FLINT, MI — The Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives is marking the two-year anniversary of federal recognition of the Flint water crisis by calling for new investment in the nation’s infrastructure.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Tuesday, Jan. 16, two years after President Barack Obama issued an emergency declaration to address the water crisis, which she called a "disaster (that) sadly remains far from over."
Pelosi was part of a congressional delegation that visited Flint early in 2016 to access the emergency, which continues, her statement Tuesday said.
"Thousands of children are still required to drink bottled water, and countless families continue to live under a cloud of fear and uncertainty about the impacts of years of lead exposure," her statement says.
"The Americans caught in this unconscionable, man-made catastrophe continue to need critical services such as high-quality health care and educational services, as well as resources to continue monitoring the safety of their water supply and the health of their children."
The federal government provided Flint with resources, including $100 million in funding for water infrastructure improvements here, after the city ended its use of the Flint River as a drinking water source in October 2015.
Pelosi credited U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, for his attention to the water crisis, and said other water systems and infrastructure elsewhere also needs attention.
Kildee said in a statement that Flint still needs help, particularly from the state, as the city rebounds.
State officials, citing dropping levels of lead in Flint water during the past 18 months, have said they may reconsider state funding for bottled water in the near future.
In addition to funding for bottled water and other work in Flint, the state provided a $20 million match to federal funds for lead service line replacement and other infrastructure upgrades in the city.