Gov activates National Guard to aid Flint water crisis

Rick Snyder has activated members of the state’s National Guard and requested Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to deal with the city’s ongoing drinking water crisis.

Separately, the Snyder administration is asking FEMA to coordinate an “interagency recovery plan” with other federal agencies to provide resources and expertise that could be utilized in Flint’s water emergency.

On Tuesday – more than three months later – the Michigan State Police and other state officials had just begun delivering bottled water and water filters door-to-door in Flint.

Snyder last week declared a state of emergency in Flint and has since ramped up aid efforts.

The localized portion of the exhibit features a timeline exploring the history of Flint’s drinking water beginning in 1873.

City and state officials have come under fire from residents for the perceived slow response to the water supply crisis.

Flint has since returned to Detroit’s system for its water, but officials remain concerned about the corrosion caused by the Flint River water. Lead exposure can cause learning disabilities and behavioural problems in children.

A task force set up by the governor and the state auditor general have blamed the state’s Department of Environmental Quality for not mandating that the city treat the water for corrosive elements and for downplaying residents’ concerns.

Rick Snyder’s statement Monday that he wasn’t aware of a problem with lead in Flint’s drinking water until about October 1 has prompted new questions about the role of Snyder’s office in quietly delivering 1,500 water filters to the city in August.

Nicole Lisabeth, a spokeswoman for the state police, who are running the Michigan Joint Information Center, said she didn’t have details about the water deliveries, adding “we’re looking into all options that may include a federal request [for emergency assistance] but don’t have a definitive request”.

He said he is responsible for what goes on in state government.

Flint residents have struggled to maintain access to drinking water following financial troubles that have made this utility increasingly expensive. The governor told NBC News that this gap was the result of “the need to follow protocol”.

Tolbert says it’s “unconscionable that some residents would try to take advantage of others coping with this water situation”.

Right away, children and residents got sick from drinking the water, even though the city managers assured them it was safe.

He said that since October, more than 12,000 filters have been distributed, more than 2,000 blood tests have been done – uncovering 43 cases of elevated lead levels – and more than 700 water tests have been conducted.

On Tuesday, residents of Flint, Michigan were invited to bring their children to a local elementary school for a “Lead Testing and Family Fun Night”.