President Barack Obama Allocates $80 Million For Aid In Flint Water Crisis

Over 8,000 children have been exposed to the lead-filled water in Flint, Mich. The instance reached its peak earlier this month, with organizations and people alike finding solutions to fix this crisis.

Now, President Barack Obama has allocated $80 million in federal funding to further remedy the emergency health issue, NewsOne reports. The water was treated and stored in a treatment plant, the Detroit Water and Sewage Department, as a means to cut costs during their switch to another pipeline from Lake Huron. However, the water became contaminated with lead, which was brought to city officials’ attention by the residents of Flint since 2014.

The poisonous water has disrupted young children’s nervous system, something that Obama lightly touched on while in attendance at a U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. “Our children should not have to be worried about the water that they’re drinking in American cities, that’s not something that we can accept,” Obama said.

Since this news, many people have acted quickly to send bottles of water to Flint’s residents, also prompting Big Sean, a Detroit native, to launch #HealFlintKids which focuses on treating those affected by the water.