H.R. 4479 - Families of Flint Act (click here)
February 4, 2016
Rep. Kildee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and the Workforce, Financial Services, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned...
...(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a condition of the State or the City receiving a grant under this subsection, the Administrator shall require the State to provide funds from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to the amount provided by the Federal Government....
This House Bill HR 4479 has not passed yet. There is a rainy day fund for such emergencies in Michigan.
February 10, 2016
By David Eggert
Lansing, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (click here) on Wednesday proposed spending hundreds of millions more dollars to address Flint's water crisis from lead contamination and to update pipes there and across the state — a plan that lawmakers from both parties generally welcomed as moving in the right direction with the proper priorities....
The US House Representative Kildee needs to be sure these monies are part of the matching funds or does there need to be another fund for the matching funds to facilitate the needs of Flint, including new water pipelines.
...Snyder's plan would direct $195 million more toward the Flint emergency and $165 million for statewide infrastructure needs, at least a portion of which could replace lead and copper water lines elsewhere. He said $25 million of the Flint funding would replace 5,000 known old lead lines running from city streets to houses, calling it a "seed investment" until the state has a better handle on just how many of the pipes there are....
Everyone needs to get this right now. There should be no more delay in passing legislation to begin the reconstruction of a comprehensive water delivery system.
I might point out all this could have and was avoided until a Republican Governor decided he knew better for the people of Flint rather than the mayor and council elected by the people of Flint. All these monies could have gone for other priorities INCLUDING paying Flint's indebtedness!
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There was a superficial bill passed in the US House that allows the US EPA to speak directly to the people of a town when it is discovered lead levels are high. This is nonsense. It is a nothing law. The US EPA would have to set up an entire division to independently test every water source in the country.
Feb. 10, 2016
Washington, D.C. (AP) The U.S. House (click here) has approved legislation to clarify the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to notify the public about danger from lead in their drinking water....
As if they didn't have the authority to address citizens before. I thought there was freedom of speech in the USA, which includes letters, meetings and otherwise.
...The bill is the first approved by to respond to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Flint stopped using treated water from Detroit and switched to the Flint River in 2014 to save money. Regulators failed to ensure the water was treated and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply, contributing to a spike in child lead exposure.
The House bill would direct the EPA to notify residents and health departments if the amount of lead found in a public water system requires action.
The EPA did not notify the public for months after learning that were not treating Flint's water.
February 4, 2016
Rep. Kildee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and the Workforce, Financial Services, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned...
...(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a condition of the State or the City receiving a grant under this subsection, the Administrator shall require the State to provide funds from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to the amount provided by the Federal Government....
This House Bill HR 4479 has not passed yet. There is a rainy day fund for such emergencies in Michigan.
February 10, 2016
By David Eggert
Lansing, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (click here) on Wednesday proposed spending hundreds of millions more dollars to address Flint's water crisis from lead contamination and to update pipes there and across the state — a plan that lawmakers from both parties generally welcomed as moving in the right direction with the proper priorities....
The US House Representative Kildee needs to be sure these monies are part of the matching funds or does there need to be another fund for the matching funds to facilitate the needs of Flint, including new water pipelines.
...Snyder's plan would direct $195 million more toward the Flint emergency and $165 million for statewide infrastructure needs, at least a portion of which could replace lead and copper water lines elsewhere. He said $25 million of the Flint funding would replace 5,000 known old lead lines running from city streets to houses, calling it a "seed investment" until the state has a better handle on just how many of the pipes there are....
Everyone needs to get this right now. There should be no more delay in passing legislation to begin the reconstruction of a comprehensive water delivery system.
I might point out all this could have and was avoided until a Republican Governor decided he knew better for the people of Flint rather than the mayor and council elected by the people of Flint. All these monies could have gone for other priorities INCLUDING paying Flint's indebtedness!
...............................................................................................................
There was a superficial bill passed in the US House that allows the US EPA to speak directly to the people of a town when it is discovered lead levels are high. This is nonsense. It is a nothing law. The US EPA would have to set up an entire division to independently test every water source in the country.
Feb. 10, 2016
Washington, D.C. (AP) The U.S. House (click here) has approved legislation to clarify the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to notify the public about danger from lead in their drinking water....
As if they didn't have the authority to address citizens before. I thought there was freedom of speech in the USA, which includes letters, meetings and otherwise.
...The bill is the first approved by to respond to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Flint stopped using treated water from Detroit and switched to the Flint River in 2014 to save money. Regulators failed to ensure the water was treated and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply, contributing to a spike in child lead exposure.
The House bill would direct the EPA to notify residents and health departments if the amount of lead found in a public water system requires action.
The EPA did not notify the public for months after learning that were not treating Flint's water.
And don't forget, the US House wants to cut funding to the NIH and science research when the country faces enormous challenges including the children effected by predatory policies of a Michigan governor.
This bill is a CYA bill to pretend there was no authority for the US EPA to enter as an authority to end the contamination. This is meaningless and nothing but politics by a Republican House that has been completely negligent of the needs of the USA. The Republicans are scared to death of the emergence of racism by members of their own party!
Racism that kills!!!!! So far ten people have died of Legionnaire Disease.
Racism that kills!!!!! So far ten people have died of Legionnaire Disease.
