Michael Moore returns to Flint amid water crisis

The White House issued a release calling for the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in Genesee County”, where residents have been warned not to drink unfiltered tap water.

Cher has been an outspoken critic of the state’s lack of response and commitment to Flint while children were being poisoned by the toxic water through her Instagram and Twitter accounts for the last several weeks.

In a photo from January 2, 2016, Sherri Miller and her son, Jameer, 7, a first-grader, are seen at Freeman Elementary School in Flint, Mich., where Jameer was getting his finger-prick blood sample tested for lead. “Thousands may have been exposed potential brain damage from lead”. In a campaign release, Bernie criticized Snyder by insisting “the people of Flint deserve more than an apology”.

Dave Murray – a spokesperson for the governor’s office – said in a statement that finger-pointing from candidates not involved in finding solutions for Flint only serve to distract from solving the crisis.

Flint returned to using Detroit water in October.

National Guard troops and local volunteers are now working to deliver bottled water and water filters to residents.

After failing to negotiate cheaper rates with former provider Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, the city agreed to become part of a new regional water authority that will come on-line later this year.

Residents complained about the taste, odor and appearance of the water immediately after the switch, but those complaints were largely ignored by city officials.

Flint’s drinking water supply was switched from Lake Huron water treated in Detroit to water from the Flint River treated at the Flint water treatment plant in 2014 to save money.

He also requested $31mn from the federal government, but reports show that Obama denied Snyder’s request that would have freed up more than the $5mn since such declarations are only made for natural disasters.

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

It’s not clear whether the crisis will receive federal funds, but a spokesman from FEMA announced that the agency will review the request and advise the president.

On Friday morning, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he would investigate whether any laws were violated in the crisis.

By 2015, the state had made minimal efforts to improve the Flint, MI water system by pledging $2 million, but to no avail.