Congress Holds First Hearing Today on Lead Poisoning in Flint Water Supply
"Democracy Now!" airs weekdays at 9 a.m. PT on KCET.
Congress is holding its first hearing today on lead poisoning in the water supply of Flint, Michigan. The crisis began after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder switched the source of Flint's drinking water to the corrosive Flint River. Flint's former emergency manager, Darnell Earley, refused to testify at today's hearing despite a subpoena from the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. On Tuesday, Earley announced he was resigning from his current position as emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools. One person that will be testifying is Snyder's handpicked appointee to run the state Department of Environmental Quality, Keith Creagh. According to the Detroit Free Press, Creagh is expected to fault the federal Environmental Protection Agency for contributing to the Flint crisis, saying it "did not display the sense of urgency that the situation demanded."