The tap water still remains undrinkable and residents say they are scared for their health.
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The claims were untrue, according to Neavling, and Detroit’s water system urgently tried to get Flint to sign a short-term contract to avoid the health dangers of the Flint River, but Earley insisted on using the Flint River and signed off on the decision.
Horwitz said the state commission will examine “whether acts of discrimination were somehow involved with the steps or the outcome that has led to the poisoning of the residents of Flint, a community that is majority African American”.
A centerpiece of Snyder’s agenda, and one of his first actions, was a new law that gave the state dramatic powers to take over failing municipalities and school boards by appointing emergency managers with unchecked authority.
Flint switched from Detroit’s water system in 2014 while under state emergency management and began drawing from the Flint River to save money. They charge that Flint residents are victims of “environmental racism” – that is, race and poverty factored into how Flint wasn’t adequately protected and how its water became contaminated with lead, making the tap water undrinkable.
But Snyder has also sought to point the finger at his Department of Environmental Quality, Flint leaders and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Not until residents elevated public awareness and helped bring national attention on Flint did government officials belatedly acknowledge a problem, and to date, the problems in Flint have not been fixed.
In his talk, Brooks called for the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a federal investigation of what led to the contamination, saying that a state-level investigation by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office was inadequate.
And more importantly, Moore said, the governor hasn’t done anything to remove lead pipes to make drinking water safe again.
Another $8 million will cover the cost of bottled water being given to residents until the water is declared safe to drink.
“I just figured Madonna has gotta be close to a billionaire”, The Game, whose younger sister lives in the crisis-hit town, said on TMZ Live.
Snyder has repeatedly apologized for the delay in addressing Flint’s problems, which have led some critics to call for his censure or arrest.
As Flint, Michigan, grapples with a water crisis, Cincinnati City Councilman Christopher Smitherman is calling for the city to test 16,000 water pipes that are lined with lead.
■Ensuring Flint has all of the professional assistance necessary to operate its water system safely.
The civil rights organization says the plan was developed with input from Flint residents.
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US RAPPER The Game has slammed Madonna’s “joke” $10,000 donation to the MI town of Flint amid a water crisis revealing he has made a $1million donation.
