Rick Snyder’s top advisers knew about a potential link between a spike in Legionnaires’ disease and Flint’s lead-contaminated drinking water supply months before the governor told the public about it, according to internal emails obtained by Progress Michigan.
Advertisement
Snyder said in January that he had just learned about the rise in Legionnaires cases.
The APobtained separate emails showing the outbreak was “well known within state agencies” adding further proof to the contention that some state officials were dismissive of county health authorities who raised concerns about the safety of the community’s drinking water.
“The committee hearing next week will be led exclusively by the facts to ensure accountability and that the city of Flint gets the support it needs”, they wrote. At the time, others in the administration were scrambling to respond to suggestions that bacteria in the city’s new water source, the Flint River, could be the culprit. 87 cases were reported in the county over 17 months, about half of which originated at a single Flint hospital. The emergency managers, supported by local officials, approved switching Flint off of the Detroit water system to a new regional authority.
Snyder’s office said the agency that has already accepted blame for much of the Flint water crisis dropped the ball on the Legionnaires’ disease issue and nobody told the governor about it. The Michigan Democratic Party has now called on Snyder to resign. She said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has made a recommendation that tests on children under 6-years-old should be done before April 1.
The group cited an email from March 13, 2015, that showed Hollins and Dan Wyant, the former head of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), were aware of the increase in Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County, where Flint is located, and that a county health official was attributing the cases to the Flint River. “I want to make sure in writing that there are no misunderstandings regarding this significant and urgent public health issue”.
Simone Wofford, 47, said Gov. Rick Snyder’s announcement of a short-term plan to put a protective coating in the pipes isn’t the solution.
Melanie McElroy, executive director of Common Cause in Michigan, said the latest disclosure illustrates why the governor’s office exemption from the Michigan Freedom of Information Act must be removed.
Researchers from the University of Colorado have found evidence that raises concerns about the longevity of sources of fresh water throughout the state, particularly glaciers.
Advertisement
“The only way that the people of this state will have faith in the information he provides is if he becomes fully transparent and accountable”, McElroy said.
