Activates National Guard
Gov. Snyder activates the Michigan National Guard to assist in the distribution of clean drinking water to Flint residents in response to the city’s drinking water crisis. The Red Cross will now be free to go door-to-door to provide more personal services. Flint’s drinking water became contaminated with lead when the city’s water supply was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014.
As we work to ensure that all Flint residents have access to clean and safe drinking water, we are providing them with the direct assistance they need in order to stretch our resources further. The Michigan National Guard is trained and ready to assist the citizens of Flint.
Seeks emergency declaration
Gov. Snyder asks the federal government for declarations of an emergency and a major disaster in the Flint water crisis. The declarations, if granted, would help get federal aid to individuals and public agencies providing people with clean drinking water in the stricken city. Snyder has apologized for the state’s slow handling of the water crisis. Blood lead levels of some children in Flint was found to have doubled in 2015. While the city’s water supply was switched back to Lake Huron in October, lead levels in the tap water remain above levels considered acceptable in many homes.
Declares State of Emergency
Obama declares an official State of Emergency in the Flint Water Crisis. The move, requested by Gov. Snyder, frees up $5M in federal aid funding. Snyder’s initial request sought $31M, but this was denied on the grounds that the mandates allowing funds on that scale to be released are only available for natural disasters. Obama’s declaration will also free up FEMA to co-ordinate relief efforts in Flint.