LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a comprehensive report on Tuesday detailing the investigation into the Flint water crisis, marking the conclusion of her office’s efforts to seek legal accountability in the matter. The crisis emerged in 2014 when the city of Flint switched its water source to the Flint River, leading to the contamination of drinking water with lead from aging pipes and sparking widespread health concerns among residents.

The 101-page report provides an extensive overview of the events leading up to and following the decision to alter Flint’s water supply, highlighting the delayed responses by local and state officials to the growing public health emergency. It also outlines efforts to pursue criminal charges against nine individuals, including former Republican Governor Rick Snyder, on a total of 42 felony and misdemeanor counts. However, the report comes after the Michigan Supreme Court's earlier ruling effectively ended criminal prosecutions related to the crisis.

Nessel, a Democrat serving her final term as attorney general, described the report as a thorough public accounting of the investigation’s findings and procedures. She expressed regret that the case was never fully adjudicated in court, preventing juries from hearing the evidence uncovered by her office.

“I hope this offering revealing the inner workings of our dedicated investigators and prosecutors who helmed this yearslong effort and the facts and evidence which guided them may tell one part of the story of the Flint water crisis,” Nessel stated.

The Flint water crisis, which has drawn national and international attention, highlighted systemic failures in government oversight and infrastructure maintenance, resulting in lasting health effects for many residents. The release of this report provides a detailed narrative from the prosecutorial perspective but marks an endpoint to formal criminal proceedings tied to the incident.