It included programs to address water infrastructure shortcomings and the health of children who have tested for high lead levels in their blood, expand support in Flint schools and boost economic development for the city. The Iran-backed Shi’ites are hostile to the increased presence of Americans in Iraq and have vowed to treat U.S. Wednesday’s report comes a week after Mr. Snyder and other officials, including EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, were blasted by angry lawmakers during hearings on Capitol Hill. However, there may be other disinfection byproducts that are recognized by health agencies as potential skin irritants if found at elevated levels in individual homes.
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In June of that year, Crooks sent out a briefing on the issue to EPA and MDEQ officials, writing, “There have been numerous complaints to the Region 5 Ground Water and Drinking Water Branch regarding the drinking water, including rotten egg smell, swamp water smell, people developing rashes”.
A group of Flint residents, pastors and national advocacy organizations are asking a federal court to order water delivery to every household in the Flint water system amid ongoing issues with lead-contaminated water.
The Flint water crisis occurred when state-appointed emergency managers replaced local representative decision-making in Flint, removing the checks and balances and public accountability that come with public decision-making.
The task force made 44 recommendations, 25 of which the governor’s office says are already underway.
“I’ve been asked several times ‘what caused this?'” task force co-chair Chris Kolb told reporters.
Singled out for criticism is Michigan’s emergency manager law. Neither the Governor nor the Governor’s office took steps to reverse poor decisions by MDEQ and state-appointed emergency managers until October 2015, in spite of mounting problems and suggestions to do so by senior staff members in the Governor’s office, in part because of continued reassurances from MDEQ that the water was safe. “Emergency managers ignored and even criticized the city leaders”, said Lindsey Smith of Michigan Radio in an NPR story.
According to a letter from the federal government to the state, the rescaling or recoating of pipes is estimated to be done by May 1.
“Where you don’t treat outside opinion as a threat”, says Sikkema. “That change has to occur throughout state government”. Flint residents have been required to use bottled water to cook, drink and bathe since the contamination was made public.
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Primary responsibility was unsurprisingly directed toward the state Department of Environmental Quality, whose director resigned in December after the panel’s initial report.
