In response to President Obama’s visit to Flint, Michigan, where he is highlighting the need to address the ongoing lead-poisoning crisis, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the League of Conservation Voters issued the following statements:

Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters:

“We sincerely appreciate the President’s visit and his commitment to ensuring that Flint residents have the resources they need to deal with the devastating and life-long impacts of lead poisoning. As a state and as a nation, we have an obligation to provide for the most basic needs of this American city. It is simply inexcusable that the Flint community has been without safe tap water for two years.”

“A few months ago, Governor Snyder’s Flint Water Advisory Task Force laid the blame for this crisis at the feet of our state government. This was a crisis caused by our state government and it is our state government that needs to be held accountable, not only for securing the safety of Flint’s drinking water as soon as possible, but also for transforming our state agencies to ensure that a crisis like this never afflicts another Michigan community.”

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters:

“We thank the President for his commitment to bringing immediate and long-term help to this community. This commitment stands in stark contrast with the Republican-controlled Congress spending their time attacking the EPA for not doing more while simultaneously voting to undermine their ability to protect our drinking water. The situation in Flint, with over 8,000 children poisoned by a damaging neurotoxic chemical, unfortunately demonstrates what happens when politicians sacrifice environmental and public health protections to save a few dollars.

“There are too many communities like Flint across the country- low-income, disadvantaged, legacy communities that are ignored by politicians and forced to live with environmental injustices that degrade their health and environment. We must learn from Flint and do more to provide justice and resources to these communities, and recognize the need to do more nationwide to protect our drinking water sources.  We call on Congress to provide immediate relief for Flint and make the investments in our water infrastructure that are urgently needed to ensure no parents have to worry that the water coming out of their tap is harming their family.”

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