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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS TO ALLEVIATING THE WATER CRISIS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN
WHEREAS, the drinking water of the City of Flint, Michigan became contaminated with lead in April 2014, during a period wherein the city was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager; and,
WHEREAS, that state-appointed emergency manager, in an effort to cut costs, made a decision to temporarily draw Flint's water from the Flint River instead of Lake Huron; and,
WHEREAS, in drawing Flint's water from the Flint River, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has conceded that it failed to treat that water with the chemicals needed to ensure that water's safety, thereby causing lead to leach from pipes and fixtures into Flint's drinking water; and,
WHEREAS, the presence of lead in Flint's drinking water has led to a public health crisis, resulting in 8,657 children being exposed to lead; and,
WHEREAS, children are more susceptible to lead poisoning than adults; and,
WHEREAS, the People of Flint continue to deal with restrictions on access to water and health concerns, and the ongoing crisis has seized the attention of the nation; and,
WHEREAS, in Cook County, many residents have shown exemplary citizenship by stepping forward to assist the residents of Flint, Michigan in their hour of need; and,
WHEREAS, Chicago firefighter Eric Washington organized a team of friends to collect donations of bottled water for the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, Firefighter Washington created a web page with the website GoFundMe hoping to raise some money in order to buy bottled water for residents of Flint, Michigan, and ultimately raised $17,000.00; and,
WHEREAS, in addition to the money raised through GoFundMe, Firefighter Washington continued to collect bottled water in person for the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, Firefighter Washington has stated ...
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