Senate, House unanimously approve $28M for Flint

In wake of the Flint water crisis, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder admitted he had no immediate plans to replace the corroded lead pipes responsible for transporting polluted water to community residents.

Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for the agency that manages state buildings, told the Associated Press that the watercoolers were introduced at the state building after Flint failed drinking water tests that had nothing to do with the lead issues that residents now face.

“While the City of Flint states that corrective actions are not necessary, DTMB is in the process of providing a water cooler on each occupied floor”, said the notice, which was obtained by the liberal advocacy group, Progress Michigan.

Along with state workers, the building also serves Department of Human Services clients, and some of those clients might be among those told to avoid the water.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) – Federal officials warned Flint residents Friday that water samples from more than two dozen locations have higher lead levels than can be treated by filters that have been widely distributed to deal with the city’s contamination crisis, underscoring the need for all residents to have their water tested.

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”.

(CNN) – Michigan’s Legislature pushed through $28 million in funding Thursday to aid residents of Flint with recovery efforts, money that will be used to help children with high levels of lead in their blood, the governor’s office said. There are also funds to hire outside experts to figure out whether Flint’s water infrastructure needs to be completely replaced. And now, the Detroit teachers’ union has sued its city’s school district, demanding the fix of “deplorable” conditions and removing Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, the state-appointed emergency manager who once oversaw Flint. President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency, but denied Snyder’s request for declaration of a federal disaster, normally reserved for natural disasters.

“A lot of work is being done to even understand where the lead services lines fully are”, Snyder said, according to Fox News.

Their bill requires MI to match federal spending, dollar for dollar after the city switched the water source to the Flint River, rendering the water undrinkable to thousands of residents.

“Her sudden departure raises serious questions about EPA’s response to the Flint crisis”, Chaffetz wrote.

Activists in Flint plan to present petitions with nearly 20,000 signatures to Weaver and Snyder on Thursday calling for a moratorium on water bills. As a result, lead leached from pipes, joints and fixtures, contaminating the drinking water for an unknown number of Flint households. In October 2015, the water supply was switched back to Detroit.

He again took responsibility for the crisis, saying there were failures at all levels of government.