The Flint, Mich., water crisis has placed its residents in a state of emergency from the long-lasting health effects the poisonous water has on the community, mainly the 8,657 children of the city, USA Today reports.
Since April 2014, Flint’s drinking water was contaminated with lead after the city’s officials treated water from the Flint River at a treatment plant, while a new water pipeline to Lake Huron was nearing the final leg of completion. Since that time, residents have issued complaints about the color, odor, and taste of the water, but their concerns went unnoticed.
Now, Gov. Rick Snyder will host a State of the State address on Tuesday (Jan. 19), to highlight a plan of action in remedying this dire situation. Reports also state that the intake of lead in the bodies of those children can lead to severe changes in the nervous system and effect their brain development.
The crisis also prompted responses from entertainers on social media.
Why we worried about the Oscars? We need to be worried about what’s going on in Flint and Chicago. Mlk didn’t die for shows and trophies.
— Young Jeezy (@Jeezy) January 19, 2016
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been called in to provide assistance after Snyder declared a state of emergency on Jan. 12.