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We hope to see you tonight! The Flint Water Crisis: A Panel Discussion Wednesday, November 18 6:00-8:00pm, 303 International Center Please join moderator Dr. Sara Fingal (History/Lyman Briggs, Michigan State University) and panelists Dr. Jennifer Carrera (Sociology/Environmental Science & Policy Program, Michigan State University), Dr. Susan Masten (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University), Melissa Mays (Water You Fighting For?), and Bishop Bernadel Jefferson (Democracy Defense League) for a discussion and audience Q&A on the Flint water crisis. Following <http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/how_the_flint_water_crisis_eme.html#0> the Flint city government’s decision to no longer source its water supply from Detroit, but rather pump its water supply from the Flint River without properly treating it, old pipes further corroded and lead levels dangerously spiked, contaminating the water of Flint residents, businesses, and schools. Now the EPA has been called in to investigate Flint’s water contamination and has recently announced <http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/how_the_flint_water_crisis_eme.html#0> it will audit the state’s drinking water program to “ensure that MDEQ maintains reliable drinking water supplies that meet all of the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.” PANELISTS: Sara Fingal specializes in environmental history, twentieth century U.S. history, the history of coastal zone management, water resources, environmental politics, policy, and planning, and U.S. social movements. Her work to date ties together urban and rural history with an analysis of landscapes and ecosystems that transcend municipal, state, and national boundaries throughout North America. She has extensive experience performing oral history interviews with former civil rights and environmental activists, state politicians, officials, and employees. Jennifer Carrera is part of the campus-wide Global Water Initiative. Her area of research focuses on environmental justice issues of access to clean water and sanitation in low-income communities domestically and internationally. Her work examines the role of power and exclusion in the production of marginalized spaces and bodies, using water as a surrogate for mapping power. Susan Masten's research involves the use of chemical oxidants for the remediation of soils, water, and leachates contaminated with hazardous organic chemicals. She has been working extensively to develop water treatment technologies that are more effective and suitable for use in decentralized water treatment systems. She is currently testing a few samples from Flint for disinfection byproducts. Melissa Mays is a founder of the citizen advocacy group Water You Fighting For and is often quoted in articles and interviews on the ongoing Flint water crisis (www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/04/flint-michigan-lead-water-children-health <http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/04/flint-michigan-lead-water-children-health>). In August 2015, WYFF distributed 300 test kits to households and worked with volunteer research scientists and grad students to get them tested in order to determine if there were toxic lead concentrations in the city water supply. She was among the petitioners to the EPA on October 1, 2015, urging them to take emergency action under the Safe Drinking Water Act in order to protect Flint residents from the toxic water conditions (www.nrdc.org/media/2015/151001a.asp <http://www.nrdc.org/media/2015/151001a.asp>). Bishop Bernadel Jefferson (filling in for Claire McClinton, who has had an unavoidable conflict arise) of Faith Deliverance Center Church in Flint, works extensively with Democracy Defense League and is active with local and statewide community activities centered on exposing the dangers of the Emergency Manager law. This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen), Gender Justice & Environmental Change (GJEC), Community Sustainability, Lyman Briggs, Environmental Science & Policy Program, and Project 60/50 at MSU. Facebook event link: www.facebook.com/events/185649188444310/188498931492669/ <http://www.facebook.com/events/185649188444310/188498931492669/> Event flyer hosted online at: http://gencen.isp.msu.edu/documents/FlintWaterCrisis.pdf <http://gencen.isp.msu.edu/documents/FlintWaterCrisis.pdf> ----- Center for Gender in Global Context 206 International Center 427 N Shaw Lane East Lansing, MI 48824 (517) 353-5040 (phone) (517) 432-4845 (fax) www.gencen.msu.edu <http://www.gencen.msu.edu/> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>