Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton slammed Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder over the water crisis in Flint during her closing remarks at Sunday’s Democratic presidential primary debate, and accused the GOP governor of not caring.
“We’ve had a city in the United States of America where the population, which is poor in many ways and majority African-American, has been drinking and bathing in lead-contaminated water,” she said. “And, the governor of that state acted as though he didn’t really care.”
Snyder has been under fire in the Great Lakes State for reacting slowly to reports of lead seeping into the drinking water in Flint. The city changed water sources to save money in April 2014 at the behest of an unelected emergency manager appointed by Snyder to handle the city’s finances.
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. Since then, the number of children in the city with too much lead in their systems doubled.
Clinton said Snyder’s administration “stonewalled” requests for help. She added that she doubted his administration would have had the same plodding reaction if the same incident happened in a different town with different demographics.
“If the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and bathing in it, there would have been more action,” she said.
Snyder’s official Twitter account hit back at Clinton after the debate. “Political statements and finger pointing from political candidates only distract from solving the Flint water crisis,” Snyder tweeted.
But the situation in Flint is gaining more and more national attention after the events of the last week.
Snyder revealed 87 cases of Legionnaire’s disease were reported since last April in the city. Ten of the people affected by the disease died, he said. The state is investigating if the spike in Legionnaire’s disease could be linked to the switch in water sources.
Local reports show state officials blocked a federal investigation into whether the spike in Legionnaire’s disease was related to the water switch in October 2014.
Legionnaire’s disease is an infection that causes symptoms similar to pneumonia that affects the lungs. Smokers, people older than 50, people with chronic lung illnesses and people with weak immune systems are particularly at risk if they catch the infection.
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.
Snyder declared a state of emergency in the city last week and has brought in the National Guard to help deal with the crisis. He has since asked for federal assistance.
This weekend, President Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint.
