FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
February 10, 2016
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Snyder’s Deception in Flint Water Crisis Continues
Governor ordered MDEQ to withhold lead test results from local officials
MICHIGAN — According to emails obtained by the Flint Journal, in October 2015, Governor Rick Snyder instructed the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to withhold lead testing results, including those from a Flint elementary school, from local county health officials as his administration attempted to find the best way to present the information to the public.
“If there was any question as to whether the Snyder administration was more concerned about their public image or public health, this should provide a definitive answer,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Damage from lead poisoning is irreversible. Delaying the decision to alert the community to high levels of lead in their water for even a day is too long. The decision to delay the release of critical lead test information is a decision that children and families in Flint will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Snyder needs to confirm if this allegation is true and should release all emails from his administration immediately.”
###