Officials Warned Months Ago of Link Between Flint Water and Legionnaire’s

During Wednesday’s hearing, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s water office told lawmakers Wednesday that MI authorities broke federal rules requiring them to add anti-corrosive materials to drinking water pumped into Flint homes, triggering a lead-poisoning crisis.

Governor Rick Snyder asked for the appropriation this week after Flint residents complained they should not have to pay for water they can’t drink because of the threat of lead contamination.

A spokesman for the governor on Thursday said Hollins or others did not pass on information to Snyder until January 2016, at which point he took action and released information to the public. Snyder said he had been notified of public health emergency days before the announcement. Most recently, emails showed the state trucked in bottled drinking water for its own staff while residents were still being told the tainted water was safe for them to drink.

“The increase of the illnesses closely corresponds with the timeframe of the switch to the Flint River water”.

He also noted, “This situation has been explicitly explained to MDEQ and numerous city’s officials”.

Before it ‘fessed up to not ensuring correct water treatment in October, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality assured the governor’s office and the public the lead issue wasn’t serious. “If the concerns were determined to be credible, the director was to bring the issue to the attention of the Governor”.

“Conclusions that legionella is coming from the public water system without the presentation of any substantiating evidence from your epidemiologic investigation appears premature and prejudice [sic] toward that end.”

This email was then forwarded, three days later, to Hollins by Wurfel, who wrote: “Jim Henry with Genessee County Health is putting up the flare”.

Janet Stout is a Pittsburgh microbiologist and expert on Legionnaires’ disease who has researched links between Legionella bacteria and public water supplies. The case was filed in the Genesee County Circuit Court, which has jurisdiction over Flint.

“The county was alerting and alarmed and seeking cooperation and help from outside agencies”, Stout told the AP. “The more I read and learn about this, the angrier I get”.

“That’s a lot of kids to test”, said Dr. Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Snyder’s office says the request was made Thursday and would pave the way for financial assistance for city residents and business owners affected by the contaminated water from aging water pipes. Progress Michigan executive director Lonnie Scott said in a statement.