In a photo from Jan. 2, 2016, Rabecka Cordell picks up a case of bottled water outside the fire station in Flint, Mich. “We both have lead poisoning,” said Cordell, who learned that two weeks ago from her doctor. She says she has leukemia and her son has learning and speech disabilities. She will not even bathe in Flint water and won’t wash her son in it. (AP Photo/Roger Schneider)

Shame: State Workers In Flint Got Clean Water Over A Year Ago

Adam Ciminello January 29, 2016 Corruption 1 Comment 139 Views

According to newly released documents obtained by Progress Michigan, state employees in Flint were provided coolers with bottled water in January of 2015 in response to growing concerns about the quality of drinking water in the area.

The notice shown in the image above was issued months before Michigan state officials first demonstrated any public awareness of the problem.

Via The Atlantic:

Six months later, in July, Dennis Muchmore, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s former chief of staff, wrote an email to a health official in which he expressed frustration that Flint residents “are basically getting blown off by us” over their concerns about the water. That was still two months before a lead advisory was issued in Flint when researchers found high lead levels in the residents’ bloodstreams.

At this point, as noted by Bryce Covert at Think Progress, residents were finally told “not to drink the water and a public health emergency was declared by the Genesee County Health DEpartment in October.” It would still take a full two additional months for the City of Flint to declare a State of Emergency.