President Obama declares state of emergency in Flint, Michigan

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette [official website] announced [press release] Friday that he plans to investigate the water contamination crisis in the city of Flint. Exposure to lead can cause behaviour problems and learning disabilities in children as kidney ailments in adults.

Moore also asked the U.S. Attorney General to arrest and prosecute Snyder because the governor “knew that toxins, pollutants and, eventually, lead was leaching into the water and being sent into the taps of people’s homes”.

The assistance Snyder has requested could include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-priced loans for uninsured property losses and other programs.

“We’re finally getting the attention that we need and deserve”, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said in response to Snyder’s request for federal disaster aid.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder requested the declaration late Thursday, saying needs “far exceed the state’s capability”, and added that emergency measures could cost $41 million.

This month, Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint and brought in the Michigan National Guard to help distribute bottled water to city residents. Children are most at risk from the health issues resulting from lead consumption, and more than 8,600 under the age of 6 live in Flint, according to census data.

The city switched its water source from the city of Detroit to the Flint River in 2014.

“Although many individuals and entities at state and local levels contributed to creating and prolonging the problem, (DEQ) is the government agency that has responsibility to ensure safe drinking water in MI”, the task force summary reads.

According to a class-action lawsuit, the state Department of Environmental Quality wasn’t treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent, in violation of federal law.

The news follows a particularly nasty week in the Rust Belt city, which also saw a spike of Legionnaires’ disease that left 10 dead, Reuters reported.

The rally, which will be held at 1:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT) at the Heavenly Host Church of the Harvest, comes two days before Michigan Governor Rick Snyder gives his annual speech about the state. People can get sick if they inhale mist or vapour from contaminated water systems.