Flint, Mich. Mayor Calls State of Emergency Over City Water System’s Lead Content

[BarryDonegan]

http://truthinmedia.com/flint-mich-mayor-calls-state-of-emergency-over-city-water-supplys-lead-content/


Flint, Mich. Mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency on Monday over the health consequences of lead content previously found in the city's water supply and noted that "children have experienced increased blood lead levels" as a result of the "man-made disaster."

[Dr.3D]

I thought they had switched back to Detroit water already.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/flint_reconnecting_to_detroit.html

[angelatc]

I thought they had switched back to Detroit water already.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/10/flint_reconnecting_to_detroit.html

They did. It is a new mayor, just making noise.

[Dr.3D]

They did. It is a new mayor, just making noise.
That makes sense.

[PRB]

Shame on libertarian free market solutions for not intervening for the best PR stunt ever. Just like they didn't in Porter Ranch gas leak.

[Dr.3D]

A Timeline of the Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/timeline-water-crisis-flint-michigan-36331514)


JAN. 5: Snyder declares a state of emergency in Flint, the same day federal officials confirm that they are investigating.

JAN. 12: Snyder activates the Michigan National Guard to help distribute bottled water and filters in Flint and asks the federal government for help.

JAN. 13: Michigan health officials report an increase in Legionnaires' disease cases during periods over the past two years in the county that includes Flint.

JAN. 14: Snyder asks the Obama administration for major disaster declaration and more federal aid.

JAN. 16: President Barack Obama signs emergency declaration and orders federal aid for Flint, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate relief efforts.

[kpitcher]

I went to college in Flint. Even as a non-resident I knew the Flint river was a nasty thing, I never once saw a person fishing it. Who in their right mind thought it'd be a good water source?

Who knows how many hundreds of kids are brain damaged from over a year of high lead poisoning. I can only imagine the lawyers drooling over class action suits.

[angelatc]

I went to college in Flint. Even as a non-resident I knew the Flint river was a nasty thing, I never once saw a person fishing it. Who in their right mind thought it'd be a good water source?
.

The filthy river isn't the source of the lead. The pH balance of the water is degrading the pipes, and lead is leaching from them.

Honestly, I really don't care about the people of Flint. They think our government exists government exists only to take care of them - this is what they get. This whole thing started because they couldn't pay their water bills to Detroit, so their city council decided to join a new water entity But that system was still in development. Detroit got butthurt that Flint was ditching them, so they refused to renew their contract, forcing Flint to seek a temporary solution.

The mayor at the time, who approved the move, had the report that clearly said that the water would need to have phosphates added in. He approved the switch anyway.

Granted, Lansing is supposed to oversee the water. (They're big on controlling the water here. When we opened the store, we rented an existing retail facility and had to fill out an 8 page questionnaire about the water we were going to be using. Uh, hand washing and flushing is about it.) And it appears that Lansing sat on the info so they're not entirely blameless.


What troubles me is that the GOP is allowing Snyder to shoulder the blame for this when the issue isn't his alone. It's a bipartisan screw up, but the GOP does not have enough spine to stand up for themselves, and once again the Democrats are steamrolling this into yet another bullshit talking point.
.


Who knows how many hundreds of kids are brain damaged from over a year of high lead poisoning. I can only imagine the lawyers drooling over class action suits

You're right about that These people just won the "We didn't work to begin with and now we gonna be rich" lottery.

Look at the bright side. The infrastructure improvements will stimulate their economy.