National

Michigan Set to OK $28M More to Address Flint Water Crisis

Thursday, January 28, 2016 2:34 am | < 1 Minute Read
LANSING, Mich. (AP) —
The Flint River is seen flowing thru downtown in Flint, Michigan, in this file photo from December 16, 2015. The water scandal in Flint has many of the ingredients for a mass, class-action lawsuit. But big-name, national plaintiffs' firms have yet to jump into the fray. What's holding them back, several lawyers said, is the prospective targets: The State of Michigan, the city of Flint, and officials at various levels of government. Special legal protections make it difficult to hold governments liable for damages, they said. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/Files
The Flint River is seen flowing through downtown Flint, Michigan, Dec. 16, 2015. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook/Files)

The Michigan Legislature is poised to approve $28 million in additional funding to address the lead contamination of Flint’s water.

The emergency spending bill up for final voting Thursday includes money for more bottled water and filters, and services to monitor for developmental delays in young children. The funds will also help the city with unpaid water bills and cover testing, monitoring and other costs.

It is the second round of state funding allocated since the lead contamination was confirmed in the fall.

State regulators permitted Flint to not treat water for corrosion after the city switched its supply in 2014. That allowed lead from old pipes to leach into the water.

Gov. Rick Snyder has promised to propose more funding for Flint in his upcoming budget proposal.

 

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