Flint mayor hopes to start replacing lead pipes within a month

There are separate federal and state investigations into any laws were broken in the crisis, which began with a cost-cutting switch from Detroit’s water system to water from the Flint River in April 2014.

Reports out of Lansing say Governor Rick Snyder is about to propose close to $200 million for the Flint water emergency. “We’ll let the investigations determine who’s to blame for Flint’s water crisis, but I’m focused on solving it”. Households where residents are deemed to be high-risk would be given priority for pipe replacement.

Retired National Guard Brigadier General Michael McDaniel said, “I can’t tell you that I will put a shovel in the ground tomorrow but I can tell you that we will do it very soon”.

“We have performed over 160 lead tests throughout the city since switching over to the Flint River and remain within the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) standards”.

He has said he wants to discuss with legislators bills to subject his office and their offices to Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act.

The Flint lead pipe removal project is estimated to cost $55 million.

In the same September e-mail, Croft went on to say that “we are now designing a (corrosion-control) optimization plan with the engineering firm that will be presented to the DEQ and upon approval we expect to have it implemented by January 2016”.

Flint’s water troubles, concerns about other aging water infrastructure and the Detroit school’s district dire financial outlook – it needs a $720 million infusion of cash over a decade to avoid bankruptcy, according to Snyder – overshadowed more nuts-and-bolts budget details this year, such as funding for education, municipalities and workforce development. Snyder, who has apologized for his administration’s role in the disaster and an inadequate initial response, said $25 million of the funding designated for Flint could help replace an unspecified number of old lead lines running from city streets to houses.

Flint resident Luke Waid filed the suit after learning that his two-year-old daughter is one of the thousands of children now suffering from lead poisoning after the city, under the control of the state-appointed emergency manager, switched its water source to the Flint River as a temporary cost-cutting measure.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver says officials are working on a plan to remove and replace all lead water pipes as the city seeks solutions to its lead-tainted water crisis.

Flint families, not just mine, are suffering from the water tragedy there because it affects their day-to-day lives.

“Historically in Flint, if you don’t pay your water bill they will shut you off after 90 days, cap your sewer, and then they can condemn your home”, the resident says. “We have to get new pipes”.

According to this plan, those homes will get their lead service lines replaced first.

Snyder also proposed expanding a program so state police troopers patrol more MI cities.