|
 Michigan Governor Rick Snyder had asked the president to declare
both an emergency and an expedited major disaster in Genesee County
to protect the safety of Flint residents.
Obama is authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
coordinate disaster relief efforts there, the White House said in a
statement.
The action is being taken to "lessen or avert the threat of a
catastrophe in Genesee County," it said.
Snyder sent the Michigan National Guard to distribute bottled water
and other supplies in the area earlier this week.
 A financially struggling city, Flint was under control of a
state-appointed emergency manager when it switched its source of tap
water from Detroit's system to the nearby Flint River in April 2014
to save money.
[to top of second column] |
Flint, which is about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Detroit,
returned to using that city's water in October after tests found
elevated levels of lead in the water and in the blood of some
children.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Ben Klayman in Detroit;
Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
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