D14 / SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2016 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
The mistakes made
Snyder’s inner circle knew of concerns They are not saying what, if anything, they told the governor about lead in the water as residents pleaded for help
By Ron Fonger
rfonger1@mlive.com
Before the first faucet filter was installed in Flint and before Virginia Tech researchers ever tested the water here, Laura Sullivan and other Flint residents warned some of Gov. Rick Snyder’s closest advisers that their water wasn’t just unpleasant — it was poisoning them. “It was all about lead,” Sullivan, a Kettering University professor said of the July 22, 2015, meeting, which brought Flint’s water crisis right to the governor’s doorstep months before he has said he understood the depth of the threat to people’s health. That meeting was just one of Pastor David Bullock holds a bottle of Flint water Jan. 14, 2016, as Michigan State Police maintain a barrier to keep protestors out of the Romdozens of missed opportunities ney Building, which houses Gov. Rick Snyder’s office Lansing. (Jake May | MLive.com) for Snyder and his administration to fix Flint water in far less than the 17 months when lead was allowed to leach from underground pipes filled with corrosive Flint River water. The governor now says he mistakenly trusted assessments of the situation from the state Department of Environmental Quality, which showed lead contamination was on the rise — but still within legal thresholds. And, even as residents felt Laura Sullivan, Kettering UniverOffice of Urban and Metropolitan Dennis Muchmore, Snyder’s forAri Adler, Snyder’s press secretary they were making progress sity professor Initiatives Director Harvey Hollins mer chief of staff in reaching Snyder, particularly at the July meeting with Harvey travel and meetings Hollins, the direcbut we cannot discuss tor of Michigan’s specific items on the Office of Urban governor’s schedule,” and Metropolitan Adler said in an email Initiatives, and the to MLive. governor’s Chief Melissa Mays, who of Staff Dennis participated in the Muchmore, they July and August meetsaid their concerns ings with Hollins and SNYDER’S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF DENNIS MUCHMORE IN AN EMAIL TO seemed to be pushed Muchmore over lead HARVEY HOLLINS, THE DIRECTOR OF MICHIGAN’S OFFICE OF URBAN AND METROPOLITAN INITIATIVES aside by the DEQ’s in Flint’s water, also leading drinking spoke with a bullhorn water experts in a folon the front lawn low-up meeting just a of Flint City Hall on few weeks later. July 10, pointing out State officials didn’t dig deeper “As I understand it, the reason the issue of lead in the water was not another protester who was comto find that protesters were right plaining of lead poisoning. and that water testing by the city “Copper and lead well over the taken directly to the Governor is because every time staff in the was flawed from the start, partly maximum level ... .” she said at Governor’s Office raised questions with the DEQ, they were being told because it failed to target homes the time. “I would like to know at the highest risk of lead conwhy our governor is too busy” to the situation either was not as presented (lead in the water) or was tamination, and likely underestimeet us. mated the extent of the problem, Mays said she came to one being taken care of.” which was allowed to continue. meeting with Muchmore and Instead, the DEQ attempted Hollins on Aug. 5 and attempted ARI ADLER, GOV. RICK SNYDER’S PRESS SECRETARY, IN AN EMAIL TO MLIVE to discredit outside testing by to share a map of the city showVirginia Tech that showed one ing where high lead levels had in five homes exceeded the on what — if anything — they poor water quality and the conwater has been a character trait been registered as well as photos U.S. Environmental Protection told the governor about lead in cerns about lead, Sullivan said. of the governor, who spends little of Flint residents’ rashes and Agency lead action limit of 15 water. “Harvey (Hollins) echoed” time on issues he doesn’t care skin reactions to the water. parts per billion. “I’d rather focus on solving the what the chief of staff said. about. One DEQ executive refused to Sullivan said she left the problem than responding to comMeetings between Muchmore, That made it possible Snyder look at the information, she said, July meeting with Hollins and ments I haven’t seen,” Muchmore Hollins and Flint citizens conwasn’t focused on issues that and Muchmore said in an email Muchmore, two key aides in said in an email to MLive. tinued after E.coli and elevated caused concern among others in to Hollins a day later that Flint the Governor’s Office, believing Snyder’s former chief of staff levels of total trihalomethanes the administration. people were refusing the “accept they would not only bring Flint’s resigned his position earlier this (TTHM) were found in Flint tap “I don’t know if he chooses not the factual information.” water problems to Snyder’s year and now is a registered lob- water after the city started using to know or didn’t care to know or “We can’t do too many more attention, they would advocate byist who works for the Detroitriver water without phosphates if they have a structure where it of these,” Muchmore said of the for help. based Honigman law firm. in April 2014. just doesn’t get to him,” Ananich meetings. “The three activists in But Snyder’s Press Secretary Hollins, who did not respond The Rev. Allen Overton, a passaid. the room just want to be right, Ari Adler said the advisers never to a request for an interview with tor from the city who attended Despite being from Flint and they don’t want answers. No matdelivered the message. MLive, said in an email he was the meetings, said he also serving as Senate minority ter what we say they’ll always “The information did not get to first made aware of lead conbelieved Snyder was being given leader, Ananich said he has never want something else to be the the governor,” he said. “Key staff cerns “by a few residents in Flint information from residents wor- had more than a passing conanswer.” were asking the (DEQ) and being sometime in late May 2015 and I ried about lead in addition to versation with Snyder about the Adler said the role of an executold it was not a problem.” referred them to the DEQ.” whatever was delivered by the Flint water crisis. tive office staff — whether it’s Adler said there is no standard He said he coordinated a DEQ. Others also failed to get the public sector or private sector operating procedure for when meeting between residents and “I’m tired of secrecy around governor’s attention when they — often is to address problems cabinet members elevate conMuchmore in July. the governor” about what he carried signs, chanted, and so they don’t need to be elevated cerns to Snyder. Hollins said he learned about knew about community concerns marched in Flint and Lansing to the top person in an organiza“As I understand it, the reason a potential connection between about lead in water, said Overton, throughout 2015 about Flint’s tion. the issue of lead in the water Flint water and a Legionnaires’ who added he was assured by water problems. But Adler said “there is change was not taken directly to the disease outbreak in Flint in a Muchmore and Hollins that When three dozen citizen underway in the Governor’s Governor is because every time DEQ email in March 2015. those concerns were being activists reached out directly to Office and it is the change we are staff in the Governor’s Office “I assumed others would relayed to Snyder. Snyder in June 2015, asking in a seeking in all state departments raised questions with the DEQ, inform the Governor but looking Overton’s group was eventuletter that he attend a meeting to at all levels. they were being told the situation back now it is clear that was not ally given 1,500 lead-clearing discuss water issues, including In a letter to state employees either was not as presented (lead the case,” his email said. water filters from a private donor contamination in Flint, the govlast month, Snyder called on in the water) or was being taken Sullivan and others said they — a gift arranged by the goverernor’s scheduling office thanked them to bring to his attention any care of,” Adler told MLive in an held out hope that Muchmore nor’s office, which also told pasthe group but said he would be situation they feel threatens the email. would help them reach the govtors to remain quiet about where unable to attend on July 10 due to health or safety of the people of Hollins’ notes from the meeternor. the filters came from. conflicts. Michigan. ings with residents, part of In 2015 emails released by the “The first time I mentioned The governor was scheduled “No one should assume anyrecords released by the state state, Muchmore predicted in lead to them might have been to attend the grand opening thing anymore,” Adler said in an regarding the water crisis, show an email to staff and Treasury around May ... No doubt about ceremony for an Italian-based email. “We do not simply accept those concerns, noting “excess Department officials “real trouit (in July),” Overton said. “They automotive parts manufacturing the first answer to our questions levels of chlorine, increases the ble” if complaints about Flint’s told me, find a filter ... to get the company in Plymouth, accordif the answers don’t feel right PH levels (and) metallic decomwater quality weren’t addressed lead out, even though the DEQ ing to a schedule released by his or don’t sound complete. And position of iron, copper and lead.” and warned that residents felt was telling them” it wasn’t neces- office at the time. we never assume that everyone Snyder told members of dismissed by the state’s response sary. Snyder also signed a bill that that needs to be in the loop on an Congress in March that he never to water problems. State Sen. Jim Ananich, a Flint day that brought an end to state issue is in fact in the loop without learned the DEQ had under-esti“I was a little surprised Democrat and the minority lead- incentives for filmmakers. double-checking. It is far better mated lead dangers until Oct. 1, Muchmore seemed sincerely er in the Michigan Senate, said “In checking on Gov. Snyder’s for someone to hear about some2015, and Muchmore declined a concerned and I might say surpart of the problem in getting the schedule for that date, it appears thing three times than to not request from MLive to comment prised” about the information on governor’s attention about Flint he did have a day packed with hear about it at all.”
““The The ... ... a activists ctivists iin n tthe he room room jjust ust want want tto ob be e right, right, they they d don’t on’t w want ant a answers. nswers. No No matter matter what what we we say say they’ll they’ll always always want want something e something else lse to to b be e the the a answer.” nswer.”