Groups to judge: Order state to fix Flint water lines

Flint – Arguing the water in Flint is still not safe to drink because state and city officials are violating the Safe Drinking Water Act, a coalition of religious, environmental and civil rights activists is asking a federal judge for help.

Word got out, though, and two days later a bunch of the Detroit Lions followed suit when Ziggy Ansah, Haloti Ngata, Darryl Tapp, Gabe Wright, Jason Jones and Joique Bell along with Tennessee Titans defensive end Angelo Blackson spent two hours hand-delivering 100,000 bottles of water to a Flint community center.

The subpoenas call for the release of emails, text messages and other documents sent or received by the Republican governor, his office and emergency managers relating to the Flint River as a water source, reports MLive.

Flint water became contaminated with lead as a result of a decision to switch the city’s water source and not treat that water with an anti-corrosive.

A former Detroit water official is reigniting a controversy about whether Flint could have saved money by staying with Detroit’s system and avoided a switch that eventually led to contaminated water in the Genesee County community.

“But perhaps the most important rationale for a city with a recent history of not balancing budgets and stabilizing finances: “… your representations that this deal will lead to substantial savings for the city… that are desperately needed to help with the turnaround of…

The Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee is a 17-member panel that will make recommendations regarding the health of people exposed to lead, study Flint’s water infrastructure, and establish ways to improve communication between local and state government. That number is a little misleading, since the state will continue to distribute more water, whereas the corporate commitment applies to the remainder of the calendar year. Regulators failed to ensure the new water was treated properly and lead from pipes leached into the water supply, contributing to a spike in child lead exposure.

In the lawsuit, the National Resources Defense Council, the American Civil Liberties Union of MI and Flint residents asked for relief for any medical harm suffered.

As Flint, Michigan, grapples with a water crisis, Cincinnati City Councilman Christopher Smitherman is calling for the city to test 16,000 water pipes that are lined with lead.

She also touched on the issue of residents’ water bills.

The suit names as defendants state Treasurer Nick A. Khouri, the five-member Flint Receivership Transition Advisory Board, Flint city administrator Natasha Henderson and the city of Flint.

Even with these known problems, it was only a few decades ago that plumbing codes were changed to require water pipes be made of materials other than lead. A plan to save $15 million on Flint’s water bills may now cost $1.5 billion to clean up, Moore said. The others seek financial damages and class-action status. The phosphates will build a protective coating within the pipes over time, he said. He said the Republican governor discussed state efforts and listened to the proposals, which include creating a victims’ fund. Brooks added that Snyder’s regret for what has happened in Flint appears “genuine”.