President Barak Obama is scheduled to visit Flint on Wednesday, and Governor Rick Snyder said today that he has formally asked to meet with the president and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver during the visit.
Snyder said it would be an opportunity to discuss at the highest level how to best support Flint.
“How can we all work together to make Flint a stronger, better community and address the water question as much as possible,” said Snyder.
Snyder said a meeting would be a continuation of the good partnership that’s been going on between state and federal environmental and health agencies.
Snyder said he expects Medicaid to be expanded next week to an additional 15,000 children and pregnant women in Flint who may have been exposed to lead in their drinking water.
He said a state House appropriations committee approved the funding last week, and a state Senate panel is likely to do the same this week.
“So I look forward to that getting done and starting enrollment next Monday the 9th,” Snyder said.
The Obama administration approved Snyder’s request for the Medicaid expansion two months ago. But it also needs the approval of the state Legislature.
Snyder wants people to know that it’s safe to drink Flint water that’s been filtered. But he said he doesn’t want to speculate about when it will be safe to drink unfiltered water in Flint.
“Obviously, all of us would like to see that happen as soon as possible,” said Snyder. “But it has to be done in the context of good scientific and medical evidence that it’s safe.”
Snyder is urging residents to run their faucets for five minutes a day for two weeks. The goal is to flush the pipes and re-coat them with anti-corrosion chemicals.
Snyder said after that, there will be another round of testing.
