by John Vibes at trueactivist.com
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has been speaking out about the lead contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and saying that this is a widespread problem that exists across the country. Last week, Brockovich appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to share her thoughts on the issue, and explained what she learned when she sent a team to investigate the water in Flint.
Brockovich also spoke about how this crisis extends far beyond Flint.
“I can tell you that Flint, Michigan is the tip of the iceberg. I can tell you for certain that this is a national crisis that we are not getting ready to face. The crisis is already here. Even since Flint has hit the national stage, we’ve found out that Sebring, Ohio has the same problem … The same thing is happening in Louisiana, and we’re just now hearing rumors—I haven’t verified it before I came out—we’re having the same situation in Wisconsin,” Brockovich said.
Recent estimates have indicated that it could take up to 15 years and over $60 million to fix the problem, and the residents will be essentially forced to live there until the problem is solved. Despite the fact that the issue is obviously the government’s responsibility, they have made it illegal for people to sell their homes because of the fact that they are known to carry contaminated water. Meanwhile, residents are still left to purchase bottled water on their own, in addition to paying their water bill.
Brockovich is best known for building a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993. Since then she has been a world-renowned environmental activist, and has even had a movie made about her activism, starring Julia Roberts.
Just this week it was reported that the town of Sebring, Ohio is currently experiencing a crisis identical to what residents are facing in Flint. As with Flint, officials in Sebring are rushing to cover up their part in the situation, and there is extensive evidence that the local government had full knowlege of how dangerous the water was. The EPA has accused local officials of providing “misleading, inaccurate or false reports” about the quality of water in the city.
Watch the full interview with Brockovich below:
