A clean, healthy glass of water is something we often take for granted. It is usually there when we need it.

But that has not been the case in Flint, Michigan.

The problem with the water there is lead. It is a heavy metal that can poison people. It can also affect the ways that children behave and learn.

Last fall, a doctor found high level of lead in the blood of children there. State health officials looked at the tests. They said he was right.

It is a scary time for the people of Flint. And the findings have also turned into a crisis for the state and its governor.

How did lead get into Flint’s water? The answer lies in an effort to save money.

Flint is located along the Flint River. It is about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. It is a poor city. In 2014, the state controlled its finances.

To cut costs, the state removed Flint from Detroit’s water system. Instead, Flint got its water from the Flint River. But the river water was more corrosive. That means it ate away at the inside of 15,000 water service lines. The lead in the lines then went into the water and people’s homes.

People also complained about the smell and taste of the water.

The change was supposed to last until a new pipeline was built from Lake Huron. That is where Detroit gets its water. But the state put Flint back on the Detroit water system in October after the lead findings.

11. There are still problems. Lead still leaks into the water lines, even when river water does not flow through them. It would cost $45 million to replace those lines.

Residents are angry with the state. They say it did not take their concerns about lead seriously at first.

An outside group formed to study the problem said that was true. It also said the state was wrong to not tell Flint to treat the river water for corrosion before it was used. The person in charge of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality was forced to leave.

Keith Creagh replaced that person. He said he does not know when the tap water will be OK to drink. He said more testing still needs to be done.

Rick Snyder is the governor of Michigan. He has declared a state of emergency in Flint.

16. “This is a crisis,” Snyder said. “So we are responding. There’s more work to be done.”

17. The state is giving water filters and bottled water to each household. It will also test people for lead if they request it. So far, that has cost the state more than $10 million.

It could soon ask for federal help.

News For You, January 27, 2016

Firefighters Sue Over Loud Sirens, Hearing Loss

Do you think fire truck sirens are too loud? Do you cover your ears when the trucks pass by? Imagine what it must be like to sit inside a fire truck. Thousands of current and former firefighters are suing over damage to their hearing.

About 4,400 firefighters nationwide have joined the lawsuit. They are suing Federal Signal Corp. The siren maker is based in Illinois. Firefighters claim Federal Signal could have done more to make siren noise safer for firefighters.

Firefighter Joseph Nardone, 73, is no longer working. But he remembers getting bad headaches from the siren on his truck.

The siren was so loud inside the cab that it actually physically hurt,” he said

More than 10 years after retiring, Nardone still feels the effects. He has lost some of his hearing. He has joined the nationwide lawsuit.

Lawyers for the firefighters say siren noise can reach 120 decibels. A decibel is a unit used to measure sound. The noise from a rock concert is about 120 decibels.

The lawsuit claims that Federal Signal could design sirens differently. It could direct noise away from where firefighters sit. It could shield them from the blasts of noise.

Federal Signal claims that doing so would put people at risk.  It says sirens are meant to warn drivers and people on the street that a fire truck is coming.

Accidents often involve vehicles that hit fire trucks from behind,” said David Duffy. He is the company’s lawyer.

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