Michigan’s Flint to get USA aid on lead crisis

Snyder said 90 days of clean drinking water could cost $10.3 million, and home filters, filter cartridges and testing kits could cost $31 million over a year. State officials denied there was a problem.

Flint’s tap water became contaminated with too much lead after the city switched its water supply in 2014 to save money while under state financial management.

A lawsuit has been raised against both Governor Snyder and the State of MI for allegedly ignoring the city’s water crisis since it started in April 2014.

The anger among Flint residents over their long-running water crisis was on full display during the press conference – particularly in the signs many drew up for the occasion. However, the water was not treated properly, which led to metal being corroded in the water pipes contaminating the water.

Earlier this month, Moore launched a petition drive on his Web site that called for Snyder’s arrest on charges of corruption and assault.

Flint returned to the Detroit system in October, after elevated lead levels were discovered in children, and could tap into the new pipeline by summer.

St. Clair Shores resident Terra Castro wipes away tears as she takes a moment to reflect on the state of emergency in Flint while dropping off more than 500 cases of bottled water with about 20 Detroit-based volunteers on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at Mission of Hope on Flint, Mich.’s north side. That caused lead, which can cause brain damage and other health problems in children, to leach into the water from pipes and fixtures. On Tuesday, he activated the National Guard to help in distributing water, filters and other supplies and asked for help from FEMA in coordinating a recovery plan.

Also Friday, Michigan’s top prosecutor, Attorney General Bill Schuette, announced an investigation to determine if any laws were broken in the months following the switch in water source. “Gov. Snyder should resign”. He pledged this week that officials would contact every household in Flint to check whether residents have bottled water and a filter and whether they want to be tested for lead exposure while his administration works on a long-term solution.

Separately, at least 10 people have died from Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County, due to the Legionella bacteria, although state and local health officials say they can’t make a definitive connection to the water.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against the state, arguing that the state Department of Environmental Quality was negligent for not treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent.