Auto Workers Donating Drinking Water To Flint Residents
FLINT (WWJ/AP) - Members of the United Auto Workers union are donating drinking water to Flint residents affected by the city's water crisis.
The bottled water will be brought to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan on Saturday in a caravan of trucks, according to the Flint Journal.
An emergency has been declared in Flint where water drawn from the Flint River leached lead from old plumbing for months.
The city switched from Detroit's water system to Flint River water in a cost-cutting move in 2014, while under state financial management. That was intended as a temporary step while a pipeline was built from Lake Huron. Residents complained about the water's taste, smell and appearance, and children were found to have elevated levels of lead due to the water supply.
The city switched back to Detroit's water in October once lead was found in more children, but concerns remain, including how badly corrosive water from the Flint River damaged aging pipes. The city last month began adding additional corrosion controls to Detroit's water in an attempt to rebuild the protective scale in its pipes, which is estimated to reduce lead levels in two to six months.
Lead can cause permanent brain damage, leading to behavior problems and learning disabilities. State officials say at least 43 Flint residents have tested positive for elevated blood lead levels, 30 of whom are children.
Last week, Snyder apologized and Michigan's top environmental regulator resigned after a task force created by Snyder blamed problems on his agency. Administration officials have pledged to cooperate fully with any federal requests.
The state initially downplayed lead concerns but ultimately had to commit $10.6 million to reconnect Flint to Detroit and to respond with filters, testing and other services.
The city's request for a disaster declaration includes roughly $50 million in aid, most of which is taken up by $45 million to replace 15,000 lead service lines — "one of the most cost-intensive endeavors related to ameliorating water contaminants" in its system, according to the application. It also seeks $2 million in reimbursement costs for reconnecting to Detroit's system.
