MI governor apologizes for Flint water crisis

He is also considering whether to release emails related to the crisis, which began when Flint, about an hour’s drive from Detroit, switched its water source in 2014 to save money. Residents now depend on bottled and filter water.

But officials remain concerned that damaged pipes could continue to leach lead, which can cause behavior problems and learning disabilities in children as well as kidney ailments in adults.

The governor of the USA state of MI apologized Tuesday to residents in the city of Flint who have been dealing with high levels of lead in their water supply for almost two years.

Rick Snyder, Michigan’s Governor, aplogized for the lead contamination crisis in the water of Flint, Mich. The state is now handing out filters and bottled water with the help of the National Guard. As a cost-cutting move, the city began temporarily drawing its drinking water from the Flint River and treating it at the city water treatment plant while it waited for a new water pipeline to Lake Huron to be completed.

He said the state and city can not meet all the needs of Flint residents.

Detroit News editorial writers Nolan Finley and Ingrid Jacques, who have a preview summary, write that Snyder will unveil a six-point plan to use more than $20 million to address the health risks from lead.

“If we’re serious about making sure that we avoid this problem from arising in the future, that we avoid these kinds of catastrophes in the future, we’ve got to make sure that government is accountable and transparent”, Greimel said.

He plans to offer more ideas during his televised speech to the GOP-led Legislature, including more money and proposals to provide health services to kids with elevated lead levels and to prevent water shutoffs if bills go unpaid.

Snyder said in his speech Wednesday night that he didn’t know about the “scope and magnitude” of the crisis until September, after researchers from Virginia Tech conducted an independent investigation into Flint’s water. They know you never would have done this to a wealthy white suburb.

The Republican said: “To you, the people of Flint, I say tonight as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix 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 crises”, Governor Snyder told the residents of Flint during his state of the state address before lawmakers at the state capitol in Lansing on Tuesday.

Snyder and other critics have questioned the EPA’s actions.

When Rick Snyder became Governor of MI, he signed into law that he can overturn local election results and substitute elected mayors, city councilors and elected school boards with whomever he wants, and those appointees would answer only to the Governor (i.e. Snyder).

Many are blaming his administration for mishandling the situation where the city switched its water supply from the Detroit water system to sourcing it from the Flint River.

“I’m sorry most of all that I let you down”, Snyder, whose administration is engulfed in criticism, said in the 49-minute address, as hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the Capitol.