Flint paid highest water bills in 2015

The findings only add insult to injury, as Flint residents had to pay $864.32 yearly for their water despite the fact that it was filled with lead and was toxic to drink or even bathe in.

The Michigan House approved $30 million on Thursday to help pay Flint residents’ water bills in the aftermath of the city’s lead-contamination crisis.

The Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships Grant is created to ensure that funding can be used to ensure the safety, reliability and sustainability of the city’s water system. “I don’t know why we didn’t have contractors last fall when the rest of us found out about the Flint water crisis, so I’m just trying to push this process along”.

In Flint, the water crisis was entirely man-made-officials chose to switch the water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money.

In a statement before Snyder’s event, Weaver said she would “not accept anything less than full removal of all lead pipes from our water system” and said Snyder should pressure legislators.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell smiles at Medical Assistant Evady Demson on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, at the Hamilton Community Health Network in Flint.

A state House committee has OK’d an emergency spending measure to help Flint residents with a portion of their water bills.

State data shows more than 600 homes in the city have tested positive for lead water rates above the federal action limit of 15 ppb. Researchers at nearby Hurley Children’s Hospital have identified a “rise in blood lead levels of children less than 5 years old” who live in the area.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he’s hopeful that the federal government will expand Medicaid coverage to people under 21 and pregnant women who have been exposed to Flint’s lead-contaminated water. One of the most surprising things about this story is that, in Mecosta County, Nestlé is not required to pay anything to extract the water, besides a small permitting fee to the state and the cost of leases to a private landowner.

Released Feb. 17, the report said Section 1414 of the Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes the EPA to notify the state and the public water system when it learns of a drinking water violation, and to allow the water utility to come into compliance.

According to The Intercept, a Michigan Department of Community Health report indicated in May 2015 that the Flint River had elevated levels of PFCs, including PFOS and C8, which has been linked to health problems including two kinds of cancer.