Paul Egan

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- State lawmakers moved quickly Wednesday on Gov. Rick Snyder’s request for a $28.-million supplemental appropriation to assist Flint in its drinking water crisis.

The House Appropriations Committee approved the bill 29-0 at a morning hearing and chairman Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, said he expected the bill to pass the full house Wednesday.

Pscholka said the funding is a high priority for him and complained that an earlier mark attributed to him that there would be "no blank check" for Flint had been taken out of context, particularly on social media. He said the "blank check" reference was part of an 11-minute interview in which he expressed sympathy for Flint families and supported taking action but added: "There is no such thing as a blank check."

House Bill 5220 now moves to the full House. The funding, if approved by the Legislature, will come from the 2015-16 budget.

“Medium- and long-term needs are still being assessed and will be addressed in a future supplemental request,” state Budget Director John Roberts said Tuesday in a letter to the leadership in the House and Senate.

The $28 million, mostly from the state’s general fund, includes:

$17.2 million for bottled water, water filters and replacement cartridges; field operation costs for the Department of Health and Human Services; epidemiological analysis and case management for individuals with elevated blood levels; nutrition support and community education; support for child and adolescent health centers, assessment of potential linkages to other diseases, food inspections and crisis counseling.

$5.7 million for water system needs, potential payment to the city of Flint to aid with utility issues, lab and testing costs, corrosion control procedures and an infrastructure integrity study using outside experts.

$2 million to help pay for the replacement of plumbing fixtures in schools, child care and adult foster care centers, nursing homes, dialysis centers and surgery centers in Flint.

$2 million to address funding needs for the Michigan National Guard’s role in providing support to the residents of Flint.

$935,000 for the hiring of nine additional school nurses for the Flint school district and funding to the Genesee Intermediate School District to hire two early service coordinators, a psychologist and a health professional to coordinate wraparound services for students and provide fresh fruits and vegetables to elementary students in Genesee County.

$100,000 for the Michigan State Police to pay for the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee.

Drinking water in Flint was contaminated with lead starting in April 2014 when the city, while under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, switched the source of supply from Lake Huron water supplied by the City of Detroit to Flint River water treated at the Flint city treatment plant. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials have acknowledged they made a mistake when they failed to require needed corrosion control chemicals to be added to the water.

As a result, lead leached from pipes and fixtures into the drinking water and test showed lead levels spiked in the blood of some Flint children. Although the city switched back to Detroit water in October, officials say the potential for harm continues because of damage done to Flint's water distribution infrastructure.

Blood tests are not considered a reliable indicator of lead exposure because lead only stays in the blood a relatively short time before being excreted or absorbed into the body.

Tests show safe or undetectable lead levels in the drinking water received by many Flint customers, but state health officials have advised residents not to drink the water without filtering it or having it tested for lead.

Snyder declared a state of emergency on Jan. 5 and called out the National Guard to assist with water and filter distribution on Jan. 12. President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency on Saturday, but denied Snyder's request for declaration of a federal disaster, normally reserved for natural disasters. Snyder is appealing that denial. A federal disaster declaration would make more federal funding available.

The supplemental request for the 2015-16 budget year is on top of $9.35 million the Legislature appropriated in October to help Flint reconnect to the Detroit water system, which draws from Lake Huron, and pay for bottled water and other needed items.

Snyder said more money will be needed and officials said they are reworking the 2016-17 budget request Snyder will present on Feb. 10, to accommodate the Flint crisis.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.