Government Workers in Flint Got Purified Water While Public Drank Contaminated Water

An official says the state of MI has offered fresh bottled water at a state building in Flint for a year – although residents were told not to worry about their tap water until last fall.

Both Stabenow and Sen.

“They had to be acknowledging there was some real issue with the water in that building in Flint”, said Scott.

Snyder has asked the state legislature to approve $28 million in immediate funding to address the crisis, but said he plans to seek additional money.

Snyder eventually admitted that his government had made a bad mistake, and multiple state officials resigned, as did the EPA’s regional administrator.

While Flint’s water crisis has been well documented, Maddow said many may not know that the problem isn’t actually fixed yet.

“I’ve had many situations in the state of OH where we’ve had to move, whether it’s storms, whether it was a awful school shooting”, he continued.

It is the second round of funding enacted since the crisis was confirmed in the fall.

It is unlikely to be as high as the up to $400 million figure mentioned in Congress on Thursday. In the midst of what has finally been called a state of emergency, millions of bottles of water are being transported to Flint, Michigan for consumption and use by residents until their local water contamination issues can be solved.

The rule is based on the premise that there is no way a water utility can conduct tests that would guarantee zero lead – the only safe level of lead, according to the federal government – in the water of every single home it serves. “The state broke it. They need to fix it”.

Drinking water in Flint was contaminated with lead starting in April 2014 when the city, under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, switched the source of supply from Lake Huron water supplied by the City of Detroit to Flint River water treated at the Flint’s city treatment plant. The more corrosive Flint water caused lead to leach from pipes into the water going into residents’ homes and businesses.

The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.

The bill will now go to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The severely polluted water corroded the city’s lead pipes, releasing the metal into the water supply. Officials are hopeful that the addition of anti-corrosion chemicals will effectively recoat the lines. The measure also would require the Environmental Protection Agency to alert the public if there is a danger from lead in the water system, if the state refuses to act.

“I feel like we should have been (told) as soon as they were drinking clean water”, said Dierion Wood, Flint resident. “There’s a lot of unknowns”. The largest allotment – $4.6 million – is for bottled water, filters and replacement cartridges being distributed to residents in the city of almost 100,000 people.

“Lead poisoning may cause serious, long-term harm to children, including reduced levels of intelligence, reduced attention span, behavioral problems, learning disabilities and impaired growth”, he said.