“We hope it can flush out -or more water testing – someone needs to be held accountable for it”, said Jemison.
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Michigan Governor Rick Snyder may ask for assistance from the Federal Government for Flint, where he has also declared a state of emergency.
The lawsuit alleged those complicit in the crisis imposed “serious personal injury” by exposing residents to “the extreme toxicity of water pumped from the Flint River into their homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces and public places”.
On Tuesday, the Michigan State Police and other officials began distributing bottled water and water filters to remove lead, door-to-door in Flint.
Flint residents can pick up free bottled water, water filters, replacement cartridges and home water testing kits at the water resource sites. The state also has urged all Flint parents with children younger than 6 to have their childrens’ blood tested for exposure to lead.
Flint’s drinking water became contaminated with lead in 2014 after its supply source was switched from Lake Huron water treated by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to water from the Flint River treated at the city water treatment plant. Former DEQ Director Dan Wyant resigned last month.
Snyder apologized again on Monday for the state’s mishandling of the situation.
“Now we’re in the mode of saying, let’s focus on how we get safe drinking water in Flint, both short term and long term”, he said.
“This is hard for me because the governor has a lot of culpability in this entire problem”, Overton said.
At the same time, “I’m not going to give him a raincoat and say he didn’t know”, Overton said about Snyder. He did not specify what he would kind of aid the state would be asking FEMA for.
Chief James Tolbert says in a statement that police have received reports of people selling water filters.
Murray had confirmed on September 29 that about two months earlier, Snyder and his office worked with a corporate donor who wanted to remain anonymous to provide 1,500 faucet filters to a Flint area group of pastors, who helped distribute them.
Ananich said he doesn’t want to suggest people shouldn’t pay their water bills, but since the state was at fault, the state should look at addressing the issue.
Flint residents have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city and state of endangering their health.
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Under Executive Order 2016-02, the active state service units and individuals in the Michigan National Guard are authorized to assist in maximizing all state efforts to assist the City of Flint and Genesee County in accordance with the Michigan Emergency Management Plan.
