Driker is assisting the Attorney General’s ongoing Flint work, while Lennon was hired to help with the estimated hundreds of thousands of emails and other records related to the Flint public health crisis that the state is and will be releasing, Snyder’s office says.
Advertisement
Rick Snyder on Friday called for an investigation of how his health department handled an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the Flint area as well as high lead levels among residents who were drinking tainted water from the Flint River. “I want some answers”.
Snyder has repeatedly apologized for the state’s poor handling of the water crisis but has rejected calls to resign. That office has its own investigation, which officials have said could include criminal charges.
Schuette’s selection of Flood to lead his Flint water investigation also has been criticized by Common Cause in Michigan and Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon because Flood has been a campaign donor to both Snyder and Schuette.
The Legionella bacteria sickened 87 people between June 2014 and November 2015, killing nine in Genesee County.
Snyder released a 10-point plan to address lead contamination concerns on October 2, and he announced the Legionnaires’ outbreak during a January 13 press conference, saying he was not apprised of the situation until two days prior. All emails and corresponding documents that had been made available to requesting entities from state departments were also posted publicly on February 12.
Snyder’s staff falsely claimed that the Flint City Council approved the switch to Flint River water when in fact it did no such thing and the administration admitted that in private emails.
Advertisement
But officials said in the emails that efforts to combat contaminants by flushing the water system and using different treatment methods might have inadvertently promoted Legionella. It can not be transmitted person-to-person.
