“I appreciate the president approving my federal emergency request and supporting Flint during this critical situation”, Snyder said in a news release.
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Flint residents, grappling with toxic lead contamination in their drinking water after city officials opted to save money by changing their water supply, are now garnering the highest levels of attention, not only from the state but the federal government.
The agency has sent officials to provide logistical and technical support, a decision that was announced on Twitter by FEMA’s Director of Public Affairs, Rafael Lamaitre. Since then, Snyder has begun using the National Guard, in combination with NGO relief efforts, to distribute bottled water, filters, and tests to Flint residents.
Typically, federal aid for a state of emergency is capped at $5 million, though the president can commit more with approval from Congress.
The assistance Snyder has requested could include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-priced loans for uninsured property losses and other programs. That caused lead, which can cause brain damage and other health problems in children, to leach into the water from pipes and fixtures.
According to a class-action lawsuit, the state Department of Environmental Quality wasn’t treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent, in violation of federal law.
The state’s environment department had allowed water to be taken from the Flint River, even though the city’s treatment plant was not able to produce water that met state and federal standards, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The announcement came days after Michigan Governor Rick Snyder asked Obama to issue the emergency declaration. FEMA has appointed a disaster recovery coordinator.
Direct federal funding will also be available.
“It is the state’s ultimate responsibility to act and make it right”.
It has since switched back to Detroit’s water. Despite the legal limitation, the governor is considering an appeal to exhaust “every opportunity to provide resources” for residents, Snyder spokesman Dave Murray said.
But the response has been marked by confusion at times.
City official were under renewed fire on Friday for sending out shut-off notices to residents who are behind on paying their water bills.
Chief health officer Mark Valacak told The Associated Press he “had no idea” that Snyder was holding a news conference Wednesday to disclose the findings.
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Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton released a statement earlier this week, which starts: “There is no excuse for what’s happening in Flint”. Ten Flint residents have been KILLED by this disease which is caused by tainted water.
