"Evoking the contaminated-water crisis in Flint, Michigan, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights showed concern and compassion Friday for residents of polluted communities who maintain they are victims of environmental racism.

“I see the specter of Flint in the communities that are represented by our panelists,” Patricia Timmons-Goodson, vice chair of the commission, said via teleconference at a hearing that focused on the dumping of coal ash. “In your communities, like Flint, there is knowledge of the dire health consequences of many of these toxic products.”

Flint’s nearly 100,000 residents have been exposed to elevated levels of lead after water from the Flint River corroded the city’s pipes. Some residents complained about the tainted water for two years before elected officials and regulators were compelled to act."

Talia Buford reports for the Center for Public Integrity February 5, 2015. [2]