Michigan panel offers plan to return safe water to Flint

“I know what it’s like to have no one care about you, or to have no power”, she said.

Rick Snyder says MI will commit $28 million in the short term to pay for filters, bottled water and health professionals in Flint’s water crisis. He said state and local leaders were misled by career civil servants regarded as scientific experts on the subject.

Soon after the shift to river water, people started complaining about the taste, smell and murky color of the liquid coming out of their faucets. Released emails show that state officials failed to heed the concerns of EPA officials and researchers over corrosion controls, proper testing and adherence to the federal Lead and Copper Rule, which regulates the amounts of lead and copper in drinking water in the United States. That night, governor apologized to the citizens of Flint and took “full responsibility” in fixing the problem “so that it will never happen again”. Officials estimated the price at $1.6 billion to replace all 1,600 miles of water and sewer mains in the city, not just water service pipes. “[It] says Flint, Michigan 48507”, said John Koegel, the third generation company president.

The EPA requires that cities test water for lead at “high-risk locations” when possible to ensure water is safe to drink. The logical conclusion is that millions of people’s drinking water is potentially unsafe,”he said”.

While much of the blame has been directed at Snyder and state officials, particularly the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, some have faulted the EPA’s Region 5 office for not acting more forcefully.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As a result, they’re not going to water distribution centers, calling for help or getting deliveries.

Flint has fallen on hard times since most of its General Motors factories shut down.

When asked Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” whether the Flint disaster was a case of environmental racism, Snyder said: “Absolutely not”. Fewer than 8,000 GM jobs remain.

“When an incident like Flint occurs, it’s certainly a step back for public confidence”, Kail said, adding that the association hopes to offer its members the tools they need to better handle similar incidents in the future. “We funded the study and provided expertise”, he said. Following calls for his resignation, Snyder at first tweeted that “political statements and finger pointing from political candidates only distract from solving the Flint water crisis”.

“In last month’s bipartisan budget agreement, we secured additional funding to help cities like yours build water infrastructure”, Obama told the mayors.