An expert in environmental and water legal matters has joined the Michigan Attorney General's team investigating whether any Michigan laws were violated in the process that created a public health crisis in Flint.
"This is the worst disaster for public health I've ever seen," Noah Hall said by phone Wednesday, March 16.
Hall, an environmental/water legal expert and attorney from Wayne State University is a new member of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's investigation team, AG spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said on March 16.
Hall said he was honored when the AG's office asked him to join the investigation, which he said he is taking very seriously for the people of Michigan.
"I've never seen an environmental problem affect so many people in such a concentrated way," Hall said about the crisis in Flint, which left families afraid for their health after the realization that lead-tainted water was running through water lines.
"This is why we have environmental laws."
His expertise will be useful in the part of the investigation to determine if environmental statues were violated such as Michigan's Safe Water Drinking Act, Hall said.
Schuette announced the investigation in January.
Noah Hall
Hall joins Schuette's special counsel, former prosecutor Todd Flood, and retired Detroit FBI chief Andrew Arena in the investigation.
Bitely said Hall will make $170 per hour
A contract Bitely sent to MLive on March 16 states that Flood Law may bill any work done by Hall at $400 per hour.
Bitely said the balance of the funds will be used to pay the cost of discovery, processing, testing, technology cell phone bills, mileage and other things.
The contract, amended from its original form, includes other names of investigators and states Flood Law may bill varied amounts from $90 per hour to $400 per hour for their work.
Hall is among 12 attorneys on the contract that also includes ten investigators and a cost ceiling of $1.5 million. The State Administrative Board approved the contract amount Tuesday, March 15, Bitely said.
Hall has taught at the University of Michigan Law School and was an attorney with the National Wildlife Federation, where he managed the Great Lakes Water Resources Program, according to his biography.
He joined the Wayne Law faculty in 2005. For the 2014-15 academic year, he served as the Law School's associate dean for student affairs, according to the biography.
Hall said he has not worked on behalf of government before.
He worked in private practice for several years, representing business and public-interest clients.
Hall founded the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit environmental organization that provides legal assistance to community organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations, and local, state and regional governments.
He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, concentrating in environmental policy. After law school, he was a clerk for Hon. Kathleen A. Blatz, chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Hall said he has not donated to the current AG or governor "or anyone involved in the investigation" when asked.
He said he hopes the investigation will bring justice to help restore Michigan residents' trust in government.
"At a certain level, there's nothing the legal system can do," he said. "It can't get lead out of kids' blood. It can't bring back the lives that are lost.
He said he can't help with those impacts, but he'll use the legal system to fight for those affected, adding, "I hope our work will help prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again."