Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint, Mich., on Tuesday over health concerns about lead getting into the city’s drinking water from aging pipes.
The state of emergency declaration is the latest incident in a scandal that has swept the Great Lakes State. Snyder has been under fire for his response to reports that lead is infiltrating the city’s drinking water because water from the Flint River is so acidic that it’s eating away at aging pipes. The Department of Justice is investigating the scandal.
On Tuesday, Snyder made all state resources available for local response and has directed state authorities to work with local officials on coordinating their efforts.
“The health and welfare of Flint residents is a top priority and we’re committed to a coordinated approach with resources from state agencies to address all aspects of this situation,” Snyder said. “Working 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.”
The Flint Advisory Task Force is a state group set up by Snyder to investigate the crisis. Its preliminary findings led the head of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to resign last month, as did a spokesman who called into question a doctor’s study that initially showed there was elevated lead in children’s blood.
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 state Department of Environmental Quality has acknowledged it failed to require the city of Flint to treat the water with a chemical that would have made the water less acidic.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Flint Journal reported the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit is investigating the crisis. No details about the investigation have been made public.
The Justice Department would be the second federal agency to get involved in the crisis. The Environmental Protection Agency formed a task force in October to develop a plan to improve water quality.
