Michigan attorney general to probe water crisis

Of course state officials are holding their cards close to the vest, saying the increase in the cases of legionnaires can not be directly related to the water switch, at least that’s what Nick Lyon, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says. he points out not all of the people who got legionnaires disease were exposed to Flint’s water.

“We are now working very closely with local leaders and are reaching out to researchers who have been involved with the issue [so] we can work together on making sure Flint residents have access to safe, clean water”, Dave Murray, press secretary for Snyder, told CNN.

Governor Snyder is requesting supplementary federal aid in the form of individual and public assistance. But in December, the city found that water lead levels were still “well above” the acceptable federal level in many homes.

Flint has since returned to Detroit’s system for its water. The numerous and severe health risks associated with lead exposure to children include learning difficulties and slower growth, as well as stomach pains and muscle weakness, while for pregnant women exposure includes the possibility of premature birth and a smaller baby.

This comes after the State of Emergency that Snyder declared on January 5. Meanwhile, the Detroit News says this week, “unfiltered Flint water is still not safe to drink”. On Tuesday, he activated the National Guard to help in distributing water, filters and other supplies and asked for help from FEMA in coordinating a recovery plan. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee issued a press release late on Wednesday.

“It is the state’s ultimate responsibility to act and make it right”.

Asked about the continuing anger over his administration’s handling of the crisis, including a protest calling for his resignation at the state Capitol Thursday, Snyder said “I appreciate that people are upset about the situation”, added that he understood calls for him to step down were “part of public comment”.

“The circumstances of these cases prompted the chief medical examiner and other leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services to brief the governor, and he decided to quickly make the information public”, Snyder spokesman Dave Murray said.

But the response has been marked by confusion at times.

Six cases of Legionnaires’ Disease were reported in Genesee County in June 2014, which was more than any other month since March 2010 and slightly less than the total number of cases reported in 2013, according to a June 2015 initial report on the outbreak released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Valacak says his department hasn’t made a direct link between Flint water and bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

In the longer term, he said local, state and federal officials would look to figure out what went wrong so that a similar crisis does not break out in any other corner of the state.

Legionnaires’ is a type of pneumonia transmitted when people inhale water mist infected with the bacteria – sometimes from air-conditioning units in large buildings, as was the case previous year in the outbreak in the Bronx in New York City that left 12 dead and dozens sickened.