President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where thousands of residents have been exposed to toxic amounts of lead.
The president's action Saturday authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to "coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency" in Genesee County. FEMA can provide up to $5 million in federal aid to help provide water, filters, and other items for up to 90 days to residents whose water has been contaminated since the city switched water supplies in a cost-cutting move in 2014.
The declaration was requested Thursday by Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, who had also sought a major disaster declaration and asked for nearly $96 million to be expedited for relief efforts. A disaster declaration would have freed up more federal aid, but Flint's problem did not qualify because it was a man-made disaster.
Flint, which had long received water from Lake Huron provided by Detroit's water utility, began drawing its water from the Flint River in 2014 in an effort to save money while a new pipeline was built. Residents soon complained about rashes and strange odors from the river water, but city and state officials mostly insisted that it was safe to drink. Last year, elevated levels of lead were found in children's blood. In October, Flint switched back to Detroit's water system.
Officials remain concerned that damaged pipes could continue to leach lead, which can cause cognitive damage in children and kidney issues in adults. State officials were also investigating whether the contaminated water was connected to a recent outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that has killed 10 people.
Snyder's administration has come under criticism for not recognizing the severity of the water problem in Flint sooner and moving too slowly to address it. The governor declared a state emergency on Jan. 5, and asked for federal help nine days later.
Snyder has defended his handling of the water situation in Flint. In an interview with Time magazine Thursday, he said: "As soon as I became aware of elevated lead levels in blood, we took action."