Snyder creates committee for long-term Flint response

Childhood lead exposure is estimated to contribute to about 600 000 new cases of children developing intellectual disabilities every year.

Gov. Rick Snyder last week declared an emergency in Flint. “There’s more work to be done”, Snyder said during a news conference with state and local officials in Flint. Though Flint River water was cheaper, it also proved to be much more corrosive, and as it coursed through the town’s poorly maintained pipelines, it leeched trace metals and other risky substances from the surrounding environment, leaving the tap water foul-smelling, strangely colored, and filled with lead.

Jackson also said the water in Flint “was so toxic that they put so many different chemicals in it to try to make it actually drinkable – they forgot to put in a chemical that would stop it from corroding the infrastructure”.

The announcement came as the White House said Sunday during “Meet the Press” that it was monitoring the situation as part of a discussion on growing mistrust in government.

Rick Snyder signed an executive order establishing a committee to find solutions to Flint’s water crisis.

The governor faced mounting criticism after declaring a state of emergency four days ago, but did not follow up the announcement by sending supplies. This past weekend, current Flint Mayor Karen Weaver stated that it may take as much as $1.5 billion to fix the city’s water distribution system.

“We know that we have kids that have been impacted by this, impacted in a negative way”, she said. That prompted a Snyder apology and the December 29 resignation of DEQ Director Dan Wyant.

“We still want to see people continue to use filters, though, and bottled water”, Snyder said.

Water testing kits, water filters, and replacement cartridges to families affected by the city’s water crisis.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is involved, but no specific request for assistance has yet been made, he said.

Monica Lewis-Patrick, a spokeswoman for the group We the People of Detroit, said at an anti-Snyder rally in Flint Friday that Snyder should not only be requesting federal financial assistance, but should be mobilizing the Michigan National Guard to assist with the crisis.

“We need to focus on improving Flint for the longer term”, Snyder said in a press release.