Read the following articles detailing the ongoing Flint water crisis and give your opinion regarding the crisis. How could this happen? What's being done? Where was the EPA? https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/us/a-question-of-environmental-racism-in-flint.html

In "A Question of Environmental Racism in Flint", John Eligon discusses the concept of environmental racism and how it relates to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The article was published on January 21, 2016.
Eligon says that the Flint water crisis happened because the city decided to switch water sources in 2014. Using the Flint River to deliver water to residents would save millions of dollars; saving money was a major goal for Flint because the city was already in a bad economic state. While residents were concerned about the quality of water from the river -- which has been described as murky -- tests done by the state indicated that it was safe. The switch was made.
There were many indications that the water might not be safe enough. They included:

The history of the river, which was once a dumping ground for industrial waste
Levels of coliform bacteria that Flint's emergency manager, Darnell Earley, said wasn't "an actual threat to citizen safety"
People in town experienced problems like hair loss, rashes, and illness
A chemical compound that exceeded the levels allowed by the government

Once the extent of the problem was understood, many things were done to combat it that are ongoing in late 2017. Residents switched to using bottled water and held community meetings to try to solve the problem.
According to CNN, the Flint City Council voted 7-1 to reconnect the water to its original source in 2015, but the emergency manager appointed by the state overruled their decision. The state distributed free water filters. In October, Flint switched back to using their original water source -- but it was estimated that it would take weeks to flush out the system and that it might not eliminate all issues. 
Unfortunately, the long-term effects of the lead exposure on residents of Flint are still unknown. Legal action is ongoing in many cases.
According to The New York Times and Time Magazine, the Environmental Protection Agency shares some of the blame in the Flint water crisis. According to "E.P.A. Waited Too Long to Warn of Flint Water Danger, Report Says" by Julie Bosman, the EPA had enough information about the lead levels in Flint's water that they should have reacted and issued an emergency order "as early as June 2015." That order wasn't issued until the following January.
Bosman says the EPA knew as early as April 2015 that the chemical which prevents the corrosion of pipes wasn't being added to the water in Flint. The Administrator of the EPA says that they were misled by state employees in Michigan.
According to "Why the EPA is Partly to Blame for the Flint Water Crisis" by Josh Sanburn, the EPA was aware of the findings that in one home "lead levels amounted to 13,200 parts per billion." Federal action is supposed to be taken if lead levels reach 15 parts per billion. 
In an effort to prevent future crises like Flint from arising, the EPA enacted new measures in 2016, including a way for them to enact changes when there is a major public health threat and a "more clearly defined way for whistle blowers" to highlight issues that concern the EPA.
https://time.com/4190643/flint-water-crisis-susan-hedman-epa/

https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-crisis-fast-facts/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/21/us/epa-waited-too-long-to-warn-of-flint-water-danger-report-says.html