Governor Snyder to release emails regarding Flint crisis online

Craig Fugate, in a letter to Snyder, said his request for a major disaster declaration was denied because the water contamination “does not meet the legal definition of a “major disaster” under federal law.

Cher has been doing her own research, which includes speaking to Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, and she maintains the poverty levels in the city are largely the reason why so many people are drinking dirty water.

‘The situation is anything but being ignored by the White House, ‘ White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

“We need to make sure this never happens again in any MI city”, said Snyder.

The crisis began when Flint, about an hour’s drive from Detroit, switched its water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River in 2014 to save money while under state financial management.

“If we have bottled water from now until the same time next year, who’s going to be satisfied with that?”

“They pumped poison into our homes, we fed it to our children, we were promised it was safe”, said Melissa Mays, a Flint resident and founder of the group “Water You Fighting For?”

Michigan’s top environmental regulator has resigned over the failure to ensure that the Flint River water was properly treated to keep lead from pipes from leaching into the water.

In April 2014, Flint stopped getting its water from Detroit and began using water from the Flint River. Monies would go toward recovery efforts including further water testing and testing of residents, both adults and children, for elevated lead levels.

Obama declared an emergency – qualifying the city for $5 million – but determined it is not a disaster based on the legal requirement that such additional relief is intended for natural events, fires, floods or explosions.

In his State of the State address on Tuesday night, Snyder said he was asking state lawmakers for $28 million to help residents reeling after Flint’s drinking water became contaminated with dangerously high levels of lead.

Snyder said Tuesday that he would increase the number of National Guard troops who have been distributing bottled water and filters door to door. Ms Weaver met earlier with White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Obama’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jerry Abramson.

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), a frequent critic of the Snyder administration’s handling of the crisis, called the $28 million inadequate.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette launched an investigation into the water crisis on Friday.

The governor took responsibility for the ongoing water crisis in Flint.

Michigan Democrats on Tuesday called on Snyder to increase transparency in his administration by releasing all records relevant to the Flint crisis and calling for removal of his office’s and the Legislature’s exemption from the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. He blamed leader in the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services for failing to recognize the scope of the contamination, and failing to let him know about it.

“We are praying for you, we are working hard for you and we are absolutely committed to taking the right steps to effectively solving this crisis”, Snyder said.

The Detroit and Flint issues prompted retired nurse Lynn Hier of the northwestern Detroit suburb of New Baltimore to rally in Lansing. “I want to be a president who takes care of the big problems and the problems that are affecting the people of our country everyday”.