Public radio from Western Michigan University 102.1 NPR News | 89.9 Classical WMUK
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Snyder Says State Will Pay to Help Fix Flint Water

MPRN

(MPRN-Flint) Governor Rick Snyder says he supports a plan to re-connect Flint to the Detroit water system to help address a water contamination crisis in the city. 

He says the state will cover half the $12 million dollar cost.

“The public safety of our citizens is a paramount concern across all of Michigan and there’s a need for Flint residents to have a good, safe, clean source of water,”

he said. He’s also going to ask the Legislature to approve $4 million dollars to address other related problems:

“We found some concerns in our testing of the schools in Flint, and we want to be proactive on that, so we’re going to ask for additional people resources, and effort to go into those so that we’re doing right by the children as they attend school.”

Testing has found lead in the drinking water in four schools in Flint. Pastor Alfred Harris is part of a coalition of Flint ministers calling for action on the city’s water supply. He says the news is welcome, but long overdue:

“I think it’s a wonderful thing that we’re on the right path now to getting the citizens of Flint pure water.”

The switch back to the Detroit system should take about two weeks – but there are no guarantees that will fix all the problems.

Related Content