With Federal Government Withdraw, Flint Residents Worry What's Next
By Peak Johnson
The federal government, tasked with managing water relief for the past eight months on behalf of the citizens of Flint, MI, is stepping aside and allowing state and local officials to take up the responsibility.
Vice News reported that while services are not scheduled to change and there is funding devoted to continued relief, residents are still concerned.
The reason, according to Vice News, is that state and local officials assured Flint residents once before that they had nothing to fear from the contaminated water.
Nearly eight months ago, President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration that authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide resources to state and local efforts.
It expired on August 14, but officials had promised that assistance in the water crisis would still remain available, according to Vice News.
The U.S. EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator Bob Kaplan said that Flint’s water system is among the best of those administered in the U.S.
"Bottled water will continue to be supplied by the State of Michigan to Flint residents beyond the Aug. 14 date," Flint Mayor Karen Weaver told Vice News.
Bottled water was one of the most noticeable contributions that was provided by FEMA and for some time it provided comfort to the residents of Flint.