Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) was back home in Flint Thursday to see how the city is continuing to recover from its ongoing water crisis.
Kildee visited a community water distribution site, where Flint residents can get free water bottles, filters and testing kits.
This week, the EPA signed off on a plan to forgive the city a nearly $21 million federal loan for drinking water assistance.
Kildee says that gives the city of Flint more flexibility.
“They can reduce water rates so that they don’t have to pay back that amount, or they can redirect those resources into improvements to the water system,” he says. “So, it’s a big step in the right direction. It’s almost like a $20 million grant.”
Kildee says he remains concerned about the Trump administration’s proposal to impose deep funding cuts on the EPA.
In July, Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell introduced a bill to prevent the closure of the agency’s regional office in Chicago, which has jurisdiction in Michigan.