Bob Wheaton

| echo Kris comments Sheryl Thompson Deputy Director of Field Operarions Dept of Health & Human Services 235 S. Grand Ave, Ste 1413 Lansing, MI 48909 517-241-5954

’'m looping in Geralyn, Angela and Jennifer te see if they have any thoughts. Bob xxxEND_PAGE:dhhs02_b0472_1862_1871_07 001869

Thanks, Grad. Since BCAL is now part of LARA rather than MDHHS, we might want to alert the folks at LARA about this ~ given the orevious misstap of BCAL in issuing an advisory to day cares about Flint water. {can do thet, or yout could do that if you'd prefer. Thanks, Bob

Here is the data. Please let me know if you need any clarification: DHS has authorized $106,189 in State Emergency Retief for water and sewer services in the city of Aint frorn Oct. 1, 2614-FPeb. 13, 2015. This amount includes bill assistance payrnents and payments for deposits and/or reconnect fees for 566 households, xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0716_2116_2122_1

Ok — thank you

Angie, Pi have this information te you by 5 p.m. today or shartly thersafter. Bok

That’s possible, but L can’t say for sure. | should have a better idea tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

Hi Bob ~ just checking in te see if you were able to split this by zip codes. Thanks far your help - Angie

Hi Angie, Here is data for Get that we dew’t track by city but " m double. checking. What doy you mean when you say y that * DHS was sable te to get Flint to a different rate ...”? Are you saying that DHS was increasing the maximum dollar amount of State Emergency Relief assistance for water customers in Flint? For the period of Qctober — December 2014 the following payments were mada in Genesee County for water/sewer: Unduplicated Recipients Total expenditures L416 $56,035.26 riaddition, the following reconnect/discorimect fees were paid: Induplicated Recipients Total expenditures [53282825368 hanks, Bob Wheaten Manager of Communications/ Public Information Officer Jichigan Department of Hurnan Services 235 S, Grand Ave. Suite S20 P.O. Box 20037 ANSING, Mi eat Pho WheetonB@rmichisanaov www.michigan sov/dhs

Lol — thanks! if you can break it down fer flint and genesee county thet is my first cheice — the story is about flint, Or if you can show me how te break it down or point mein the direction of someone who can help with that {even off camera} I'd really appreciate it. | clo know Flint was so rauch higher that DHS was able to get flint to give ther a different rate ~ so it must have been broken own at one point? | could really use your help with this.

Sorry for sporadic sentences - stiff anchoring the news but wanted to catch you while you are at your dask!

Hi Angie, This issue is not something we're gcing to want our Genesee County DHS officials to comment on, Communication with media about the Flint water situation has bean handled by the cornmurications stafffleadarship at the relevant state agencies. And it woulda’t be anpronriate for DHS to get involved in any discussion regarding any water rates in Flint ar in any other community. loan tell you that DHS Children’s Protective Services will not remove a child from a home solely because of the lack of water in that home. We will work with families te ackiress the issue ~ try providing State Emergency Relief funding fram CHS, by sugpesting that children use water at relatives’ hares, by referring families to call 214 or turn to local nonpradits for assistance. DHS alsa has provided hygiene kits to childran in schools and has caseworkers in schools in Flint and around Michigan to assist children anc families with these types of tesues. Unfortunately, there are low-income families in communities around the state who at times strugele to pay thelr water tills. Famitles that meet income eligibility requirements can receive State Ernergency Relief if they have had their water shut off or have received shut-off notices. State Emergency Relief of up to $200 is available for reconnecting to water services and up te SL75 to pay past due bills neadad ta reconnect. Thanks, Bob Wheaten Manager of Communications/ Public Information Officer Michigan Department of Hurnan Services 235 S, Grand Ave. Suite S20 xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0716_2116_2122_4 PLO. Box 30037 Lansing, Mi 48909 Phone: 517-3 a www michigan. gov/dhs Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 11:09 AM

Hi Angie, Sorry i didn’t get back to you sooner, Edid get this email. I'm tled up with alot of work related to the governor's budget announcement on Wednesday. t hone to touch bases with you Wednesday afternoon. Thanks, Bob Wheaton Manager of Comraunications/Public information Officer Michigan Department of Human Services 235 S. Grand Ave. Sulte 1530 PLC. Box 20087 Lansing, Mi 48909 Phone: 517-273-4287 Cell S17-281-1764 WheatonB@michizangov

Hi Bob, xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0716_2116_2122_5 Pm working on a story about people in Flint who are getting reported to CPS because they don’t have water. Their children are coming into school - and they are not clean, stink or struggle because they do not have water at horne. t have heard this is a big problern because of the service fees, shut off fees and cost of Fint water. Those on fixed incomes are struggling - even with help frorn DHS. i want to talk to someone in Genesee County about how common this is - what they are seeing (as far as families Hving together, going without water, HHegally hooking up water, ate) Also ~ about the resources DHS is having to usé to pay fees to hook up water once it is cut off. Thank you, Angle Hendershot 810-577-2465

i thought your narne was familiar! rn sorry my voicemail was full -- lanchor the Som news oa fcan’t answer my phone! ican send you the questions - but is there anyway i can actually speak with someone who works with these ecole in the Flint area? Thank you - Angie

By the way, | hope all is wellin Genesee County. | worked at The Flint Journal as a reporter from 2004- 207,

Angie, All communication on this issue is coming from our Office of Communications. bean work with the Genesee County office to get you sorne information. Can you tell me specifically what you need and whatis your deadfine? Thanks, xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0716_2116_2122_6

Hi Bob, thank you so much for returning my call. This helps. fd really ike to talk to someone at the Ganesee County office about just how many families are going through this. Thank you - Angie

Hi Angie, | just tried to return your call, and got a message that your voice mail box is full. The Michigan Department of Human Services offers State Emergency Relief to eligible households that have had their water disconnected or that have received a disconnection notice. We can assist with up to $200 for reconnection, and $175 to pay past-due bills that are needed for someone to have water services restored or prevent disconnection. We always encourage people to try to work with their provider if they start falling behind on paying their bill so they don’t reach the point of a disconnection. | believe you also had some questions about the cost of water in Flint and the cost of reconnection. We really wouldn’t want to speak to that. | would defer to the people at the city of Flint to provide that type of information. Thanks, Bob Wheaton Manager of Communications/Public Information Officer Michigan Department of Human Services 235 S. Grand Ave. Suite 1510 P.O. Box 30037 Lansing, MI 48909 Phone: 517-373-4287 Cell: Wheaton’ @imichigan gov www. michigan gov/dhs xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0716_2116_2122_7

Thanks for the foop in. DEQ oversees the quality of the water through our drinking water program. What the residents are charged is determined by the city. Who gets shut off, turned back on and all other operational questians should go to the city. xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1893_4609_4611_1

lwill give Angie your phone nuriber. Thank you Bob.

Hi Randy, This should definitely come to me te answer rather than being answered at the local office. i'm CC’ Ing Brad Wurfel from DEQ Communications. We can tell her how much SER funding is available, but | don’t think we're the ones who could or should say how much it costs for water, how much it costs to turn the water back on and/or why people in Flint are without water. Thanks, Bob Wheaton Manager of Communications/Public information Officer Michigan Department of Human Services 235 S. Grand Ave. Suite 1510 P.O. Box 30037 xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1893_4609_4611_2 Lansing, MI 48809 Phone: 517-373-4287 [email protected] www.michigan.gov/dhs

Angie Hendershot would like to interview someone from this office regarding what the State pays for SER towards water bills. Turn on fees and the like. ABC 12 is doing a story about the water issues in Flint and the piece their interested in now is about the cost of the water and how much it costs and why so many people are without water. Then what it costs to get the water back on. Do you want us to refer her to you or talk to her locally. | would have to discuss this with Sandi Mose, because SER is in her area. xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1893_4609_4611_3

Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Thanks, Brad. I'll let you know of any media inquiries. Sent from my iPhone

Hey, friends. Anticipating more coverage this week on Flint, want to make sure we are all looped in and on the same page. Treasury takes calls on funding and money and the EM. DEQ takes calls on water quality. Here’s what | can share about the water quality part. Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) are a byproduct of too much chlorine to kill organic material in a water supply. They are among the 80 toxins water suppliers monitor. They are considered a long-term health hazard. As such, they’re sampled from water systems every quarter. Systems are required to remain below 80 parts per billion on a yearly average (four quarters). Flint exceeded the average in the course of three quarters last year. Water system operators around the state periodically get a high result for TTHMs. When consecutive quarters of testing remain at high levels, it’s usually a sign that operators are using too much chlorine to address high levels of organic matter in their water source. This most frequently affects systems that use surface water as a source. And several municipal water systems around the state do use surface water (rivers) as a source. When a water system exceeds this standard, the operator gets a very formally worded violation notice from DEQ that says, effectively, “hey, your numbers are high. Alert your customers and figure out how you’re going to bring your numbers back down.” This is not as serious as a boil water advisory situation. But, the (think decades) long-term risk of drinking water with high TTHMs is an increased risk of exposure to cancer causing agents, so it’s not a situation that the state can accept as status quo. xxxEND_PAGE:treasury01_b27_4112_4389_126 Because TTHM is measured on an annual (quarterly) basis, it will take a couple quarters of clear results before the city’s average falls below the guidelines. This means Flint will probably be issuing another public notice about TTHM in March, despite that the high samples were late last summer. Flint’s numbers have dropped dramatically since the November testing and they’re presently in compliance with state drinking water standards. The water as it leaves the plant is clean, sanitary and safe. However, the water supply system is old, poorly maintained and many residents’ connections are also old and poorly maintained. Thus, some residents are experiencing water that smells off or is discolored. This is from the transmission system, not the production system. The three top issues appear to be a. Hard water interacting with cast iron pipes, causing water that looks rusty (and likely tastes a bit irony) b. Water sitting too long in the pipes because of valves not working properly or limited users in some sections of the system; or, c. Residents with old homes that have cast iron connections contributing to the hard water issue. So, how do we message this issue in light of the many variables at play? 1. Right now, water produced at the Flint plant is meeting state safe drinking water standards. 2. DEQ is aware that many residents have concerns about smell, color and other aesthetic qualities of their water. There are several potential causes for aesthetic water conditions. Residents with these concerns are encouraged to contact the City first to report problems. They also can contact the Michigan DEQ, but the City operates the system and needs to be alerted to concerns with their system to help document problem areas and prioritize improvements. 3. Total Trihalomethane (TTHM) is odorless and colorless. it is regarded as a long-term health concern. TTHM was included in the list of toxins screened under the Safe Drinking Water Act because of its potential for long-term potential health concerns. This is why it is only sampled quarterly. The water operator is required by law to notify residents when the annually averaged 2 xxxEND_PAGE:treasury01_b27_4112_4389_127 standard has been exceeded, and the system operator is required to take active steps to get back into compliance with the standard for TTHM. 4. Residents received notice because the law requires transparency and works to help ensure residents can make informed decisions. The notice residents received early this month is a totally separate issue from the water discoloration issues some residents are reporting. 5. The DEQ continues working with Flint Water system operators to ensure that residents receive water that complies with state drinking water standards. This system is tested regularly and rigorously, and the results are reported to customers as outlined in the Safe Drinking Water Act.