>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
MY NEST NEXT GUEST IS A FAMOUS VIEMENTSAL ACTIVIST HERE TO TELL
US ABOUT THE WATER CRISIS IN FLINT MICHIGAN.
PLEASE WELCOME ERIN BROCKOVICH.
(APPLAUSE) SO EVERYONE KNOWS YOU AS AN
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST WHO BECAME FAMOUS FOR YOUR WORK IN
HINCKLEY, CALIFORNIA.
I ADMIRE YOU, YOU ARE A REAL LIFE SUPERHERO.
ARE YOU LIKE WATER BATMAN.
IS THERE-- (APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU GETTING INVOLVED IN THE
CRISIS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN.
HOW DID YOU FIRST FIND OUT ABOUT IT?
>> FROM THE COMMUNITY.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO THEY CONTACTED ME.
AND PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHANGES OF THE COLOR OF THE
WATER, THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMELL OF THE WATER.
THEY BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES.
SO OFTENTIMES WHEN WE GET CALLS WE'LL SEND INVESTIGATORS OUT,
WHICH WE DID.
AND WE ACTUALLY WROTE A PROTOCOL FOR THE CITY ON HOW TO TREAT THE
SITUATION.
>> Stephen: AND WHEN WAS THAT.
>> THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
>> Stephen: A YEAR AGO.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY, SO LET'S GIVE PEOPLE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS
GOING ON.
NOW THIS IS WATER COMING OUT OF A HYDRANT.
>> HIRE HYDRANT.
>> Stephen: WE MAY EXPECT THIS NOT TO BE NECESSARILY THE
CLEANEST WATER IN THE CITY BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE POTABLE
WATER.
>> IT IS.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY CONCERNING TO SEE THAT COLOR.
>> Stephen: THIS IS COMING OUT OF A SINK RIGHT THERE.
AND IT IS AT A HOSPITAL.
THIS IS THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE GLASS TODAY.
AND THIS IS JUST SOMEBODY AT A PROTEST HOLDING UP A JUG OF THE
WATER.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
>> THIS HAPPENED, THE CITY WAS HAVING SOME OBVIOUS FINANCIAL
ISSUES.
AND THEY HIRED AN EMERGENCY CITY MANAGER.
AND THEY MADE A DECISION TO SWITCH THE WATER SYSTEMS.
AND EVERYBODY'S WATER QUALITY IS DIFFERENT.
SO YOU CAN'T JUST WILLY-NILLY START CHANGING RIVER SYSTEMS.
SO THEY SWITCHED FROM THE DETROIT WATER WHICH IS FROM
HURON, TO USING THE FLINT RIVER WATER WHICH IS VERY COR ROSIVE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN IT HIT THE SYSTEM, IT CAUSED ALL
THE LEAD, THE IRON, THE AN COPPER TO LEECH OUT FROM THE LED
PIPES AND ALL THAT LEAD WAS DELIVERED TO THE RESIDENTS AND
THEIR TAPS.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE NEED WATER EVERY DAY.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING TO DO?
>> WELL, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY DELIVERING BOTTLED
WATER.
ONE THING THAT THEY NEED TO DO RIGHT AWAY IS FIND THE RIGHT ION
EXCHANGE RESIN FILTRATION SO EVERYBODY CAN HAVE A WATER
FILTER AT THEIR TAP AND ON THEIR SHOWER HEAD TO PROVIDE SOME
MEASURE OF SAFETY UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS ULTIMATELY CORRECTED.
>> Stephen: IS THERE A WAY TO FILTER OUT LEAD?
>> THERE IS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE TYPE THAT-- THE EXACT TYPE OF ION
EXCHANGE RESIN SWI SOLD WHICH THEY CAN FIND.
BUT THE STATE SHOULD BE PROVIDING THAT FOR EVERY SINGLE
HOUSEHOLD, EVERY SINGLE FAMILY MEMBER, PERIOD.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: I HAVE BEEN READING LATELY THAT THERE ARE
ELEVATED LEAD LEVELS IN DRINKING WATER NOT ONLY IN MANY CITIES IN
MICHIGAN, BUT IN MANY CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY
EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
IS THIS JUST THE TIP OF THE LEADBERG OUT THERE FOR WHAT WE
ARE DRINKING?
AM I DRINKING LEAD?
IS THERE LEAD IN THAT WATER WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU TONIGHT?
IF THIS CAME OUT OF A TAP IN NEW YORK CITY?
>> WELL, WELL, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THE ANSWER TO THAT FOR
CERTAIN.
RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS WATER.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT FLINT, MICHIGAN IS THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
I CAN TELL YOU FOR CERTAIN THAT THIS IS A NATIONAL CRISIS.
THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING READY TO FACE, THE CRISIS IS ALREADY
HERE.
EVEN SINCE FLINT HAS HIT THE NATIONAL STAGE, WE'VE NOW FOUND
OUT THAT SEABRING, OHIO, HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY REALIZE
THEY HAVE BEEN DELIVERING THEIR CUSTOMERS LEAD.
THE SAME THING HAS JUST NOW BEEN HAPPENING DOWN IN LOUISIANA.
AND WE'RE HEARING RUMORS, I HAVEN'T VERIFIED IT BEFORE I
CAME OUT, THAT THEY'RE HAVING THE SAME SITUATION IN WISCONSIN.
SO THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE'VE BEEN TREATING WATER DIFFERENTLY WITH SOMETHING
CALLED CHLORAMINES WHICH IS VERY ACIDIC.
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY OLD.
AND IT'S CAUSING ALL THE IRON AND LEAD AND COPPER AND
EVERYTHING IN THESE PIPES TO LEECH OUT.
BECAUSE IF IT IS A CHEAPER WAY THAN DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD BE
DOING.
AND IT'S AFFECT MANY MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES.
>> Stephen: IF THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WANT TO
HELP, WHAT CAN THEY DO.
>> ONE THING YOU CAN STILL DO IS THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.
THIS REOUT THERE.
>> Stephen: ARE THEY PROVIDING WATER.
>> THEY ARE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND WATER TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
EVERYONE CAN DO, THERE IS A LOCAL HERO OUT THERE.
HER NAME IS DR. MONDAYA.
SHE HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THESE CHILDREN.
AND SO MANY THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE
POISONED BY THIS LEAD, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEM FOR THE
REST OF THEIR LIVES.
WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER BE ABLE TO PERMANENTLY REMOVE THE LEAD.
YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS,
LEARNING DISABILITIES.
AND SHE IS SETTING UP A FOUNDATION TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY
ON HOW WE CAN HELP THOSE CHILDREN AND THEIR MEDICAL CARE
GOING FORWARD AND FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.
HER NAME IS DR. MONDAYA.
SHE'S GOING TO START A FOUNDATION.
SO LOOK FOR THAT, PLEASE.
>> Stephen: ERIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: ERIN BROCKOVICH, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.