Three government officials were charged Wednesday in the lead-tainted water crisis that terrorized Flint, Mich.
Two officials with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Flint's laboratory and water quality supervisor were slapped with a slew of criminal charges, the state's attorney general announced Wednesday.
MICHIGAN GOV. RICK SNYDER VOWS TO DRINK FLINT WATER
Mike Glasgow, a supervisor at Flint’s water plant, is charged with tampering with evidence and willful neglect of office. Prosecutors alleged he meddled with water tests so the results showed less lead than was actually present, MLive reported.
Michael Glasgow, a Flint laboratory water quality supervisor, was one of three people charged Wednesday in the city’s water crisis.
Stephen Busch and Mike Prysby — a district supervisor and a district engineer respectively in the state office — face multiple counts of official misconduct. Prysby also faces charges of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, tampering with evidence and engaging in treatment violation.
Busch was put on paid leave earlier this year while Prysby recently took another job in the agency.
Flint has been under a state of emergency for more than four months after a toxic amount of lead was found in the city’s water supply. Residents are still using filters and bottled water while their taps spit-out lead-tainted liquid.
The Flint Water Plant tower is seen in Flint, Mich.
WATER CRISIS WILL BE MUCH WORSE IN D.C. THAN IN FLINT
The problem started after the city starting drawing its water from the Flint River instead of relying on water from Detroit. The April 2014 move was a desperate bid to save move.
Residents immediately complain about the smell, taste and appearance of the water, and raise health concerns, reporting rashes, hair loss and other problems, but Flint stuck with the cost-saving plan.
Hundreds of cases of bottled water are stored at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Flint, Mich.
In January 2015, Detroit offered to reconnect Flint to its water system, but Flint leaders insisted its new source for water was safe. For months, state regulators maintained the river was acceptable to drink from while doctors and activists urged the city to switch back to Detroit's pipes.
Gov. Rick Snyder pledged that September to take action in response to the lead levels — the first acknowledgment by the state that lead is a problem. The state started funneling aid into the city while federal officials launched an investigation.
A governor-appointed panel concluded last month that the state of Michigan is “fundamentally accountable” for the crisis because of decisions made by environmental regulators.
With News Wire Services
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
mwagner@nydailynews.com
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