RT.com<\/p>\n
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency over Flint\u2019s contaminated drinking water. The announcement comes less than a month after Flint\u2019s mayor declared the same, saying the city\u2019s water was causing elevated levels of lead in children.<\/p>\n
In announcing the state of emergency on Tuesday, Governor Snyder said<\/a>\u00a0that when the City of Flint switched from the Detroit water system in 2014 to the Flint River as a water source, \u201cthe harmful effects of untreated water struck the city\u2019s water infrastructure.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Snyder said the damaged water infrastructure caused leaching of lead into the water and damage to the water system. This, he said,\u201chas either caused or threatened to cause elevated blood lead levels, especially in the population of children and pregnant women,\u201d<\/em><\/em>creating\u201ca potential immediate threat to public health and safety.\u201d<\/em><\/em> \u201cWorking in full partnership with the Flint Water Advisory Task Force, all levels of government and water quality experts, we will find both short-term and long-term solutions to ensure the health and safety of Flint residents,\u201d<\/em>Snyder said.<\/p>\n The state of emergency could lead to a future request for federal assistance in the city\u2019s toxic water crisis. The situation has already led to the resignation of the state\u2019s top environmental regulator last month, after a governor-appointed task force held the state environmental agency \u201cprimarily responsible\u201d<\/em> for failure to ensure safe drinking water in Flint. A pediatrician at the local Hurley Medical Center, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha told RT that the highest readings she and the state recorded for elevated blood levels in Flint were 38 micrograms per deciliter. That reading is more than seven times higher than the level classified as \u201celevated\u201d<\/em> by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (five micrograms). The CDC states there is no safe blood lead level in children.<\/p>\n Hanna-Attisha first revealed that lead levels in Flint children had been rising to dangerous levels in September, though her work was initially panned and dismissed by state officials, including those representing Governor Snyder. The city of Flint has been under a local emergency declaration since December 14, when Mayor Karen Weaver called on the board of commissioners to take action on the water crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Flint has experienced a manmade disaster,\u201d<\/em> Weaver said in a statement announcing the state of emergency. \u201cNo one really knows the current status of lead in Flint\u2019s water supply,\u201d<\/em> said Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech researcher whose water testing showed dangerous levels of lead in the city\u2019s tap water, according<\/a>\u00a0to the Detroit News. \u201cWe have taken the position that until Flint actually passes a round of legitimate EPA Lead and Copper Rule-monitoring, (the water) should be assumed unsafe for cooking and drinking.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A week ago, Governor Snyder apologized to Flint residents for the state\u2019s handling of the situation. The governor also recognized the water crisis was a more expansive a problem than could met by local resources and voluntary organizations.<\/p>\n Poisonous lie: Flint gov't lied about lead [VIDEO] https:\/\/t.co\/0Ik7V1ggVw<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/ARYHa2mXMj<\/a> @AshleeBanks_RT pic.twitter.com\/SFeK6cBAbL<\/a><\/p>\n — RT America (@RT_America) December 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/HuffPostPol\/status\/684531331565547524\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
\nSnyder\u2019s declaration makes available all state resources in cooperation with local response and recovery operations and authorizes the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division to coordinate the state\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/ajam\/status\/684524475816218624\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
\nWhen Flint switched water supplies, residents immediately complained about odd tastes, smells and coloring. The situation became a full-blown crisis when, during the summer of 2015, rising levels of lead were being detected in children\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/RT_America\/status\/681976765519020033\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
\nLead is a deadly neurotoxin, and exposure is especially dangerous for children, who may experience stunted growth, behavioral problems and permanently decreased IQs.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/RT_America\/status\/676763771927334912\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
\nTwo months earlier, Flint switched back to the Detroit water system on October 16, and FEMA began to distribute bottled water. Despite Flint\u2019s reconnection to the Detroit water system in October, the purity of its drinking water remains unclear.<\/p>\n\n