The Legislature approved a 122-day
extension of the State of Emergency in Genesee County and Flint on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive) told reporters his
understanding is that this will be the last extension. This extension allows Genesee
County and Flint to continue to apply and receive state and federal aid.
In the Senate, Senator Hoon-Yung
Hopgood (D-Taylor) attempted to adopt 11 amendments to the Senate’s Department
of Environmental Quality proposal to give more money and resources to Flint.
Only one amendment cleared and it related to water quality issues outside of
Flint. The amendment required a study by the department on the long-term
effects of perfluorinated compounds after the chemicals spilled from
now-decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair
Senator Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell) commented he wants to handle the situation
in Flint outside of the budget. He added the Legislature has appropriated three
separate budget bills thus far, totaling $68 million in emergency funding.
Senator Hildenbrand also voiced his
commitment to pursuing SB
777. SB 777 is a supplemental appropriations bill that would provide $126.7
million in revenue for six state budget areas in response to the crisis. Despite
House Speaker Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant) saying he does not intend to take
up any more supplemental appropriations, Senator Hildenbrand expressed the
committee will continue to pursue additional resources.
Health and Human Services Director Nick
Lyon and Environmental Quality Interim Director Keith Creagh appeared before
the U.S. House hearing on the crisis on Wednesday. Mr. Lyon and Mr. Creagh were
up before the subcommittees of Energy and Commerce Committee. Unlike the other
two hearings, this one saw no intense questioning.
Director Lyon was asked about lead in
the water and what the state is doing now to fix it. No questions were asked
regarding Legionnaire’s disease or state action at the time of the breakout.
Committee members instead pressed Joel Beauvais, deputy assistant administrator
in the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on a date
for a revised Lead and Copper Rule. The agency is expected to release a
proposal in 2017, to which Representative Fred Upton (R-Saint Joseph) commented
that is too far off and would like to see the proposal sooner.