Todd Spangler

Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON — Nearly four months after declaring an emergency in Flint due to high levels of lead in the drinking water, President Barack Obama will travel to the beleaguered Michigan city next Wednesday to see for himself the effects caused by lead contamination and assess the local, state and federal response to the public health crisis.

Early Wednesday, a White House official confirmed that Obama would visit Flint on May 4 to “hear firsthand from Flint residents about the public health crisis, receive an in-person briefing on the federal efforts in place … and deliver remarks to community members.”

Gov. Rick Snyder may not be part of President Obama's Flint visit

No other details such as the time of day of the visit or public access to any of the presidential events in Flint were immediately made available by the White House, though part of the impetus for Obama's visit to the city — a request by 8-year-old Amariyanna Copeny to meet him earlier this year — was.

The White House released a letter written to the president in mid-March by Amariyanna, who goes by Mari or "Little Miss Flint," describing herself as “one of the children … effected (sic) by this water” as she was planning to go to Washington to attend congressional hearings on Flint and "speak out for all the kids that live here."

"I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife,” Mari wrote, adding, “My mom said chances are you will be to(o) busy with important things but … even just a meeting from you or your wife would really lift people’s spirits.”

While no meeting occurred at the time, this week, Obama wrote back, saying, “You’re right that presidents are often busy, but the truth is, in America, there is no more important title than citizen. And I’m so proud of you for using your voice to speak out on behalf of the children of Flint.”

“That’s why I want you to be the first to know that I’m coming to Flint,” he added. “I want to make sure people like you and your family are receiving the help you need and deserve.”

"Letters from kids like you are what make me so optimistic for the future," Obama wrote. "I hope to meet you next week, 'Little Miss Flint.'"

On Twitter, Mari's mom posted the White House announcement of the visit, saying, "Mari did that!!!"

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, who represents the area in Congress, said the president's visit will help to keep focus on Flint as the crisis continues. Residents have been warned to drink bottled or filtered water there now for months, even as Michigan members of Congress have pleaded for funding to replace aging lead service lines in Flint.

“All Americans should be focused on the ongoing public health emergency," Kildee said. "A city of 100,000 people continues to not have safe drinking water and has been exposed to high levels of lead. As a nation, and as Americans, we must come together to help Flint families recover from this terrible tragedy.”

In the state Senate in Lansing, Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, praised Obama for deciding to visit and said he was "so proud of children like Mari Copeny for being Flint's strongest champions, as well as our best hope for a bright future.”

Obama declared an emergency in Flint in January after state officials made the request, noting a significant increase in lead levels in residents’ tap water across the city, which is one of Michigan’s poorest. Since then, several federal agencies have been on the ground in Flint, helping to distribute water and water filters as well as working to monitor the health effects, especially on children. There is no level of lead considered safe for humans.Meanwhile, it was not immediately known if Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder — whose administration has taken much of the blame for the circumstances that led to the high levels of lead in the water in Flint — would attend events with the president in Flint.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has taken the brunt of the blame for the high lead levels in Flint after not requiring corrosion control treatments when the city switched from Lake Huron water supplied by Detroit to more corrosive Flint River water in 2014. Without the corrosion control, lead apparently leached from miles of old lead pipes throughout the city into residents’ water.

The state, city and federal agencies have been attempting to reduce lead levels since last year, but it was only early this year when the full scope of the problem became international news, with a series of congressional hearings being held, investigations launched and, last week, two state bureaucrats and a city water manager being charged criminally in Michigan.

Obama met with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver in January and during a visit to Detroit that month also told CBS News in an interview that the handling of the Flint water crisis was “inexcusable.”

Weaver, who has pressed aggressive plans for replacing old lead service lines through the city, called it "encouraging" to know that Obama remains concerned about the situation in Flint, especially since she and others have called for more aid from both the state legislature and Congress, where efforts to secure funding by the Michigan delegation have not yet succeeded.

"I’m glad he’s taking time out of his busy schedule to come here and talk to residents himself. I also plan to speak with the president about what’s happened here and what hasn’t happened to help us recover from this water crisis," Weaver said. "I hope that his visit will show our leaders at the state and federal level how important this issue is."

"My hope is that, as the president shows he hasn’t forgotten about Flint, others in the Michigan Legislature and in Congress will take steps to show they haven’t forgotten, either."

Contact Todd Spangler at 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.