The water crisis that has left thousands with lead-poisoned water in Flint, Michigan is making its way to the Senate floor.
Democratic Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan plan to introduce an amendment Thursday related to the Flint crisis to the bipartisan energy bill under debate this week. Peters declined to give details Wednesday evening, saying it was still a “work in progress.”
Aides said specifics of the amendment would be released Thursday.
The amendment is meant to address the drinking water crisis that’s engulfed Michigan and been linked to serious health problems in thousands of Flint residents.
Peters and Stabenow, along with Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee, announced separate legislation Wednesday that would require the EPA to notify residents of any danger from lead in their water system and to release results of any lead monitoring conducted by public-water systems. The bill, Stabenow said, would give the federal government “clear legal authority to provide notice to the public when a state is not taking action on a public-health-safety crisis."
The EPA had been aware of elevated lead levels in the Flint water supply as early as April, but a regional official stayed silent because she was unsure if she could force legal action. Region 5 administrator Susan Hedman, who oversees the Midwest, resigned her post last week over the incident.