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| Flint water crisis: governor could have declared disaster sooner, emails reveal | Flint water crisis: governor could have declared disaster sooner, emails reveal |
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| Michigan governor Rick Snyder could have declared a federal disaster over the Flint water crisis months before he did, but instead acknowledged to his aides that he wanted to resolve the problem without a disaster declaration, according to emails released by his office on Saturday. | Michigan governor Rick Snyder could have declared a federal disaster over the Flint water crisis months before he did, but instead acknowledged to his aides that he wanted to resolve the problem without a disaster declaration, according to emails released by his office on Saturday. |
| Snyder, who has previously said he became aware of the severity of Flint’s lead problem on 1 October, has faced heavy criticism for waiting until January to seek federal assistance. | |
| The emails show the governor initially aimed to avoid a disaster declaration. | The emails show the governor initially aimed to avoid a disaster declaration. |
| “Boss wants us to work through this without a disaster declaration if [possible],” wrote Rich Baird, a top aide to Snyder, in a 26 November email to the director of the Michigan state police, Kriste Etue. | “Boss wants us to work through this without a disaster declaration if [possible],” wrote Rich Baird, a top aide to Snyder, in a 26 November email to the director of the Michigan state police, Kriste Etue. |
| Related: Flint water crisis: Michigan governor's advisers warned months before disclosure | Related: Flint water crisis: Michigan governor's advisers warned months before disclosure |
| The governor requested additional financial aid from the White House on 5 January but a disaster declaration was denied, as Flint’s water crisis did not meet statutory requirements. | The governor requested additional financial aid from the White House on 5 January but a disaster declaration was denied, as Flint’s water crisis did not meet statutory requirements. |
| Snyder appealed, saying “additional federal resources are needed” to address the situation, but Barack Obama rejected the appeal. If approved, the request would have brought in an additional $96m in aid. The president approved a request to declare Flint in a state of emergency, freeing up $5m in financial assistance. | Snyder appealed, saying “additional federal resources are needed” to address the situation, but Barack Obama rejected the appeal. If approved, the request would have brought in an additional $96m in aid. The president approved a request to declare Flint in a state of emergency, freeing up $5m in financial assistance. |
| Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, said Bair’s comment was made because the governor “wanted us to have several options in place”. | Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, said Bair’s comment was made because the governor “wanted us to have several options in place”. |
| “At the time, there were unanswered questions about whether the criteria existed for an emergency declaration based on how the process works,” Adler told the Guardian. “That is why Rich was trying to find out what the state’s options would be if such a declaration could not be made.” | “At the time, there were unanswered questions about whether the criteria existed for an emergency declaration based on how the process works,” Adler told the Guardian. “That is why Rich was trying to find out what the state’s options would be if such a declaration could not be made.” |
| Baird’s email was among thousands released by Snyder’s office, which is not subject to Michigan’s freedom of information act. The governor decided last week to voluntarily release his executive office’s emails related to the Flint water crisis. | Baird’s email was among thousands released by Snyder’s office, which is not subject to Michigan’s freedom of information act. The governor decided last week to voluntarily release his executive office’s emails related to the Flint water crisis. |
| His response was prompted by Etue, after she received a question from Michigan state police captain Chris Kelenske explaining Flint’s newly elected mayor was discussing a disaster declaration on the radio. | His response was prompted by Etue, after she received a question from Michigan state police captain Chris Kelenske explaining Flint’s newly elected mayor was discussing a disaster declaration on the radio. |
| Two weeks prior, Kelenske explained to the governor’s deputy legal counsel in an email that Snyder could declare an emergency at any time, but said such a move “could be viewed as the state having owned up to how the water issue was caused”. | Two weeks prior, Kelenske explained to the governor’s deputy legal counsel in an email that Snyder could declare an emergency at any time, but said such a move “could be viewed as the state having owned up to how the water issue was caused”. |
| For months, Snyder’s office had said the governor couldn’t seek federal assistance until local officials declared a state of emergency. Flint mayor Karen Weaver did so in December, and county officials followed suit on 4 January. | For months, Snyder’s office had said the governor couldn’t seek federal assistance until local officials declared a state of emergency. Flint mayor Karen Weaver did so in December, and county officials followed suit on 4 January. |
| Adler said it was “extremely rare” for a governor to declare an emergency without local municipalities doing so first. | Adler said it was “extremely rare” for a governor to declare an emergency without local municipalities doing so first. |
| “An extraordinary single-day event, such as a significant tornado, would be one of those exceptions where it is immediately apparent that local resources would not be able to keep up with demand,” he said. | “An extraordinary single-day event, such as a significant tornado, would be one of those exceptions where it is immediately apparent that local resources would not be able to keep up with demand,” he said. |
| “In the Flint case, the lead leaching from the pipes was a situation that developed over time, so the state was monitoring what the locals were doing and how they were handling the situation with their available resources.” | “In the Flint case, the lead leaching from the pipes was a situation that developed over time, so the state was monitoring what the locals were doing and how they were handling the situation with their available resources.” |
| Local officials indicated to the state they were “handling things overall”, Adler said, “but as soon as they realized they couldn’t keep up, they declared emergencies at the city and county level and the state declared immediately. | Local officials indicated to the state they were “handling things overall”, Adler said, “but as soon as they realized they couldn’t keep up, they declared emergencies at the city and county level and the state declared immediately. |
| “We had been gearing up resources and preparing for it, so the state was ready to act.” | “We had been gearing up resources and preparing for it, so the state was ready to act.” |
| Related: Flint water crisis: EPA concerned with 'inadequate' state and city response | Related: Flint water crisis: EPA concerned with 'inadequate' state and city response |
| Prior to Snyder’s declaration, Michigan sent Flint $2m to address water treatment issues. | Prior to Snyder’s declaration, Michigan sent Flint $2m to address water treatment issues. |
| State senator Jim Ananich, a Democrat and Flint native, said the emails continue to show Snyder’s office has treated the Flint water crisis as a “public relations problem for the governor, as opposed to the true public health crisis that truly everyone else … recognized”. | State senator Jim Ananich, a Democrat and Flint native, said the emails continue to show Snyder’s office has treated the Flint water crisis as a “public relations problem for the governor, as opposed to the true public health crisis that truly everyone else … recognized”. |
| “I think this sort of confirms what we’ve felt in the community, that this was a nuisance for the governor,” Ananich said. | “I think this sort of confirms what we’ve felt in the community, that this was a nuisance for the governor,” Ananich said. |
| The emails released over the weekend also show Snyder’s advisers advocated moving Flint back to its prior drinking water source only months after the city made a fateful April 2014 switch from Lake Huron water to a local river. Snyder’s legal counsel, Michael Gadola, wrote in October 2014 that the use of the Flint river as a water supply was “downright scary”. | The emails released over the weekend also show Snyder’s advisers advocated moving Flint back to its prior drinking water source only months after the city made a fateful April 2014 switch from Lake Huron water to a local river. Snyder’s legal counsel, Michael Gadola, wrote in October 2014 that the use of the Flint river as a water supply was “downright scary”. |
| Following the switch, the Michigan department of environmental quality did not require Flint to treat the river water with anti-corrosion agents, allowing lead to leach off pipes and flow into households. | |
| The state did not acknowledge the enormity of the situation until October 2015, after local studies revealed the number of children in Flint with elevated blood lead levels had increased in the months following the switch. | The state did not acknowledge the enormity of the situation until October 2015, after local studies revealed the number of children in Flint with elevated blood lead levels had increased in the months following the switch. |