Gov. Rick Snyder weighs in on water crisis recovery efforts
Michigan governor talks what is being done to fix the Flint water crisis on 'Fox & Friends'
The water supply in Flint, Mich., is so unsafe that the state attorney general Monday warned parents to keep their children far from it -- including a warning against bathing.
"I would certainly not bathe a newborn or infant in Flint water," Bill Schuette said during a news conference. He announced that a former prosecutor and a retired head of the Detroit FBI would play key roles in an independent investigation into the lead-tainted water.
Schuette said Todd Flood, a former assistant prosecutor for Wayne County, which includes Detroit, will spearhead Schuette's investigation and serve as special counsel. He'll be joined by Andy Arena, who led Detroit's FBI office from 2007 until 2012.
The cash-strapped city switched from Detroit's municipal water system and began drawing from the Flint River in 2014 to save money. The water wasn't properly treated to prevent lead from pipes from leaching into the supply. Residents have been urged to use bottled water and to put filters on faucets.
A bottled water company owned in part by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Mark Wahlberg pledged to donate 1 million bottles of water to Flint, and to continue sending bottles until the crisis is solved. The first delivery from AQUAhydrate is scheduled to arrive Wednesday.
Wahlberg and Combs first invested and became the face of the Los Angeles-based bottled water company in 2013. Rappers Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean have also pledged support and donations for Flint.
City officials have warned that flushing all the contaminants out of the water would take time, and replacing the damaged pipes would cost as much as $1.5 billion, a price tag they say they can't afford.
"We will do our job thoroughly and let the chips fall where they may... This investigation is about beginning the road back, to rebuild, regain and restore trust in government," Schuette added.
Flood, who currently is a lawyer in private practice handling both criminal and civil cases, said it's a "privilege to have this opportunity to serve." Arena currently heads the Detroit Crime Commission, a nonprofit aimed at reducing criminal activity. Both will report to Schuette.
"Flint families and Michigan families will receive a full and independent report of our investigation," Arena said.
Schuette, a Republican, announced Jan. 15 he would investigate what, if any, Michigan laws were violated in the process that led to the contamination.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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