As a cost-cutting move, the city began temporarily drawing its drinking water from the Flint River and treating it at the city water treatment plant while it waited for a new water pipeline to Lake Huron to be completed. Protestors demanded Gov. Rick Snyder step down due to recent information showing that he knew about the crisis months before the public. "And soon. That's just my personal opinion". At the very least.
A Daily Beast story has actor Matt Damon stating "At the very least he should resign" in regards to Snyder during a Saturday, Jan. 23 appearance at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. After more than a year of complaints - and repeated reassurances from local and state officials - a Flint pediatrician presented blood tests that revealed an alarming increase in the number of toddlers with high levels of lead in their systems, which can cause permanent brain damage, since the water source switch.
'Gov. Snyder is committed to helping the people of Flint, protecting their health and safety and correcting the problems with the water, ' Dave Murray, press secretary for the governor, said in statement to MLive.com.
In some cases, it appears MI health officials suppressed reports warning about the toxicity.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is joining a chorus of Democrats calling for Snyder's resignation.
The state must match 25 percent, and more money can come through an act of Congress. States use the federal funding to make low-priced loans to local governments for drinking water and waste water construction projects and have significant freedom in how they prioritize the projects.
Snyder declared a state of emergency on January 5 and mobilized the National Guard to distribute bottled water and filters on January 12.
Presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush praised embattled fellow Republican and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder for his response to a crisis unfolding in the city of Flint, where directives ordered by a Snyder-appointed emergency manager resulted in municipal water supplies turning toxic in 2014 and staying that way until now.
But the cascade of red flags, bad decisions and government inaction since then has endangered tens of thousands of people and is expected to cost the state more than $1.5 billion to fix.
Snyder issued a formal apology, saying "I'm sorry, and I will fix it" during a State of the State address last week.
Birth defect virus confirmed in NY
The WHO warned the Zika virus is troubling to North America because it hasn't been spotted in the area and there's no immunity. Women planning to become pregnant should also be wary, said the National Travel Health Network and Centre.
