Pipe Dream? Congressional Dems Propose $400M for Flint Lead Removal

Senate Republicans were non-committal on whether they would back the measure that would spend money without any offsetting budget cuts and add to the deficit. The bill requires the state of MI to match the federal spending.

Flint drinking water became contaminated with lead in April 2014 after the city, while under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, temporarily switched its source from Lake Huron water treated by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to water from the Flint River, treated at the Flint water treatment plant.

The proposal would also direct $200 million in federal funds for a research center to focus on the needs of children and would also require the Environmental Protection Agency to warn the public of high lead levels in drinking water if a state fails to do so.

A state board has rejected petitions to recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder over his handling of Flint’s lead-contaminated water.

In his January 14 letter to President Obama requesting federal assistance, Governor Snyder estimated the cost of replacing the City of Flint’s water supply infrastructure at $767,419,500.

The group released emails that show public officials in the city communicating about water quality and then receiving a notification about water coolers being provided in the office.

Homes using wells are more susceptible to a lead issue, Swistock said, because it’s up to the homeowners to know whether there’s a problem with the water. The notification stated that water coolers were being installed on each occupied floor next to the drinking fountains so that state workers could choose to continue to drink Flint water or a safe alternative.

Schuette said in a statement that in appointing ex-FBI chief Andrew Arena and naming former Wayne County assistant prosecutor Todd Flood as special counsel, he is creating “an ethics-based conflict wall between him and his investigation team, and the team defending the governor and state departments against Flint water-related lawsuits”. Some are critical of this plan to bring bottled water to Flint because, according to Michael Moore and many others, now Flint has a whole new problem on their hands. Flint, like many other large urban rust belt cities, has been under one party liberal Democratic rule for years, leading ultimately to financial bankruptcy and receivership. Gary Peters said at a news conference at the Capitol.

And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio called it a tragedy and retired pediatric neuro surgeon Ben Carson told the Huffington Post that Flint and federal officials had failed the citizens of the city. These senators say what happened in Flint is a wake up call. The New York Times reports that the cost of replacing the pipes could be a colossal $1.5 billion, although that is Flint’s only long-term solution.

Tanner said they were alerted to the governor’s presence by another man in the crowded bar who shouted into his hands, “Snyder, you (expletive) up!”

The Senate was voting Thursday on amendments to the energy bill, the first comprehensive energy legislation to come up for a vote in the Senate in nine years.