Tag Archives: flint water crisis

OUT NOW: Interview with Dayne Walling on the 10th Anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis (Popula)

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“Happy” 10th Anniversary to the switch that kicked off the Flint Water Crisis. Though that moment and its optimistic press coverage provides a convenient pulse point, the crisis writ large was possible due to the conditions set forth by obnoxious Tea Party-laced GOP politics and that heady, all-American mix of “racism and bad capitalism” (h/t to Henry Zebrowski).

I recently met up with Dayne Walling (Flint Mayor 2009-2015) to chat about what really happened, and how the systemic tragedy continues playing out for him and his city a decade later. Read the full piece here.

The Flint Water Crisis, Ten Years Later

Special thanks to Popula/Maria Bustillos for their interest and for publishing this piece!

Enjoy, and pass it along to other concerned citizens.

Dayne Walling points out toward the old Fisher Auto plant grounds from the home of his office at Insight. Flint, MI, March 5, 2024. (Photo by Tyler for Sonic Geography)

More Special Guests Return to ENV 300 (Dayne Walling & Teresa Homsi)

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Every time Dr.* Dayne Walling (Flint Mayor 2009 – 2015) speaks to my Environmental Justice class, I learn something new and amazing about Flint, not necessarily germane to the city’s notorious Water Crisis. For example, Flint has successfully regenerated riverfront lands which were once un-tamable brownfields into Chevy Commons. Also, former Governor Rick Snyder refused to set foot in Flint (outside of that press conference) until President Obama came in April 2016 and made him.

*I may as well call him “Doctor;” he’s been ABD for some time now, but COME ON.

We also got a special visit from our recent graduate, Teresa Homsi, who has been working for WCMU. Last August, she filed a series of reports called “Demystifying PFAS,” and stopped by before the Thanksgiving break to catch us up!

Special thank you to Dayne Walling, Teresa Homsi, and everybody else who has stopped by or chipped in to make this another great semester in ENV 300.

Thanks for checking in.

In case I don’t have a chance to update this site before then, Postcards from Irving 6 should be going to press by the end of this week, and you can see me at the Hagaman Memorial Library in East Haven, CT next Tuesday 12/12, for the release party! More details available here, or just scrolling down.