Michigan Governor Apologizes to Flint, Promises Water Fixes

Complaints about the water began within a month of the switch, but Flint did not return to Detroit water until October 2015 after tests showed elevated levels of lead in Flint tap water and in some children.

Now the water crisis gripping Flint threatens to overshadow almost everything else Snyder has achieved, and his annual State of the State address has become perhaps the most important speech of his career.

“I am sorry and I will fix it”, Snyder said. That money will also be spent to cover the bills for testing children not only for lead, but the developmental disabilities and behavioral problems lead poisoning can cause.

Speaking Tuesday on a conference call organized by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Weaver said she came to Washington hoping to secure more federal support for her city. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will coordinate the federal response to the crisis.

Last April, a manager appointed by Mr. Snyder to conduct the struggling city’s business chose to switch the city’s water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money.

‘Our first priority is to make sure the water in Flint is safe, but we also must look at what the agency could have done differently, ‘ the agency said in a statement.

While Snyder apolgized for the delays, protestors want action to help correct health problems created when the corrosive Flint River water resulting in lead coming off old pipes contaminating the water. He also pledged to go after those he deemed responsible for the crisis, saying, “For those whose mistakes contributed to this disaster… we will hold those individuals accountable”. Democrats say those measures would have made it easier to find out what public officials knew about the Flint water crisis.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who attended the address, said Snyder’s contrition “does not mitigate the crime that has been committed”.

State and federal disasters have been declared in Flint and the National Guard is distributing water.

Snyder also said he would release all e-mails pertaining to the issue of Flint Water from 2004 and 2005, to provide transparency in an effort to clarify the course of events. “I think there are issues at the EPA through the course of all this”, he told National Journal.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says he anticipates that President Barack Obama will meet with the city’s mayor on Tuesday.

“While I was pleased to hear the governor speak directly to the people of Flint, I believe the plan he outlined tonight fell short of what is needed to fully address the extensive needs of Flint residents suffering from lead exposure, especially Flint’s children”, first-term U.S. Sen.

Rick Snyder vowed to do everything in his power to solve the Flint water crisis, asking legislators for $28 million to fund a series of immediate actions. “Most of all, you deserve to know the truth, and I have a responsibility to tell the truth”. He said he would commit his remaining three years as governor to healing the City of Flint from this “wound”.