Ben Pauli

Assoc. Prof. of Social Science, Kettering U
Author of Flint Fights Back
President of the Board @ETMFlint
Member, National Environmental Justice Advisory Council

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

A link to my updated Q & A with MIT Press:

Flint Fights Back: In Conversation With Benjamin Pauli https://t.co/Df5KggWCzM #Environment #EnvironmentalJustice #FlintWaterCrisis via @mitpress

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

So much water crisis recovery work in Flint, including the nearly-complete effort to replace lead pipes, has been carried out by unsung community members. Last night was a chance to honor them. Special thanks to the @KetteringU students who helped! https://t.co/fsX4LfadVu

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

Thank you to Kristie Ellickson and @UCSUSA
for bringing attention to the now-suspended work of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Stay tuned for more as we seek ways of carrying that work forward! https://t.co/uxeqck0duv

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

“Despite efforts from local residents, health experts, and activists, many in the community feel that justice has not been fully served, and the long-term consequences of the crisis continue to affect lives today.” https://t.co/JCoG73Om3p

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

Thanks to @EHNewsroom for publishing my commentary on the connection between EJ at EPA and community-based environmental advocacy. Here’s to hoping that the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council will be able to continue its important work: https://t.co/6sLKFOyvts

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

Almost 11 years after the disastrous switch to the Flint River, residents still have not received a dime of reparations from the institutions responsible. Many have died waiting. https://t.co/rA4DBzreR2

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

I was interviewed recently for this piece by @AGU_Eos on the status and legacy of the Flint water crisis after 10 years and ongoing efforts to advance environmental protection and environmental justice in Flint and beyond:

[AGU's Eos @AGU_Eos]

The Flint water crisis played a huge role in making environmental justice a priority for state and federal lawmakers. But 10 years later, there’s still work to do.

Comments from @benjaminjpauli @ETMFlint @KetteringU and Olivia David @Umich.

https://t.co/MvfUgLhWDG

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

(2/2) "Kao writes of parenting biracial children in a disinvested environment, relations between Asian-Americans and other groups, and the lasting impact of the water crisis as well as anti-AAPI sentiment in the early days of the pandemic." https://t.co/rQ7nRLo9ft

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

(1/2) New book announcement! "[In Dear Mrs. River-Dragon,] Vivian Kao documents her family's efforts to acclimate to Flint [&] the challenges of being an Asian-American woman & mother in a marginalized city where AAPI residents comprise less than one percent of the community."

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

The EPA is requesting nominations to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC). I've served on NEJAC since 2019 as a representative of academia--let me know if you're thinking about applying & want to chat about it! #environmentaljustice https://t.co/jMaAG5Xfg0

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

Didn't manage to share this interview when it went up earlier this year:

https://t.co/vUboRLceh9

[Yanna Lambrinidou, PhD @DrishtiEthics]

In its new #LeadInWater audit report, @EPAoig states that, in Jan 2021 - Mar 2023, 498 water utilities serving approx 2.3M ppl exceeded the federal "lead action level." Even though an exceedance signals large-scale & severe contamination, #OIG found that "the public was not ...

[Anna Clark @annaleighclark]

Writing about it in @propublica:

Michigan Bottlers Still Get Free Water, Despite Governor’s Tough Talk

with photos by @sbmaneyphoto

https://t.co/f0zYWOUTqz

[Yanna Lambrinidou, PhD @DrishtiEthics]

Imagine what will happen with the lead service line replacement programs of the vast majority of cities that, unlike Flint, are not under the microscope or facing court orders. 😶

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

"...[T]here remain hundreds of homes where the city has not checked the water service line (or replaced the line if it is discovered to be made of lead or galvanized steel). More than 300 of these addresses have known lead service lines."

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

"...There remain about 1,900 homes that require repairs to fix damaged lawns, sidewalks, driveways, and curbs. Some residents have been waiting for years for Flint to fix their properties..."

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

"A decade after the Flint water crisis began, the State of MI plans to take over the remaining work on Flint’s lead pipe replacement program and will commit additional funding to complete the job, according to a motion filed in federal court today..." https://t.co/gMT94jCG3c

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

...That is why we need robust support from beyond the local level for this kind of work--not just stronger regulations, but more resources--and why we need to include community members proactively in the development of locally-specific best practices for water communication.

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

As a member of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council working group that made recommendations to @EPA about its revised CCR rule, I find this development troubling. The most fundamental problem with the CCR as a communication device is implied in its name...

[E&E News @EENewsUpdates]

EPA backtracks on water rule provision for ‘misleading’ language https://t.co/xCCn8DweLj

[Ben Pauli @benjaminjpauli]

Speaking now as a member of the Flint Water Advisory Council, I know from the council's regular conversations with our water operators here how challenging it can be to communicate nuanced information about water, especially when a utility's capacity is severely limited...