Michigan Legislature Sends $100M In Federal Funding To Flint
LANSING (WWJ/AP) - The Michigan Legislature is sending Flint $100 million in federal funding to address the water crisis.
Then-President Barack Obama and Congress approved the aid in December. State lawmakers voted Thursday to officially pass the money along to Flint.
The federal funding requires a $20 million state match, which will be provided from funding already authorized last year.
The new money will be used to replace corroded pipes that leached lead and to update aging water mains and infrastructure. Water meters will be replaced and an engineering study will be done.
Looking ahead, Flint Mayor Weaver is recommending the city stay permanently tapped into Detroit's water system — and pull out of a regional deal that had been planned.
"It used to be DSWD and now it's Great Lakes — we're back there — we don't want to go through the process of having that anxiety and fear when you switch water sources so we're ready to stay right where we are," Weaver told WWJ's Jon Hewett last week.
This week marked the three-year anniversary of the city's fateful switch to using the Flint River for municipal water while under state management. Residents are still using water filters or bottled water.
© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
