On January 16, President Barack Obama placed Michigan in a state of emergency over Flint’s continuous water problems.

The White House released that information on January 17, which was a response to Governor Rick Snyder’s request for help in executing solutions for the town’s lead water emergency.

The release includes important information regarding how the federal government will take care of the issue in Flint, Michigan. As of now, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are intervening to ensure public health and safety under Title V of the Stafford Act, as well as offering equipment and resources to the citizens of the city.

The release states, “Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. This emergency assistance is to provide water, water filters, water filter cartridges, water test kits, and other necessary related items for a period of no more than 90 days.”

The federal declaration provides $5 million in resources, of which the state of Michigan has to match 25 percent. If need be, Congress can approve to offer more funding to the state.

The US representative Dan Kildee released a statement in response to President Obama’s announcement on Saturday. It says, “I welcome the President’s quick action in support of the people of Flint after months of inaction by the Governor. The residents and children of Flint deserve every resource available to make sure that they have safe water and are able to recover from this terrible man-made disaster created by the state.”

President Obama’s announcement comes 11 days after Governor Snyder declared a state of emergency in the city. The governor made the announcement on January 5, 2016 to which the city’s mayor made a claim that the lead-infused water “can cause effects to a child’s IQ, which will result in learning disabilities.

(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Author

  • Travis Henry is a senior at Rutgers University studying Communication, with a concentration in Strategic Public Relations and Public Communication, and French. Currently, he is looking at the relationship between consumer brands and African-American youth and how the Black-white racial segregation has manifested online. When he is not doing research at school or writing at work, he finds himself “curating the human experience” via his magazine DWNTWN and editing his school’s magazine Voice. He sees himself in the future finding a career that hybrids music, activism, media, and writing.