The other parts of the strategy outlined by the state Department of Environmental Quality include: testing the water in local schools and restaurants, as well as the constant testing of blood levels in Flint residents.
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Some portions of the city’s water system could be given an all-clear on a rolling basis before mid-April, the Detroit Free Press newspaper reported, citing other state officials.
The Michigan Legislature voted Thursday to direct another $28 million to address Flint’s water emergency, allocating money for bottled water, medical assessments and other costs in the city struggling with a lead-contaminated supply.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) – State Department of Environmental Quality chief Keith Creagh says he has met with an official from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of interagency cooperation addressing the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint.
Officials have taken the decision to reduce local expenses, and thus chose to use the water from the polluted (local) Flint River instead of Lake Huron, source of water supplying Detroit. The river water was not treated properly and lead from pipes leached into Flint homes. Cost-cutting, poor management, lax oversight and officials turning a deaf ear to residents’ complaints led to the massive public-sector failure, said John Polley of the Martin County water utility.
Hedman had played down a memo by an EPA employee that said tests showed high levels of lead in the city’s water, telling Flint and MI administrators it was only a draft report.
Of the city’s 56,000 land parcels, about 5,200 have lead service lines. “The city of Norwalk would like to reassure its customers that its water is treated to minimize lead levels”.
“Our hearts are heavy, and we’re hoping not only to take the water, but to lend our voices as advocates for this community” Rev. Marshall Hatch said.
Comes from deep underground aquifers where the water’s been filtered by nature, not polluted surface water like the Flint River.
“We have several large cities that date way back before 1950 in Canada”, Prevost said in a telephone interview. That caused lead to leech into the water for a year and a half and contributed to the spike in child lead exposure before state and officials fully acknowledged the problem in early October.
“It’s the RushCard. Universal Financial Services has 1,700 customers in Flint and we contacted everyone of them and told them they can go to United Way – and we got a couple hundred thousand bottles of water there …”
“Government only works when there’s some level of trust or collaboration from the public, and it seems like there’s going to be a lot of tensions going forward”, says Eric Scorsone, associate professor and founding director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Center for State and Local Government Policy in East Lansing.
Citing a conflict of interest, Bill Schuette says the same legal team can not defend both the governor and DEQ workers.
Flint’s drinking water problems are getting worse.
Reasons for lead poisoning in the MI water crisis result from water pipes, paint, and construction material in older homes.
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From last week’s press conference, Creagh said, “we can say that things are trending better”.
