May 4, 2018
Flint – Michigan environmental experts (click here) warned that Flint’s water system had “significant deficiencies” just weeks before Gov. Rick Snyder announced an end to bottled water service that was introduced to allay a lead-tainted water crisis.
A surface water treatment engineer detailed 10 unresolved issues in a March 21 letter to Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. The letter said that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has no confidence in Flint’s capacity to manage the system.
Snyder announced April 6 an end to free bottled water distribution, citing two years of testing showing Flint is below the federal action level for lead.
Flint is recovering from its lead-contaminated water crisis and producing “very high quality drinking water,” said Tiffany Brown, a spokeswoman for the state’s environmental department.
“The department’s concern is the ability of the city to maintain that,” Brown said. “The treatment plant is not adequately staffed and is being supplemented by a short-term contract.”...
To begin with everyone knows the pipes are not completely replaced in Flint and the replacement is ahead of schedule. The water, at the tap in many homes, is still contaminated. Now with these facts before Flint and the State of Michigan, Snyder has shifted the focus on local control.
Recently, the Flint Mayor and Counsel were given their power back. Now, about a week later, the State of Michigan is placing future health problems due to the same Snyder toxins on the local authorities.
This is racism.
We know that Snyder's emergency manager law caused the deaths, miscarriages and disabilities with lead contamination. The employees at all levels under him have been charged and face trial. We also know one man committed suicide when he was cited as a responsible party for the lead in the water. Add that to the other deaths caused by Snyder's lead tainted water.
Now, in a remarkable statement from the State of Michigan there is no concern for the "high quality water" of Flint, but, "...The letter says the state environmental department doesn't have confidence in Flint's capacity for managing the water system...."
That is racist. All of a sudden Mayor Weaver and the city council remain incompetent as they were stated to be that brought an emergency manager in the first place under different people in the local government.
To begin, the Flint administration was the one that discovered the problem and pushed to end the suffering of the people. Then realize, Flint has many impoverished residents which is why they became poisoned in the first place because the only water they can afford is the water coming from the tap.
The State of Michigan under the auspices of Governor Snyder has caused the problem in Flint and is continuing it. The future of the residents of Flint is AGAIN in danger and not because of incompetency of a Mayor and Council; but; because of a Governor that doesn't care about the people.
Now realize this:
May 4, 2018
By Ron Fonger
...Spending by the state (click here) to prosecute and defend current and former employees on matters related to water crisis cases has eclipsed $23 million with no billing slowdown on the horizon.
Records requested by MLive-The Flint Journal from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, state Department of Health and Human Services, Governor's Office and Attorney General's Office detail the spending, which has increased by more than $6 million since October and by $3 million just since the start of the year....
The State of Michigan has the money for lawyers and will continue to pay lawyers, but, it has no money for bottled water to the impoverished.
