The White House says Governor Rick Snyder can expect a response soon to his request for emergency assistance to help Flint with the water crisis. The governor made the request late yesterday.
The request says Flint needs federal assistance on top of what the state and the city can do. The city’s water was contaminated with lead after state-appointed emergency managers carried out a decision to temporarily rely on the Flint River for tap water.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about the request.
“There’s a lot that’s already going on in Flint, but, obviously, it’s a request that the governor has made through the formal process and it’s a request that we’ll consider expeditiously.”
Earnest says federal emergency management teams are in Flint already to help connect state and local agencies to existing resources. He says FEMA has also donated bottled water from its stockpiles.