they want a solution they can count on so they so they can drink a glass of water or take a shower without a concern about their health and the health of their children. As part of the fix, they also want to be sure that their kids go forward with the best shot they can have at a healthy life. So do I.
As the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, I’m used to responding to various kinds of emergencies but this response is, for me, a particularly personal one. I’ve dedicated much of my career to addressing economic disparity and its impact on community health overall. Incredibly, it was lead that propelled me into a career in medicine and public health. As I flew out to Flint for my first visit, I flashed back to high school, when I met one of my first mentors, Dr. Martha Lepow. She’s an infectious disease pediatrician, and way back then she realized that lead was as critical an issue as infectious diseases in the kids she was seeing.
She got me – as a high school student – involved in her crusade to end lead poisoning in children. Instead of going to class, I got a different kind of education. I knocked on doors, collected blood and urine samples and paint chips, and using the results, mapped out lead in neighborhoods. Armed with those data, Dr. Lepow was assertive with policy makers and politicians, pushing to change standards and laws in order to better protect children’s health from the effects of lead. I’m proud to have been a part of her work and to have learned from her – and from later mentors and even from my patients – that being a doctor means improving the health of the entire community as well as the health of each patient.
We’ve learned so much about lead since then. Today, we know that there is no really healthy lead level in a child’s blood. We also know now that there is a lot we can do to help kids who have been exposed to lead and especially to help their growing brains catch up on development. Quality health care, good parenting, early childhood education, and healthy food help counter some of the effects of lead; they are all part of the solution. I’m hopeful that working together, we can put these in place for the people of Flint.
We’ve already made progress. In the past two weeks, we’ve ramped up support for the people of Flint, bringing in technical experts from HHS, CDC, EPA, FEMA, USDA, HUD, SBA, and the Department of Education. Not only are we supporting state and local officials in identifying the size and scope of the problem, but we also are assisting them in making and executing a plan to mitigate the short- and long-term health effects of lead exposure.
An EPA response team is on the ground working closely with Flint’s water-system operators to identify sources of contamination. Working with the community, they will help develop a plan to restore safe drinking water to all Flint residents and make sure the Flint water system is being maintained appropriately.
A comprehensive effort is underway to monitor the healing of the water system. This involves collecting samples that test the water supply from its intake all the way to the end of the line in homes and workplaces. EPA has already started to make this information available to the public so Flint residents know what’s in their water and can see progress. At the same time, EPA is inspecting Flint’s drinking water system to determine the locations of lead pipes. This information will help EPA understand where additional residential sampling may be needed.
To help meet the near-term physical and mental health needs of children, pregnant women and families impacted by lead, CDC scientists are working with county and state health departments to determine exactly how many people have been exposed to lead and how much they’ve been exposed to. At the same time, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services is working with families in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to provide ready-to-feed formula which does not need to be mixed with water. This means moms and dads can worry a little less about having enough bottled water handy.
USDA also approved the Michigan Department of Education’s request for additional funds to expand the number of schools serving fresh fruit and vegetables. These funds will help affected schools purchase foods high in calcium, iron and Vitamin C because these types of fruits and vegetables can help children who have been exposed to lead. We’ve begun working with the health departments and community organizations to get this important information about nutrition to all Flint residents.
If you live in Flint, you can help your family by using your water filters until this is over, cleaning the aerator in your faucet, talking with your doctor about whether your kids should be tested for lead, adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their diets, and doing the things we know will help them grow up healthy and strong. If you know someone who lives in Flint, spread the word to them about these important steps.
Finding a solution to the water crisis is the first part of rebuilding a healthier, more vibrant community. Doing so requires more than coordination and more than the resources of any single government agency – county, state or federal. Recovering as a stronger community will require that civic and faith-based organizations, businesses and neighbors rally and work together with government agencies and with families.
I imagine there are students in Flint who could benefit from getting out of the classroom and engaged in their community like I did as a high school student. They can get involved in Flint’s recovery, too. Drawing on the talent and energy of every member of the community can help end this crisis faster and have a lasting positive effect: building a stronger, more resilient city not just now but far into the future.
