Flint, Michigan Water Crisis: Legionnaires Outbreak That Killed 12 Could Have Been Prevented

The outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease that hit Flint, Michigan, and the surrounding areas between June 2014 and October 2015, resulting in the death of 12 people, could have been prevented if the state's officials acted on prior information about the breakout. The outbreak — linked to Flint switching its water supply in April 2014 from Detroit’s system to the Flint River — was allegedly known to Nick Lyon, 49, then-director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Lyon, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office, was aware of the disease outbreak in early 2015. However, he did not notify the public until a year later, according to a statement released Wednesday by state's Attorney General Bill Schuette. Lyon's responsibility was to protect public health, but investigation showed he allegedly received notice of a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Genesee County almost one year before he informed the public. Even after being informed about the fatal health risk, he deliberately failed to inform the public of the outbreak, which resulted in the death of Robert Skidmore, an 85-year-old man who was treated at McLaren Flint hospital, the statement said. The officials are being charged in connection with the death of Skidmore.

Read: Is Michigan Still Fighting Water Delivery Expansion?

In addition to that, Lyon allegedly participated in covering up the source of Genesee County’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak by repeatedly trying to prevent an independent researcher from investigating the cause of the outbreak. Along with Lyon, four other state and city officials, who already were facing various criminal accusations, have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, which carries up to 15 years in prison.

The state's chief medical executive, Eden Wells, has been charged with attempting to withhold funding for programs designed to help the victims of the crisis, and then lying to an investigator about material facts related to the investigation.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said in a statement, backing Lyon and Wells, that he has "full faith and confidence" in both of them. Some social media users called for Snyder also to be investigated.

Schuette posted several tweets Wednesday about the probe, including how these charges would bring justice to families in Flint who lost family and loved ones to Legionnaires.

An attorney for Lyon could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately known if Wells had an attorney, Reuters reported.

Read: Google-Backed App Made Available To Help Flint Residents Find Drinking Water, Filters

On Wednesday, Schuette said his team had not spoken with Snyder as part of the investigation. "We attempted to interview the governor. We were not successful," Schuette said. He declined to elaborate.

Earlier, when asked whether Snyder would be ever investigated, Schuette said, "Nobody is off the table."

Snyder said he believed he had not done anything criminally wrong. "The governor isn't going to speculate on where the investigation is or is not headed, but he continues to cooperate fully," Snyder's spokeswoman Anna Heaton said.