In Flint Crisis, Cops Are Going Door-to-Door— Giving Out Water

And people want Michigan's governor held accountable, among others
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 11, 2016 10:01 AM CST
In Flint Crisis, Cops Are Going Door-to-Door— Giving Out Water
Students help unload a delivery of donated water bottles on Oct. 8, 2015, in Flint, Mich.   (Danny Miller /The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)

In an effort to save money, a state-named emergency manager switched the water supply for Flint, Mich., from Lake Huron to the polluted Flint River, creating a crisis that's left the city's water supply looking "like urine" and caused the lead levels in area kids to spike, ultimately leading the mayor and governor to declare a state of emergency. Now state police are set to conduct what the Detroit Free Press calls a "door-to-door sweep" of the city's residents, giving out bottled water and water filters as a temporary fix while further measures are taken. Water had previously been available for free at local fire stations, the Free Press notes. If residents aren't around for the drop-offs, scheduled to start Tuesday, they'll be left with a notice explaining where they can obtain free water.

The case has caught the White House's attention, whose chief of staff said on Meet the Press that the Obama administration is watching "very closely." Some residents have already filed a class-action lawsuit, with one plaintiff telling CNN, "You're paying for poison. I'm paying for water that's a toxic waste." And on Twitter, Cher has tweeted the governor is a "murderer," an #ArrestGovSnyder hashtag has cropped up, and filmmaker Michael Moore has been spreading a petition to get just such an initiative going. In perhaps the saddest marker of the crisis, kids up to age 6 will be able to get their blood tested for lead on Tuesday at a Flint elementary school—during "family fun night," MLive.com reports. There will also be water filter giveaways, a balloon artist, and face-painting. (More Flint, Michigan stories.)

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