Governor's emails show debate over blame for Flint water

(AP) — A day after doctors reported high levels of lead in Flint children, Gov. Rick Snyder's top aide told him the "real responsibility" for the city's water issues rested with local government officials, emails show.

According to Muchmore's emails to Snyder, officials at the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services felt some people in Flint were trying to turn the lead issue into "a political football," claiming the agencies were underestimating the danger and trying to shift responsibility to the state.

Snyder aide Jarrod Agen told the governor on Dec. 28 that the task force's "harsh" verdict suggested that personnel changes at the environmental department scheduled for after the holidays should not wait.

[...] Wednesday, Snyder asked President Barack Obama to reconsider the denial of a federal disaster declaration to address the crisis, saying it poses an "imminent and long-term threat" to residents.

Obama declared an emergency — qualifying the city for $5 million — but concluded that the high lead levels are not a disaster based on the legal requirement that disaster money is intended for natural events such as fires or floods.

The lead— which can lead to behavior problems and learning disabilities in children and kidney ailments in adults — has left Flint residents unable to drink unfiltered tap water.

The Michigan House on Wednesday approved Snyder's request for $28 million more in the short term to pay for more filters, bottled water, school nurses and testing and monitoring — on top of $10.6 million allocated in the fall.