“We all know this was literally a man-made crisis and is as much a catastrophe as any other kind of crisis”, Stabenow said at a news conference standing next to a blown up picture of a kitchen sink filled with discolored water. “The short-term issue is about recoating the pipes (with chemicals) and that will be based on third-party experts saying the water is safe….”
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Water testing instructions given out to Philadelphia residents include the requirement to remove the faucet’s aerator, a small filter, from the nozzle of the tap prior to sampling.
Hand is chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University and a board-certified civil engineering member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
He pointed out the futility of donating bottles of water, given the amount that would be required on a daily basis.
Sen. Dick Durbin of IL, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said as many as 7,000 children have been “poisoned because of lack of proper government oversight” in Flint. The state agency monitoring the water quality, works under the auspices of Local Union 517, again Democratic, knew of the worrisome water and did nothing about it. The Federal EPA chief, a Democrat appointed by President Obama, knew of the problem with the water and suppressed the information. As a result, lead leached from pipes, joints and fixtures, contaminating the drinking water for an unknown number of Flint households.
On Thursday, the Michigan Legislature unanimously approved $28 million to be appropriated for various services in Flint, Michigan, Detroit Free Press reports.
A group led by Michigan Sens.
Gov. Rick Snyder, who continues to receive criticism over the Flint water crisis, was heckled and shouted at Thursday night at a downtown Ann Arbor bar and restaurant.
The water became contaminated when the financially struggling city, under state management, switched from the Detroit municipal system and began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014 to save money.
Most of the responsibility for Flint has rested on the shoulders of local and state leaders. The bill now goes to Gov. Rick Snyder, whose office tweeted after the Senate vote: “Thank you to the Michigan Senate for taking action & for their unanimous support for the people of Flint”.
Because the State chose to save $100 a day by not providing corrosion control for water pipes, this amendment requires the State of MI to match dollar-for-dollar the $400 million infrastructure funding.
Republicans promised amendments to block an administration plan to halt new coal leases on federal lands, for instance, while Democrats said they would push policies to address global warming.
Several Flint-area residents spoke in favor of Murphy’s petition, including Flint resident Claire McClinton.
Pelosi said she hasn’t spoken to House Speaker Paul Ryan yet about how to address the crisis, and said it’s possible that the House would take up the legislation that was proposed on Thursday in the Senate to provide more money for assistance.
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Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem and Platinum Equity partner Mark Barnhill will lead the effort.
