The Flint Water Crisis was a catastrophic disaster that reflects a previously, undefined pattern within human caused, slow-onset environmental crises. This pattern includes awareness, activism, governmental denial, and early signs of a legitimate, environmental hazard. This research defines the pattern as the Human Catalyst, Latent Disaster Model (HCLDM). The model is supported through review of mobilization frames, slow-onset environmental disasters, and incidents of environmental injustice. The model describes the predictable flow of latent disasters at various levels within society – the media, residents, government, and scientific community. This qualitative analysis of local, state, and national newspaper coverage of the Flint Water Crisis provides empirical support for the model. The analysis measures the concepts of significance, source bias, and environmental injustice through the lens of the normative theory of social responsibility. It found relationships between source-types and topics of environmental injustice consistent with a review of other incidents of latent environmental disasters. The findings help support the HCLDM as a predictive framework for study and offer a much-needed means of prediction for scholars, journalists, communities, and public health officials.
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