Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called for the resignation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Saturday morning, saying the state’s administration has failed to deal with a lead-poisoning crisis that has affected more than 100,000 residents in Flint, Mich.
“There are no excuses. The governor long ago knew about the lead in Flint’s water. He did nothing. As a result, hundreds of children were poisoned. Thousands may have been exposed to potential brain damage from lead. Gov. Snyder should resign,” Sanders said in a statement.
The Vermont senator’s call comes one day after Michigan’s attorney general announced an investigation into the lead-poisoned drinking water and requested President Obama declare a regional disaster.
Sanders said the crisis began nearly two years ago when the Republican governor appointed a new receiver who switched the city’s drinking water from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The city’s water pipes began to deteriorate from the more polluted water, causing lead in the pipes to become loose.
“The governor and other state officials knew — but did not acknowledge until last fall — that the river water was corroding pipes and causing lead to leach into the drinking water,” Sanders added.
The state health department in Michigan and the Department of Environmental Quality were aware of the lead nearly a year and a half ago, but did not inform the public, according to Sanders.
“Children in Flint will be plagued with brain damage and other health problems. The people of Flint deserve more than an apology,” Sanders said.
The National Guard has been called in to assist with distributing bottled water, water filters and testing kits while the state works on fixing the problem.
