The contamination crisis in Flint, Mich., has thrown a harsh national spotlight on the problem of lead in drinking water, especially in poor and minority communities.
Advertisement
The toxic drinking water disaster unfolding in Flint, Michigan, won’t happen in the Glades, a Palm Beach County government official who has overseen utilities in that struggling region told county commissioners.
Snyder publicly disclosed the spike in Legionnaires’ cases in January, 10 months later, saying he learned about it a couple of days earlier.
The crisis began when the city switched from a Detroit supplied water source to a cheaper, local source of water.
The outbreak was also well known within state agencies, according to emails obtained separately by the AP and other news organizations.
Senators David Vitter of Louisiana, James Inhofe of Oklahoma and John Cornyn of Texas say it “certainly appears that the EPA did not take action” or least alert the public about lead contamination in Flint’s water.
“Unlike Flint, Michigan, who utilized surface water from the Flint River, the county utilizes wells from underground aquifers including the fresh Surficial Aquifer and brackish Floridan Aquifer”, she wrote.
The rule requires states to enforce the law by making sure local water systems take precautions to keep lead out of the drinking water supplies, such as treating water to limit the leaching of lead in pipes, a process known as corrosion control.
Smith’s firing is the first in connection with the public health catastrophe, which has already prompted the December resignations of former DEQ Director Dan Wyant and DEQ communications director Brad Wurfel.
Churches in Flint have been a destination for donations and pick-up of bottled water, filters, baby wipes, and liquid formula.
Many residents reported increased health problems after the switch and pediatricians have found elevated levels of lead in the blood of some children living in Flint.
The water was deemed unsafe to drink or even bathe in. But their water control manager says they add that chemical that prevents the lead from getting into the water. If they are informed, they may be too terrified to get their water or bodies tested for poisoning.
Advertisement
Upton said he is also optimistic that a substantial amount money to help Flint will soon be approved by Congress. In it, rescue workers operating under the glare of floodlights combed through twisted concrete and metal and encountering people, apparently residents, who appeared dazed but uninjured.
