200 Flint Kids Have Elevated Blood-Lead Levels

Officials have identified at least 200 children in Flint who have elevated blood-lead levels.

Governor Rick Snyder “disclosed the figure during a tele-town hall event with nearly 8,000 listeners. He says the state is working to ensure all kids are tested,” ABC News reported.

Animals have also been affected by the crisis, according to the Detroit Free Press, which cited James Averill, an animal expert who works with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The legislature in Michigan is looking for ways to safeguard the water supply in the wake of the crisis. “The drinking water in Michigan schools and other public places would have to be tested each year to determine whether there's lead or copper in the water” under legislation introduced by Republican Senators Rick Jones and Tonya Schuitmaker, according to the Detroit Free Press.

"This is about ensuring clean and healthy drinking water for our children — especially at school," Schuitmaker said.

Congress is also considering ways to prevent another Flint, according to The Detroit News. Michigan Reps. Fred Upton and Dan Kildee have introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the U.S. EPA to respond more quickly to circumstances similar to Flint. The bill mandates that the agency notify the public when lead concentrations in schools exceed safe levels.

Flint was thrust into the national news this year when the governor declared a state of emergency over a lead contamination crisis that is taking a toll on public health. Everything from lead to disinfectant byproducts have plagued the supply since the city switched from Detroit water and began drinking Flint River water two years ago.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are bringing the Democratic presidential primary contest to Flint next month in what they have framed as an attempt to keep the national focus on the issues there. They will hold a debate in Flint on March 6, two days ahead of the Michigan and Mississippi primaries, according to CNN.

For more coverage of Flint’s water crisis, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solutions Center.