FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The latest on the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan (all times local):
5:45 a.m.
Michigan’s attorney general says he plans to investigate Flint’s water crisis.
The announcement early Friday from the office of Bill Schuette says he’ll seek to determine what, if any, Michigan laws were violated. He says work on the investigation will begin immediately.
Schuette says in a statement that the situation in Flint “is a human tragedy in which families are struggling with even the most basic parts of daily life.”
Federal prosecutors said earlier this month they’re working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on an investigation into problems with lead in Flint’s water supply.
The announcement from Michigan’s attorney general comes just hours after Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced he’s asking President Barack Obama to issue an emergency and major disaster declaration.
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11:45 p.m.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is asking President Barack Obama to issue an emergency and major disaster declaration amid the Flint water crisis.
Snyder’s office said in a statement late Thursday night that it had asked for the declarations and is seeking additional federal aid for both individuals and public agencies involved in the effort to provide Flint residents with clean drinking water.
Flint’s tap water became contaminated with too much lead after the city switched its water supply in 2014 to save money while under state financial management. Local officials declared a public health emergency in October.
The statement says Snyder’s request will be reviewed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will advise the president on whether the declarations should be granted.