An Update On The Flint Water Crisis

Here is an update on the Flint Michagan’s water crisis…..

Chairman Jeff Chafftez of the House Oversight Committee questions the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) situation with 300 million people and who knows how many water systems., “We have National standards.

But, states should be warned, do not rely upon the EPA.  Conceptionally, we need less EPA not more.  They failed at every chance they had”. 

Susan Hedman, the former EPA Regional Administrator and Darnell Early, the former Emergency Manager of Flint, went in front of the committee.  Mr. Earley was in charged in 4/2014. This is when the city commission of Flint Michigan decided to change their water supply from Detroit to the Flint River.

In doing so, hazardous amounts of led from the underground pipes leaked into the drinking water.

With the dangerously high levels Mrs. Hedman resigned in the after math of the crisis.

Prior to a state of emergency was issued in 2015, the EPA know about the contaminated water in the city of

Flint.

 Non the less, it was “met with resistance”, from Michigan’s so called officials and chairmen of committees. In which is involved with environmental safety. This also includes scientists who ignored the signs at the beginning of Flint’s water corruption.

On Thursday, 2/24/16, the environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Gina Mc Carthy will meet with the

House Oversight Committee.

As well as, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan. They are being demanded to resign.

This is due to the fact of several emails his advisers most defiantly about the toxic water situation in Flint.

This was right after the change of supply from Detroit to the Flint River.

All over a money! Money issue. The city commission did not want to spend $1,000,000.00 to use the water supply in Detroit. Yet, now Flint’s city commission’s and Gov. Snyder’s decision is costing them $70,000,000.00.

To fix this “oops”.

Let’s not forget, the developmental problems which may occur in eight thousand children.  There were multiple test done by the government and ranking EPA employees. “Failed” to announce the poison in Flint Michigan’s water supply. In doing so, their failure had its citizens to go to Virginia technical researchers.

It is the citizen’s proof that Flint Michigan’s water supply has detrimentally high levels of led. That the safety of Flint’s citizens is in complete danger. Not just developmental problem, BUT extinction.

During this moth 3 / 2016 Jason Chaffetz went to Flint Michigan. During his stay, he told a reporter it was “devastating”, witnessing the issues in the town. Chaffetz is the UT-mostly concerned! He cannot believe that there is NO clear Plan at all. To fix Flint’s contaminated water.

Kimbalei Flowers, a resident of Macon County Alabama, heard about the water crisis in Flint Michigan.She is the founder of a non-profit organization. She immediately collected and brought bottled water to the residents in and surrounding areas.

This is so breath taking.

To see and hear the United States Citizens come together in times of need. Whether or not what the U. S. Government says or does not say.

As a just because.

Repersenitive Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat who represents Flint, said in an interview, his hometown is struggling while Congress bickers. “This is not an abstraction. This is 100,000 kids and adults all suffering every single day and it’s pretty frustrating,” “We will not give up, that’s for sure,” he added, vowing that congressional Republicans “are not going to run out the clock on Flint, Michigan.”

In fact, support for Flint is bilateral. Michigan’s congressional delegation abstained solidly pushed for Flint aid, and Republican Gov. Rick Snyder urged Congress to permit the bilateral Senate bill “immediately” at a then combative congressional hearing.

Michigan Democratic Sens.  Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters grasped an arrangement with key Republicans last month on a Two hundred twenty million dollar package to repair and change lead-contaminated pipes in Flint and other cities.

None the less, the bill remains on hold after Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah opposed in late February. Lee said Michigan consumes a budget surplus and doesn’t require federal currency to repair the problem.

Stabenow’s frustration is obvious. In an passionate speech on the Senate floor, she believed that as a mother and grandmother, she “can’t endure the fear and horror” Flint families feel as they are forced; month after month to use bottled water to drink and bathe.

Stabenow said in a March 17 speech, like other Americans, Flint residents, “We all assume that. That is pretty much a basic human right.” Just like other Americans, Flint residents “assumed that when you get up in the morning and turn on the faucet, when you take a shower or you feed your children, clean water is going to come out of the pipes,” “We all assume that. That is pretty much a basic human right.”

Yet not in Flint, where the water is contaminated with lead.

Flint’s drinking water became contaminated when the city switched from the Detroit water system and began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014 to save money. The impoverished city was under state control at the time.

Regulators failed to guarantee the water was preserved properly and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply.

Elevated lead levels have been found in at least 325 people, including 221 children. Lead contamination has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems..

Stabenow, also said, other lawmakers as well as she has been aggressive since 1/2016 to authorization a bill to help Flint, “yet the children of Flint are still waiting.  The children of Flint need our help. We have a bipartisan bill, and we need a vote.”

Lee also wants a vote.

Yet, merely if the bill is compensated for what he deliberates an honest manner. In addition, regulation labeled as assisting Flint essentially permits cities in the country to swap aging substructure. Where lead loiters as budding health hazard.

In a statement Lee said, “What’s really happening here is that Washington politicians are using the crisis in Flint as an excuse to funnel taxpayer money to their own home states, and trying to sneak it through the Senate without proper debate and amendment. I respectfully object.”

The Senate bill will be paid for by transmitting up to two hundred twenty million dollars from an Energy Department loan program intended for high-tech automobiles. Lee, a freshman whom was selected with the assistance of the” tea party”, doesn’t object to transmitting money to Flint.

Spokesman Conn Carroll told reports that he desires to safeguard the money dedicated to Flint, doesn’t add to the federal shortage.

Stabenow and Peters, whose state is the center of the United States auto manufacturing, wants to safeguard that Energy Department program.

In which, includes loans distributed through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program.

This is a relic of the 2009 economic stimulus law.

Kildee mentioned, although lawmakers linger to discuss and point fingers over who is at fault for the Flint crisis, “the time to act is now. ”The people in Flint are American citizens and they are in crisis,” “When there is a disaster and Americans face a crisis, we all pitch in, and the people of Flint deserve that.”

A debatable bill that might have restricted environmental regulators’ abilities to react to crises was struck down

Governor Mike Pence prohibited the House Bill 1082. This is called, “No More Stringent than, “and alluded to public concern about water safety.

Governor Pence announced in a  statement. “Our Indiana Department of Environmental Management is vigilant about requiring regular testing of water systems across the state for lead and working with any systems that are out of compliance to implement plans that will return the water to safe levels.” “IDEM must have the necessary flexibility.”

The first description of the bill stopped IDEM from demise at all environmental regulations which are extremely stricter than federal regulations.

Pence said the bill will “over-restrict IDEM and delay its rule-making process.”

Rep. David Wolkins, R-Winona Lake, narrated HB 1082.

However it went through numerous variations throughout the legislative session.

Senitor Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Affairs, supervised the majority of the alteration.

Charbonneau said even though the final draft of the bill permitted IDEM to answer to environmental crises, Pence’s fears overrode the changes.

Mr. Charbonneau said. “Looming in the background of all of this is what went on in Flint, Michigan”’, and “The governor has always been concerned with the ability to react to an emergency.”

The Senate committee detached the “more stringent than” language from the bill. In which included most of the limitations.

Right after the 2 versions of the bill were resolved, the final draft called for IDEM to emeadiatly report new protocols to the General Assembly for review.

Due to the fact that Charbonneau wasn’t “comfortable with a state giving up its rights” to the federal 
government, he opposed the “no more stringent than” language.

.He said he believed the reworked bill had conciliated both environmentalists and interested businesses.

When he endorsed the legislature’s obligation to the make policy and it is IDEM’s job of transfer it out.

In addition Charbonneau said, “But when it all totally got to the governor’s desk, he was concerned about the publicity of signing something like that.”

The Hoosier Environmental Council denied the bill during the legislative session.

Jesse Kharbanda, the executive director for the HEC, said his group was satisfied on Pence vetoed the bill and wished it would not over looked in the next session.

HB 1082 was intended to stop environmental regulators from infringing on businesses’ rights, which Kharbanda said has never been a problem.

The IDEM has under no circumstances went over its authority, as the remaining legislature is bursting with checks on the ability to execute regulations on businesses.

 In addition he included, “This bill is just intensely divisive,” “We, as an organization, do not know what problem it’s trying to solve.”

He also mentioned that the lead establish in Flint’s water probable swayed senators to keep IDEM somewhat free of legislative 
restraints.

“In the backdrop of these drinking water episodes in other states … I think that implicitly signaled sensitivity to the fact that it’s not a good idea to weaken Indiana’s experts from doing their jobs, “said Mr. Kharbanda.

Mr. Kharbanda and Mr. Charbonneau both accredited the Republican-Controlled General Assembly can appeal a special session to override Pence’s veto.

None the less, Kharbanda stated that the move appeared doubtful since there are crusades and drudgery outside the legislative session to emphasize on.

He continues to dispute that the bill stood to be an “unwise expenditure of taxpayer money.”

In ending Mr. Kharbanda stated, “We’ve got some really tangible environmental issues in our state,” “If the environment community and business community got together, we could begin solving these things.”

There is so much more going on as I speak on this crisis.

My wish is for the govermnment to not look the other way, and to help us, the people of the United States,

Our safty and freedom should be their number one priority. Not money in their pucket.

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