LANSING — Tomorrow, the House Natural Resources Committee will be taking up a package of legislation that would address water quality testing throughout the state. House Bill 4124, introduced by state Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint) would establish water testing and interventions for lead testing in schools and child care centers. Other bills in the package include House Bills 4120, 4378, 4372, 4379, 6081, and 6082. In response, Rep. Neeley issued the following statement:
“It has been four years since the beginning of a water crisis in my city, the signs of which can still be seen clearly throughout our community. The people of Flint are still under a public health emergency and are advised to boil their water before using it. Schools and child care centers throughout the city rely on bottled water to get through the day. These bills would be a critical step toward ensuring that when this resource is unsafe for folks throughout our state — especially the most vulnerable among us, including our children — we can act on it swiftly.
“For more than a year and a half, these bills to address serious water concerns shared in every corner of the state have sat untouched. I am pleased that this significant bill package is finally moving forward, as it represents another important step in the healing process for the people of Flint, and in prevention efforts to ensure our state never allows another humanitarian tragedy like this to happen again.”
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