FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
October 20, 2015
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Progress Michigan: MDEQ’s Wyant Needs to Go
The Flint water crisis shows a lack of leadership at the MDEQ
LANSING — In the wake of the Flint water crisis, where children across the city were poisoned with high levels of lead in the drinking water, Progress Michigan is calling for the ouster of the head of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Dan Wyant.
Recent reports show that Wyant and the MDEQ were warned by the Environmental Protection Agency as early as February that lead was leaching into the water pipes in Flint due to the corrosive nature of the Flint River water. Gov. Rick Snyder’s emergency manager made the switch from Detroit water to Flint River water.
“You can’t simply reshuffle some staff at the department to make up for poisoning thousands of Flint children. When families and kids are told their drinking water is safe and it’s actually filled with toxins, someone needs to be held accountable. It starts at the top with Wyant,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “He needs to resign immediately or Gov. Snyder needs to quickly show him the door. This crisis was allowed to fester and grow under his watch and Wyant needs to go. Families in Flint deserve to know that Gov. Snyder is taking this problem seriously and is willing to take serious action.”
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