Flint Water Crisis and a State of Emergency
Rep. Dan Kildee weighs in on the Flint water crisis.
This week Governor Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint over the water crisis that has gripped the region since it switched away from Detroit’s water supply almost two years ago. Residents maintained over several months that the water flowing through taps and streaming through shower heads had a funny taste and smell. Testing revealed lead had leached into the water system, and was detected in the blood of children in Flint. Since then the city has transitioned back to Detroit’s water system, but the fallout continues. Audits and reports show negligence of Flint and its residents, and the head of the Department of Environmental Quality has resigned over the matter. Now there is a declared state of emergency which will send money into Flint to help resolve lingering problems with the water. Here to talk about what should be done at the state and federal level for his district is Congressman Dan Kildee.
Resources: Kildee is as furious as the residents of Flint are, and he wants to see action done to help the victims of lead poisoning from drinking Flint’s water. “I want to see a commitment by the state to make sure that these kids…have additional resources,” Kildee says. “They’ve been given a get well card, and not real help.”
Spin: Kildee says that the Governor is putting a lot of positive spin on this issue. “I don’t want to see any more happy talk. I want to see water come to Flint.”
Why Flint?: One caller questions the very idea of using the Flint River for drinking water in the first place. “There are active EPA cleanup sites right on the edge of the [Flint] River. Why would you choose that river to draw your water from?”
To hear more of their conversation, click the link above.
