Snyder Calls Out National Guard To Assist Flint Water Crisis

Rick Snyder brought in the National Guard to hand out bottled water in Flint, Mich., with the city struggling to deal with lead contamination in its drinking water.

Gov. Rick Snyder has activated the Michigan National Guard to aid water distribution efforts in Flint and is requesting support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both Snyder’s apology and Wyant’s resignation came on the heels of a letter to the governor from the state-appointed Flint Water Advisory Task Force.

Pushing this decision – and the responsibility to pay for refunding Flint’s water customers – to the city essentially puts the cost on the backs of Flint’s taxpayers, a galling move after the state’s actions in this crisis.

In case you missed it, the town of Flint, Michigan is under a state of emergency because their drinking water is too toxic to drink. They are part of a larger contingent of Guardsmen who will help distribute bottled water, filters and other supplies to residents. More than 100,000 people are affected in Flint and some surrounding areas. It was the state’s health department that failed in July past year to warn the governor’s chief of staff of concerns about elevated lead levels among Flint’s children. Snyder said he may ask state lawmakers for additional money for the emergency before his budget proposal in February. He didn’t formally request federal assistance until earlier in the day Tuesday.

Officials announced over the weekend that water, filters and replacement cartridges will be distributed from five city fire stations. The Flint Community Schools, the Genesee County… Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, said the effects of the crisis could show up decades later.

Separately, the Snyder administration is asking FEMA to coordinate an “interagency recovery plan” with other federal agencies to provide resources and expertise that could be utilized in Flint’s water emergency.

State troopers and sheriff’s deputies escorted eight teams Tuesday. Flyers were left at homes where no one answered, giving the location of where to pick up the items later.

Flint police are warning people to be wary of scammers trying to prey on residents amid the city’s drinking water crisis. Lead causes serious developmental and behavioral issues in children. This caused lead leaching from pipes and fixtures into the water, according to the Free Press. They also want to ensure monitoring protocols are followed properly this time.

The director of that agency resigned last month.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday it can’t conclude that the increase is related to the water crisis Flint, where drinking supplies became contaminated with lead after the city began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014.