Even though Snyder appointed the panel that looked into the Flint water crisis, he came in for his own share of criticism. This does not include water sampling conducted by other federal and state agencies or other organizations.
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As Flint residents continue to battle the city’s lead-poisoned water, the Flint Water Advisory Task Force has issued a report finding that city leaders and politicians grossly mishandled the situation.
The state of MI released a damning report Wednesday that pointed the finger at state officials for the Flint water crisis.
But if we are to learn anything from the enormous human tragedy in Flint, it’s that we need more democracy, not less, when it comes making sure people have clean, safe water.
Lead can enter drinking-water supplies when older pipes, solder or fittings corrode.
In the extension request that was granted Friday, Michigan officials estimated that a process to recoat water service lines with a film that would halt the leaching of lead into drinking water likely would be completed by May 1.
It was those three emergency managers who made the initial decision to switch to the corrosive Flint River to save money, and then ignored the city’s pleas to abandon the plan when it became clear there was a problem. It was due to expire next month, but Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has been seeking an extension, saying that the water crisis in Flint, where tens of thousands of people potentially were exposed to lead-tainted drinking water, remains an emergency.
“Flint residents, who are majority Black or African American and among the most impoverished of any metropolitan area in the United States, did not enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards as that provided to other communities”, the report states. “I’m not sure that people in Flint will ever have full confidence again that our water is safe to drink”.
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“Jim James!” East Michigan Council of Governments Executive Director Sue Fortune said in the September 18, 2014 e-mail to DEQ drinking water official Jim Sygo. EPA’s previous testing in the Flint water distribution system, including commercial properties and schools – but not individual homes – has not found elevated levels of regulated THM. He hired Veolia, one of the world’s largest water corporations, to review the city’s water treatment process and evaluate its compliance with regulations. Consumer Reports explains how to check your tap water for lead and the best ways to remove it.
