Not only the US, but the whole world is being run by sociopaths.
US House votes to block clean water rule as Flint scandal grows
The
Bill comes after a request for Obama to declare a state of emergency
over water concerns in Michigan. © Rebecca Cook / Reuters
The
US House of Representatives voted 253-166 this week to overturn a
controversial rule to protect America’s clean water in spite of a
growing scandal in Flint, Michigan over poisonous levels of lead.
Representatives
approved a resolution back by the Senate in November that blocks the
Environmental Protection Agency’s "waters of the United
States" (WOTUS) rule.
The
regulation protects streams and wetlands used in local water
supplies, but failed after a deluge of lobbying from corporations
including Halliburton, Shell, and Tyson foods.
President
Obama is expected to veto the bill to protect the rule, at the same
time as he considers a request from Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to
declare a state of emergency.
Frustrated
residents have called for the Republican governor’s resignation
after high levels of deadly lead were found in Flint’s drinking
water.
The
city switched its supply in April 2014 from Lake Huron to the Flint
River in an effort to save $19 million.
LeKia Nolan
Brown lead filled water across the street from my house. #FlintWaterCrisis
Michigan
health officials are investigating whether outbreaks of Legionnaires’
disease in the area are connected to the lead levels. Ten deaths have
already occurred in the area since switching sources.
One
child was found to have a blood lead level of 6.4 micrograms per
deciliter (mcg/dl), well above the lead poisoning threshold of 5
mcg/dl.
The
presence of lead has been attributed to the corrosion of pipes from
the river, desperately in need of modernization.
Colm McGlinchey
Statement from Gov. #RickSnyder asks @BarackObama to declare emergency in #Flint, Michigan over water contamination http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_57657-373648--,00.html …
In
his statement to Obama, Snyder requests “federal
aid in the form of Individual Assistance and Public Assistance to
help eligible residents and state and local government entities to
protect the health, safety and welfare of Flint residents.”
President
Obama will review the request before any decision is made.
Residents
protested Snyder’s slow response, gathering Thursday at the
Michigan state Capitol building to call for his resignation.
The
governor had received early warnings that the city’s water was
poisoned, but failed to implement any real action until January 5.
Since
the change of water supply in April 2014, residents have had to
contend with dirty brown tap water unsuitable for drinking. Most have
been forced to boil water or switch to bottled water.
Despite
the concerns of residents in the weeks following the switch,
then-Flint Mayor Dayne Walling, a former Rhodes scholar, insisted it
was a “safe
product” and
that “people
are wasting their precious money buying bottled water.”
Alleen Brown
Gross. Flint tap water a at a local hospital. via @CityLab http://bit.ly/1SQfrqE
Walling
lost to Karen Weaver in his bid for re-election in November, a result
which saw her become the city’s first female mayor.
Four
months after the switch of supplies, residents were officially issued
a boil notice after fecal bacteria was found in the supply.
General
Motors, a major Flint employer featured in Michael Moore’s
groundbreaking documentary Roger
& Me,
announced they would no longer use the water due to corrosion
concerns.
But
it was not until October 2015 that officials declared a public health
emergency telling residents not to drink the water without an
approved filter due to lead contamination.
Snyder
responded to the emergency by investing $1 million in water filters
for the city to reduce the lead, followed shortly by an announcement
that they would reconnect to the original Lake Huron water supply.
Michael Moore
This poster was quietly taken down a few days ago by Gov. Snyder from the State of MI website (via @DavidLukeCuster)
Adults
have already reported high-blood pressure and even blindness due to
the lead, but it can take years for certain problems to manifest in
children, particularly learning disabilities and cognitive
impairments.
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