Flint

Last week Governor Snyder gave his annual State of the State address. Among all the glowing reviews he had about how far our state has come, were a few glaring omissions.

Earlier this month in a legislative session that went until the early hours of the morning, both chambers of the Michigan Legislature passed the budget for 2017. Included in the budget omnibus bill is $114.3 million in emergency supplemental funding for solutions to the Flint water crisis.

In the wake of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan the subject of lead in drinking water has received sustained attention, as has the federal regulation and the federal role in reducing lead at the tap.

It was a dark, cold January day, shortly after Michigan officials had finally admitted that the people of Flint had been exposed to poisoned water running through their taps. We drove from Lansing to St Michael’s Church in Flint for an organizing meeting. Local activists, people from the non-profit community, and even experts who had run door-to-door canvasses in response to Hurricane Sandy, were all there to do something about the water crisis that is still being ignored by our state government.

This week a group of Senators introduced the "True LEADership Act" to get lead out of contact with water and improve the quality of drinking water in the United States. It's a good step forward.

Our approach to drinking water protection - “Putting Drinking Water First” - feels light years away from the crisis in Flint, with seemingly nothing to offer based on what we have learned about the causes of this situation.