Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton weighed in on the Michigan water crisis Friday, calling the situation “extremely concerning.”
The former secretary of state issued a statement to Michigan media outlets Monday morning. Clinton said Flint parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether the water they’re giving to their kids is safe.
“We now know that a General Motors factory stopped using Flint’s water because it was corroding car engine parts — yet officials continued to reassure the public that this water was safe for human consumption,” Clinton said.
In April 2014, an emergency manager appointed by the state of Michigan made the decision to switch Flint’s water source from the city of Detroit to a locally based water authority. While that switch was taking place, the city would take its water from the Flint River.
The water in the Flint River is so polluted and acidic that it has been corroding the lead pipes that bring water from the river to residents’ homes.
Clinton criticized the decision to make the switch to save money.
“Thousands of children may have been exposed to lead, which could irreversibly harm their health and brain functioning,” she said. “Plus, this catastrophe — which was caused by a zeal to save money at all costs — could actually cost $1.5 billion in infrastructure repairs.”
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in the city last week.
The scandal has led multiple people in Snyder’s administration to resign and has put the governor, who is well thought of in Republican circles around the country, under fire. He has refused to answer questions about what he knew about the situation.
Clinton called on him to answer those questions.
“The people of Flint deserve to know the truth about how this happened and what Gov. Snyder and other leaders knew about it,” she said. “And they deserve a solution, fast.”
A study by the Hurley Medical Center found the amount of children with too much lead in their systems rose from 2 percent to 4.1 percent after the change in water supply.
The study also reported the share of children who live in the most affected parts of the city with elevated lead levels in their blood increased from 2.5 percent to 6.3 percent. The number of children in Flint under the age of 15 months who tested positive for higher lead levels increased two-and-a-half times after the switch.
High amounts of lead in blood could lead to drops in IQ, increased risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and other negative health effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Department of Justice is investigating.
