Michigan lawmakers approve $28M more for Flint water crisis

The Michigan senators and other Democrats were expected to offer the measure as an amendment to a Senate energy bill.

On Thursday, the Michigan Legislature unanimously approved $28 million to be appropriated for various services in Flint, Michigan, Detroit Free Press reports. “The immediate needs will be met, but so will the long-term needs of residents with regard to public health, infrastructure replacement and community support”. The water was not properly treated to keep lead from pipes from leaching into the supply.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder today extended a state of emergency in Flint until April 14, as the Michigan legislature gave final approval of $28 million to address the drinking water crisis.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who announced the plan, said the goal is to provide residents with convenient options to drop off the bottles.

Government e-mails released on Thursday by the group Progress Michigan show that, as far back as January 2015, Flint’s State administration building was stocked with purified water specifically because the tap water was known to be toxic.

In the months after Flint’s water supply was switched from the Detroit water system to a local river, EPA regulators warned state environmental officials about elevated lead levels found in household testing.

Michigan’s government installed coolers filled with purified water inside Flint’s State Office building so that state employees could drink clean water-more than a year before officials admitted to the common people of Flint that their water was unsafe.

“We’ve not yet made that decision”, Stabenow said. He asked the public to drop off a case of bottled water at Saint Sabina, 1210 W. 78 Place, by Wednesday evening because he is sending the water on to Flint, Michigan on Thursday morning. Under Michigan law, an emergency manager is appointed by the state, and Gov. Snyder was empathetic enough to appoint a Democrat as the manager.

Pointing to a large photo of brown water in a Flint sink, Stabenow said that if one of Snyder’s supporters had called the governor’s office “and said, ‘Our water looks like this”. The city’s water system became badly contaminated with lead after switching to a new water source.

There also was language added to the bill to make sure that every Flint child up to age 3 gets a health assessment, and that there is more opportunity for additional nurses – money for nine nurses is included in the supplemental bill – to help mothers and children. There were people who were subject matter experts in this who didn’t believe that needed to be done.

In the letter written to potential pledgers and donators, Moore pleaded, Flint has 102,000 residents, each in need of an average of 50 gallons of water a day for cooking, bathing, washing clothes, doing the dishes, and drinking (I’m not counting toilet flushes, watering plants or washing the car).

Sheriff Pickell said the need for water and filters will continue for an unmeasurable amount of time.