LANSING — This week, Gov. Rick Snyder announced that the drinking water advisory for Parchment due to PFAS contamination in their water supply had been lifted only weeks after being issued. Today, he joined officials from the state Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Farm Bureau to announce he would be pursuing a series of policy changes to address PFAS issues throughout the state. In response, state Rep. Sheldon A. Neeley (D-Flint) issued the following statement:
“Gov. Snyder is late to the party in his outrage and concern over Michigan’s water quality. What’s more, I am extremely appalled by the severe contrast in his administration’s response to water issues in Parchment compared to those in a community of color. When a city like Parchment was in trouble his administration sprang into action — yet it took two years of citizen outcry in Flint for him or Attorney General Schuette to even acknowledge a problem existed. Even this week, students in Detroit had their water turned off because of unsafe lead and copper levels, and Gov. Snyder has been silent, sending the message that he cares more about certain parts of the state than others.
“The governor’s announcements this week are attempts to distract from his dismal record on water safety and public health in the final months of what has ultimately been a failed administration. Gov. Rick Snyder has consistently gutted funding for local communities while giving huge handouts to wealthy foreign corporations — his credibility is nonexistent when it comes to his sudden concern for fixing our infrastructure. At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words, and this administration has made it abundantly clear where they stand.”
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