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Dan - | wanted to make sure you saw my message to Michigan LCV members (below) echoed in a column published in the Detroit Free Press yesterday. Please read, share and join me in calling for action >> It's going to take all of us to hold those responsible for what happened accountable and to find real short-term and long-term solutions. That's why | encourage you to help share this column far and wide — on social media and with your friends and family. Thank you. Lisa Dan - If you are outraged over our state government’s response to the water xxxEND_PAGE:deq18_b395_3318_3321_1 crisis in Flint, | am right there with you. The water crisis in Flint is a national disgrace and an abject failure of leadership. Children and families are sick and elected officials in Lansing are responsible. In Michigan—a state surrounded by 80% of our nation’s fresh water— communities have every right to believe that their drinking water is clean and safe. Instead, the citizens of one of our oldest urban centers have been poisoned by their tap water. Recent water testing found water fountains in multiple elementary schools in Flint with lead levels higher than national safety standards. One Flint elementary school even has levels approaching seven times the national maximum level for lead. Governor Rick Snyder has not yet said these words, but one thing is very clear: he and his administration made some huge mistakes. When the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said in July, “...Anyone who is concerned about lead in the drinking water in Flint can relax,” state officials brushed off a public health crisis that has gone on tocause irreparable damage. Governor Snyder’s recent call to reconnect Flint to Detroit water is the right thing to do, but it comes too late for the infants, children and pregnant women who've been unknowingly ingesting lead just by drinking their water. Lead poisoning is irreversible, causing developmental damage, learning difficulties and much more. That this has happened to potentially thousands of Michigan kids is unconscionable. Our state government is responsible for ensuring that safe, clean water is accessible to all—a seemingly basic task in the Great Lakes state. In Flint, they failed. xxxEND_PAGE:deq18_b395_3318_3321_2 As a result, families will be dealing with the effects of poisoned water for years to come. While there is no way to make up for the bad decisions and cover-up comments made to date, it is imperative that the state view the water pollution crisis in Flint as requiring both short-term and long-term solutions. Flint families will be dealing with the repercussions of poisoned water for years to come. Governor Snyder and his administration must certainly repair critical water infrastructure, but they must also help heal the ailing residents of the city, and restore the public trust that has understandably eroded. What happened in Flint could happen in countless other cities in Michigan relying on aging water infrastructure. It is time for Governor Snyder to take full responsibility for the Flint water crisis while also taking pro-active steps to ensure that this kind of public health crisis never happens again in Flint or anywhere else in the state of Michigan. This will mean much-needed investment and policy changes at both the state and federal levels, which will necessitate leadership and determination. As a Michigan LCV member, you understand that whom we elect matters. You and your fellow members also understand that, once elected, our decision-makers must be held accountable for their actions—for protecting our air and land and ensuring that every Michigan citizen has access to clean, safe drinking water. In this time of true water crisis, our work is more important than ever as we keep a close eye on the words, decisions and actions coming out of Lansing. Your support makes this possible. Thank you. Sincerely yours, Lisa Wozniak Executive Director, Michigan LCV xxxEND_PAGE:deq18_b395_3318_3321_3 sonprofit software Update Your Profile To Unsubscribe Click Here 3029 Miller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-222-9650 xxxEND_PAGE:deq18_b395_3318_3321_4