The city of Flint, Michigan, is getting some much-needed assistance from the federal government.
Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced that he would be providing the state of Michigan with $80 million—available immediately—which will reportedly be used to repair Flint’s lead-ridden water, reports the Detroit Free Press. However, it is unclear how much money the city of Flint will receive.
“Our children should not have to be worried about the water that they’re drinking in American cities,” President Obama said during the announcement. “That’s not something that we should accept.”
7 Facts on Flint’s Water Crisis
The predominately Black city has been combatting toxic levels of lead in its water for months, since the city began extracting its water from the Flint River rather than Lake Huron. Residents have complained that the water smelled questionable and was causing rashes, but state officials insisted that it was safe. However, last year, high levels of lead were found in children’s bloodstreams.
Yesterday afternoon, Susan Hedman, a high-ranking Michigan Environmental Protection Agency employee, resigned after reports emerged claiming that she had ignored scientists who found that there were, indeed, high levels of lead in the city’s drinking supply.
On February 3, the U.S. House committee will conduct a hearing on the Flint water crisis. It is unclear whether Gov. Synder will be required to testify.