Reported 1 Million Signatures Delivered Demanding Snyder Resign Over Flint Water Crisis
LANSING (WWJ) - Fewer than 20 people gathered outside Gov. Rick Snyder's office in Lansing on Thursday to deliver what they say are about 1 million signatures calling for his resignation.
Demonstrators, including Tuliane Stokes of Lansing, say Snyder should face an investigation and potentially prosecution over his alleged role in the Flint water crisis.
"It's the most egregious example of government malfeasance that I've seen in my life here as an American citizen," Stokes said. "It is utterly outrageous."
TODAY: @MoveOn @DFAaction @UltraViolet deliver 1m sigs for @onetoughnerd to resign #FlintWaterCrisis pic via @freep pic.twitter.com/c0ud12Gk7j
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) February 18, 2016
Members of MoveOn.org and other liberal groups delivered the signatures. The activists also put up an ice sculpture reading "Snyder Poisoned Flint."
The online petition was promoted by filmmaker Michael Moore who is originally from Flint.
The city's water is currently undrinkable after it became contaminated when Flint switched from the Detroit water system to the Flint River as a cost-cutting move. The corrosive water lacked adequate treatment and caused lead to leach from old pipes.
Flint has since reconnected to Detroit water.
As far as next steps, Snyder said Wednesday it will take engineers about a month to identify lead pipes connected to Flint residents' homes, but he wants to see a "very short timeline" for some of the service lines to begin being replaced.
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said she'd like to begin replacing lead pipes next week.