“We believe there is no evidence to support any criminal charges against Governor Snyder,” said defense attorney Brian Lennon late on Wednesday, adding that state prosecutors have not yet provided him with any details.
Lennon said on Tuesday that a criminal case would be “outrageous”. Snyder and others were due to appear in court on Thursday, followed by a press conference by Attorney General Dana Nessel and prosecutors.
In addition to Snyder, a Republican who served as governor from 2011 to 2018, charges are expected against others, including former employees who served as his state health director and as a senior adviser.
The alleged date of the offense is April 25, 2014, when an emergency manager appointed by Snyder who was managing the struggling, black majority city, made an economic decision to use the River Flint for water as a regional Lake Huron pipeline was under construction.
Corrosive water, however, was not treated properly and released lead from old plumbing to homes in one of the worst environmental man-made disasters in United States history.
Despite residents’ desperate pleas holding jars of discolored and faded water, the Snyder administration took no significant action until a doctor reported high levels of lead in children about 18 months later.
“I’m sorry and I’m going to fix it,” Snyder promised during his State of the State address in 2016.
Authorities accounted for at least 90 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County, including 12 deaths. Some experts found that there was not enough chlorine in the water treatment system to control the legionella bacteria, which can trigger a severe form of pneumonia when spread through fogging and cooling systems.
The disaster made Flint a national symbol of government abandonment, with residents forced to line up for bottled water and parents fearing their children had suffered permanent damage. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavior problems. The crisis was pointed out as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
More than 9,700 lead service lines in homes have been replaced. Flint’s water, which now comes from a regional Detroit agency, receives good grades, although many suspicious residents still use filters.
The criminal investigation lasted five years under two teams of prosecutors. Todd Flood, who was convicted of a seven-year misdemeanor, was removed in 2019 after the election of Nessel, a Democrat. Fadwa Hammoud subsequently dropped the charges in eight pending cases and said the investigation would be resumed. She said the first team was unable to collect all available evidence.
Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering company have agreed to a $ 641 million deal with residents because of the water crisis, with $ 600 million coming from Michigan. A judge said she hopes to decide by January 21 whether to grant preliminary approval. Other lawsuits, including one against the United States Environmental Protection Agency, are pending.