“The fight is not over, but this is a huge hurdle that we have surpassed, so to all of the people not only in Flint, but the state of MI and all around the country, we have to say thank you, thank you very much”, said Weaver.
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On Saturday, President Obama signed an emergency declaration, paving the way for federal aid to be delivered to Flint, Mich., where residents are without access to safe drinking water.
DHS and FEMA will coordinate efforts to ameliorate “the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population”, the White House said.
The city has already switched back to Lake Huron water, but the Flint River water had already corroded the lead-lined pipes, causing lead to contaminate the water.
The order authorizes FEMA to provide water, filters, filter cartridges and other needed items, FEMA spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said on Twitter. The funds were also used for water filters, inspections, and lab testing which has led to Snyder’s recent directive.
On Thursday, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder submitted a request to the president to call a state of emergency.
Over the long term, replacing old lead service lines at Flint homes and other private properties could cost $54 million, the governor told the president. That was a flawless storm for that lead to leach out of the pipes into the drinking water and into the bodies of children. “The people of Flint deserve more than an apology”, Sanders said.
The crisis erupted after Flint stopped receiving its water supply from the neighbouring city of Detroit due to unaffordable hikes in rates and started sourcing from the local Flint River in April 2014 as a cost-cutting temporary measure.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders calls for the resignation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder over the state’s handling of the Flint water crisis. The state also dismissed reports of elevated lead levels in the blood of Flint children from pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha before for the first time publicly acknowledging a problem around the beginning of October in 2015.
Governor Snyder sent two requests to the president: one asking the president to allow immediate assistance for water, food, and generators and another asking the president to declare a major disaster, which could qualify the city for millions of federal dollars to provide long-term solutions to the aging infrastructure.
She and Icelandic Glacial are combining to donate 181,440 bottles of water to Flint residents.
The teams consist of state personnel and American Red Cross volunteers, including 250 state of MI employees and their family members who will volunteer through Monday, officials said.
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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.
