FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 2, 2015
Media Contact: David Holtz, david@davidholtz.org/313-300-4454
LANSING—Sierra Club today called on
Gov. Rick Snyder to act decisively and urgently to implement plans to end the
public health crisis in Flint and to support an independent investigation into
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s oversight of federal
drinking water laws.
“Given the clear risks to vulnerable
populations and the state’s public health responsibilities this is a time for
strong leadership and accountability from state public health authorities and
the governor,” said David Holtz, Sierra Club Michigan Chair. “The
governor, finally, is assuming direct
responsibility for responding to a crisis that every day is damaging the
health
of Flint’s children. His actions should be much stronger, however, and
he needs
to find out how we got to the point where Flint children are drinking
lead and what the MDEQ’s role was in those decisions and actions.”
The Snyder administration today
outlined a series of steps they will take to address Flint’s public health
crisis. They include accelerated and
expanded water treatment, providing filters to some residents, expanded testing
of residents and an examination of whether to temporarily switch back to the
Detroit water system. Replacing Flint’s
lead pipes over time were also on the administration’s to-do list.
Sierra Club Michigan Director Gail Philbin said only independent
testing of Flint’s water for lead will be credible because of questions raised
regarding the city and MDEQ’s handling of past test results.
“Parents need to know drinking water is
safe for their children,” said Philbin.
“Immediately they need credible testing for lead and alternatives to
contaminated water. The likely best way
to ensure safe drinking water in Flint is to change to a safe and reliable
drinking water source and that’s Detroit’s water system and to eliminate lead
pipes.”
Investigations by the ACLU and
nationally recognized drinking water expert Marc Edwards at Virginia Tech
University have pointed to failures in testing and enforcement of federal
drinking water standards by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. An MDEQ spokesman reportedly attacked
Virginia Tech’s results and complained about the “near-hysteria” over Flint’s
water supply. The Virginia Tech researcher documented what he called “mistakes and deception” involving the MDEQ’s handling of Flint’s drinking water problem.
“Along with ensuring Flint residents
aren’t drinking lead, we need for the governor to ensure that the public gets
answers to what happened and why we ended up with a public health crisis in
Flint,” said Holtz. “That will require
an independent investigation. If that’s
something Governor Snyder is unwilling to do we need federal authorities to
determine to what extent, if any, state officials who are responsible for
implementing federal drinking water standards are accountable for the public
health crisis in Flint.”
The Greater Flint Health Coalition, a
group of health professionals in the Flint community, has concluded that
Flint’s drinking water is unsafe because of elevated lead blood levels. The
city of Flint began using the Flint River as a water source in April 2014 following
a decision made by emergency manager Darnell Earley.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention studies show that lead in drinking water can cause serious health
problems and that the greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young
children and pregnant women. Scientists
have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children.
##
