Residents of Flint, Michigan say the city's officials exposed them to lead and other toxins in the 18 months the city got its water from a nearby river. The number of kids with above average lead levels in their blood has doubled. The mayor has declared a state of emergency as the city prepares to deal with long-term effects of lead exposure. As the Washington Post reports:
[Lead] leaves its mark quietly, with a virtually invisible trail. But years later, when a child shows signs of a learning disability or behavioral issues, lead’s prior presence in the bloodstream suddenly becomes inescapable.
In Flint, Mich., there's so much lead in children's blood they've declared a state of emergency