President Obama Meets With Flint Mayor Karen Weaver Amid Water Crisis

“The President heard firsthand how the residents of Flint are dealing with the ongoing public health crisis, and the challenges that still exist for the city, its residents, and the business community”, the White House said.

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to designate Dr. Nicole Lurie, an agency assistant secretary, to lead the federal government’s coordinated response – as officials at the state and local levels scramble to deal with the risky lead levels in city water.

Obama has not said if he will stop in Flint while in MI.

“I don’t know how many kids were poisoned because of these false assurances, but we’re going to find out”. “We need money from the state, and we need some federal assistance”.

Gov. Rick Snyder issued a sweeping apology on Tuesday to the residents of Flint for a contaminated water supply, pledged to promptly release his emails about the issue, and laid out more specifics than have previously been known about the state’s handling of the matter.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz says the drinking water crisis in Flint is a “travesty” and represents “a failure at every level of government”.

Flint, Michigan Mayor Karen Weaver is expected to meet with President Obama at the White House Tuesday to discuss the drinking water crisis in her city.

Flint has returned to Detroit water, but many residents are relying on bottled water. Some lawmakers call it a solid first step, while others claim it falls short.

“There is a lot of state-guaranteed debt in Detroit that if we don’t do anything, taxpayers could be on the hook for about 1.5 billion dollars”, Pscholka told WSJM.

People gather on the lawn of the state Capitol before the annual State of the State address to protest Gov. Rick Snyder’s involvement in the Flint water crisis. Snyder added that there would be support for children who develop behavioral issues, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, after lead exposure.

On Saturday, Obama declared a federal emergency over the Flint water crisis but denied an additional request for a major disaster declaration sought by Snyder.

Rally organizers with Progress Michigan bused in protesters from Flint and Detroit.

The corrosive river water caused more lead to leach from Flint pipes than Detroit water did, increasing contaminants in the tap water and pressure on city and state leaders to fix it.

A visibly emotional Governor Snyder told Flint residents fixing that is a responsibility he takes personally.

Shariff and a handful of other speakers blamed the Snyder administration for creating the crisis and failing to promptly address the problem of lead contamination in Flint’s water, which began after the system switched its source to the Flint River in early 2014 in a cost-cutting move.

State Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park, was pointed in his critique of Snyder, calling him “scripted” in an address that was “too little, too late” to restore trust with the people of MI.

The budget wish list includes funding for replacing corroded water pipes and fixtures in Flint, testing and treatment for children with high lead levels, a study of the city’s water infrastructure and aid for its utilities.

The damage is irreversible for the affected children and for the water system.

Problems arose after state officials ignored months of health warnings about the foul-smelling water as residents complained that it was making them sick.