Flint is an
Environmental Justice Community
Environmental Justice (EJ) communities are composed predominantly of persons of color or a substantial proportion of persons below the poverty line, that is subjected to a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards and/or experiences a significantly reduced quality of life relative to surrounding or comparative communities.
www.enviroflint.com
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Alert: Heat Advisory Genesee County August 27th
Location: Genesee CountyTime of Report: August 26th via National Weather Service
Advice:
- Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles. Look before you lock!
- Drink plenty of water; even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
- Wear light clothing. Dress for summer. Lightweight, light colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.
- Check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone.
- Check on your animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat.
- Go to a designated public shelter if your home loses power during periods of extreme heat. Stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine if air conditioning is not available.
Learn more about Heat, Heat Waves and Heat Index at EnviroFlint.com
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National Weather Services - August 26th, 2024
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI
1253 PM EDT Mon Aug 26 2024
Midland-Bay-Saginaw-Shiawassee-Genesee-Livingston-Oakland-Macomb-Washtenaw-Wayne-Lenawee-Monroe- Including the cities of Bay City, Flint, Warren, Detroit, Monroe, Pontiac, Owosso, Saginaw, Adrian, Midland, Howell, and Ann Arbor
1253 PM EDT Mon Aug 26 2024
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM EDT TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Heat index values up to 102 expected.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Michigan.
* WHEN...From 10 AM to 10 PM EDT Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
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Alert: West Nile Virus in Genesee County
Location: FlushingTime of Report: August 24th via Genesee County Health Department
Advice: Protect yourself from mosquito bites to prevent mosquito-borne disease
Environmental Impact via Climate Change:
Mosquitoes can transmit vector-borne diseases, which are infections that are spread to humans and other animals by blood-feeding arthropods.
Climate change affects the spread of vector-borne diseases by influencing the geographic locations, impacted seasons, and incidence of the vectors that transmit them.
Climate change can impact vector-borne diseases in a number of ways, including:
Temperature: Warmer conditions can help vectors establish themselves in new regions
Precipitation: Climate change-induced floods and heavy rainfall can lead to an increase in mosquito populations.
Habitat: Climate change can indirectly impact flora and fauna, which can affect disease vectors that thrive in specific habitats or depend on certain animal hosts.
Genesee County Media Release - August 23rd, 2024
The Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) is urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites following detection of a bird that was positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Flushing, Genesee County. This is the first positive animal arbovirus case in Genesee County in 2024. Some mosquitoes can carry viruses (known as arboviruses) that can be transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite. Some viruses of this type include WNV, Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE), and Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV), among others. The best form of protection against mosquito-borne illnesses is to prevent mosquito bites.
Arboviruses spread when mosquitos contract the virus from biting infected birds then biting a human. Arboviruses spread to people through bites from infected mosquitos. Symptoms of arboviruses can range from simple fevers to more dangerous, rare complications like encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Infections can occur even when mosquito bite numbers are low. Most cases occur from late-spring through mid-fall. The diseases can affect anyone, however persons younger than age 15 and over age 50 are at greatest risk of severe illness following infection.
Residents can stay healthy by using simple, effective strategies to protect themselves and their families. The following steps are recommended to avoid mosquito-borne diseases, especially prior to outdoor activities:
Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered products to exposed skin or
clothing, and always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.Children under 2 months old should not use repellent, but rather be covered in
clothing that covers arms and legs; strollers and baby carriers should be covered
with mosquito netting.Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to
clothing to help prevent bites.Maintain window and door screening (in good repair) to help keep mosquitoes
outside.Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets,
unused kiddie pools, old tires or similar sites where mosquitoes may lay eggs
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##Ongoing Investigation##
Alert: Flint River Oil Spill
Location: Flint River; area of James P. Cole Boulevard and Merrill Street
Time of Report: June 25th at 11:40am
Advice: No swimming in, fishing in, or drinking Flint river water
Current Response: The Flint Fire Department, Flint Sewer Department, Genesee County Hazardous Materials Team and other environmental cleanup crews. Authorities could not immediately say where the oily substance was originating or how much has leaked.
Impact via EPA: “When oil is spilled into an aquatic environment, it can harm organisms that live on or around the water surface and those that live under water. Spilled oil can also damage parts of the food chain, including human food resources.”2024 Oil Spills
An oil spill was reported along James P. Cole Boulevard on Jan. 8. It was determined to involve about 50 gallons of an unknown substance entering the river from a storm sewer outfall.
Another was reported near the Utah Dam and Whaley Park on April 4. Authorities later determined about 200 gallons of an oily substance leaked from underground storage tanks into the storm sewer system and into the river.
Flint Climate and
Environmental Indicators
HEAT in FLINT
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Heat Wave is a period of very high temperatures for over 2 days.
Extreme Heat is when the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit
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Heat Index is how temperature feels when considering humidity + air temperature.
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Initial Tips During a Heat Wave
Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
Avoid high-energy activities or work outdoors, during midday heat, if possible.
Check on family members, older adults and neighbors.
Watch for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
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AIR in FLINT
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Air Pollution is the contamination of air due to pollutants in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and damage the environment.
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Air Quality Index (AQI) tells you how clean or polluted your outdoor air is and how harmful the air pollution can be to your health.
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Think about spending more time indoors, where particle pollution levels are usually lower.
Choose easier outdoor activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
Avoid busy roads and highways where PM is usually worse because of emissions from cars and trucks.
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Here is a list of all the facilities in Genesee County that have to follow air quality regulations to decrease the amount of potential air pollution that is released into the community.
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A fenceline community or frontline community is a neighborhood that is immediately adjacent to a company, military base, industrial or service center and is directly affected by the noise, odors, chemical emissions, traffic, parking, or operations of the company.
WATER in FLINT
Water is an essential basic need for everyone in Flint, Michigan. In April 2014, the Flint Water Crisis occured the Flint water was contaminated by lead. Consequently, it took years to fight against the injustice experienced by Flint residents.
Safe and drinkable water is obtained after water is treated (“cleaned”) and transported safely through underground service pipes. The State of Michigan and City of Flint continue to report on the water quality and improvement efforts made to deliver clean water to Flint residents.
Genesee County has a high concentration of opened Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) with over 640 USTs that mostly contain gasoline. USTs increase the risk of leaking and ground contamination that can impact the quality and cleanliness of drinking water.
For water emergencies or issues with water service, call (810) 766-7202 (water) or (810) 766-7079 (sewer). These lines are monitored 24/7. For non-emergency questions or concerns, email water@cityofflint.com. This email is monitored by Department of Public Works staff.
LAND in FLINT
Land contamination can result from a variety of intended, accidental, or naturally occurring activities and events such as manufacturing, mineral extraction, abandonment of mines, national defense activities, waste disposal, accidental spills, illegal dumping, leaking underground storage tanks, hurricanes, floods, pesticide use, and fertilizer application.
Flint has multiple sources of land contamination risks, including Underground Storage Tanks, PFAS Sites in Flint, and Brownfield sites.
Genesee County has a high concentration of opened Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) with over 640 USTs that mostly contain gasoline. USTs increase the risk of leaking and ground contamination that can impact the quality and cleanliness of drinking water.
There are 7 PFAS sites in Flint that contain PFAS, a toxic contaminant, in the ground that can pollute drinking water in the area. Flint contains multiple RACER trust properties that are contaminated and need clean up before official reuse. These sites have been allocated federal funds for the waste clean up in the re-development plan. The properties are Flint West, Buick City, Windiate Lot Land, and the Great Lakes Technical Center Industrial Land properties in Flint.
Brownfields are real properties where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Genesee County Land Bank currently has a redevelopment plan and funds to revitalize multiple brownfields.
DISASTERS in FLINT
FEMA’s Natioanl Risk Index (NRI) shows the risk of a natural disaster in the designated area.
Genesee County has a NRI of Relatively Moderate
Specifically, Genesee County is…
HIGH RISK for Ice Storm, Cold Wave, Lightening, Strong Wind, and Tornado.
Additionally, Genesee County is a RELATIVELY MODERATE risk of a Heat Wave.
Do You Have Your Emergency Plan
and Emergency Preparedness Kit?
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The sirens are tested the 1st Saturday of the month from March through November at 1:00 p.m. If a large fire is in progress, the test may be delayed for up to 15 minutes. The test lasts approximately 4 minutes and begins with a wavering tone, followed by a solid blast tone.
Besides the test, the sirens are activated for tornado warning, 70 miles per hour winds or higher only. For a tornado or 70 mph winds or greater warning, the siren will give a solid one minute or three minute (depending on siren model) blast every 10 minutes until warning has expired.
The county currently has 120 installed early warning sirens. Approximately 72.1% of the population is covered by a siren.
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Here are resources help you prepare for disasters in your home and community.
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Top 11 Hazards in Genesee County
Yearly Risks of Hazard Events in Genesee County
FUTURE CLIMATE in FLINT
Our community will be inherited by future generations.
The Climate Resilience Report shares the projected future climate indicator changes in Genesee County for extreme heat, flooding, drought, and wildfires.
CLIMATE WORK in FLINT
Work is being done to achieve Climate Justice, Environmental Justice, and Climate Resiliency.
Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint
Flint Rising
Flint River Watershed Coalition
Michigan United
NAACP Flint Health and Environmental Justice Committee
St Frances Prayer Center
Young, Gifted, and Green
Climate Resilient Flint
ADVOCACY in FLINT
MI Dept of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Calendar
Flint Beat News Environment Section
Contact impact@enviroflint.com to connect