Snyder requests FEMA’s help with Flint water crisis

Gov. Rick Snyder late Tuesday activated the Michigan National Guard to help distribute bottled water and filters in Flint and asked the federal government for help dealing with a drinking water crisis that began months ago.

The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan holds stacks of bottled water in the agency’s warehouse that will be distributed to the public, after elevated lead levels were found in the city’s water, in Flint, Mich. Dec. 16, 2015.

In December, Congressman Kildee spoke at the White House about the Flint water crisis and the need for critical investments in our nation’s older, industrial cities like Flint. Among the projects the team worked on before Flint was exposing major lead problems with the drinking water supply in Washington, D.C.

The state action comes after Flint issued its own state of emergency last month because of a change in the city’s water source that has exposed children to potentially risky levels of lead, officials say.

Those question have dogged Governor Rick Snyder the last few weeks and Monday, during a press conference in Flint, he answered.

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. Snyder said he may ask state lawmakers for additional money for the emergency before his budget proposal in February.

Leon El-Alamin, executive director of the M.A.D.E. Institute in Flint, a nonprofit organization that has been distributing clean water, said a reduction of at least 50% in water bills is in order “until we get this thing resolved”. The city returned to Detroit’s Lake Huron water in October after various problems, but officials remain concerned about the corrosion caused by the Flint River water. Such federal agencies may include the Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Army Corps of Engineers.

“No matter what, our overall balance sheet will be closed out as ‘priceless, ‘ because… we defended the truth and Flint residents with sound science”, the website said. Snyder said Monday he wanted to “push on (state) departments” after hearing concerns from the community, and the agencies “reaffirmed they didn’t believe there was an issue”.

“Now we’re in the mode of saying, let’s focus on how we get safe drinking water in Flint, both short term and long term”, he said. “We are trying”, said Kaiser.

He said he is responsible for what goes on in state government.