Many residents are relying on bottled water. The state is now handing out filters and bottled water with the help of the National Guard.
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That’s after months of administration officials denying was a problem, followed by a shakeup that cost at least two senior environmental officials their jobs, and last week, the state asking the federal government for help. Flint returned to the Detroit system in October after elevated lead levels were discovered in children.
“We are praying for you, we are working hard for you and we are absolutely committed to taking the right steps to effectively solve this crisis”, he said.
Snyder said Monday that he is considering requests from outside groups to release internal emails about the Flint water crisis, The News reported. I didn’t need to hear promises because, frankly, this governor leaves in 2018 the same as I do.
Governor Snyder: “Well again I’m not jumping to conclusions because I’m staying focused on the solution now”.
Now, it has been determined that the water corroded lead distribution lines in Flint, delivering lead to consumers and causing lead poisoning among some of Flint’s children – all of whom now must be tested.
During his second term, in April 2014, in order to save millions of dollars for buying water from Detroit, he switched the water source for Flint, Michigan from the fresh glacial water of Lake Huron to the Flint River where, says Michael Moore, “toxins from a dozen General Motors and DuPont factories have been dumped for over a hundred years”.
An Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman told Reuters on Tuesday that the federal agency did not act fast enough in addressing the growing problem in Flint after hitting resistance from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on how the city’s water should be treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion of lead pipe connections.
During his State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder offered a timeline of how Flint’s water woes turned into a federal emergency. While he was talking of an initial cost of $28 million, Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver had previously said the costs of undoing the damage to the infrastructure and people’s health would easily run between $1.0 billion and $1,5 billion. In a blog post Tuesday, HHS said that it will have a team on the ground in Flint this week, led by Dr. Nicole, Lurie, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
Snyder added, “You deserve better”.
Snyder said in his speech Wednesday night that he didn’t know about the “scope and magnitude” of the crisis until September, after researchers from Virginia Tech conducted an independent investigation into Flint’s water.
He also announced his appeal of President Barack Obama’s denial of a federal disaster declaration for the area and his aides pledged that, by the end of the week, officials would visit every household in Flint to ensure they have water filters.
The scandal over the water in Flint has engulfed Mr. Snyder in a firestorm that has reverberated far beyond the state’s borders.
In the Michigan Democratic response to Snyder’s address, legislators wore blue to symbolize support for Flint.
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Governor Snyder and his aides say they understand the reality that he owns the problem.
