Snyder Wants Toughest Lead Rule in U.S.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, whose administration presided over the lead poisoning of Flint, endorsed guidelines on Friday that would be the toughest on water contamination by lead in the country. A proposal by the Flint Interagency Coordinating Committee would limit lead to 10 parts per billion in drinking water by 2020; the Environmental Protection Agency considers 15 parts per billion the danger level. "It’s dumb and dangerous and in Michigan we aren’t going to wait for the federal government to fix it anymore,” Snyder said. The Detroit Free Press notes that lead levels above 5 parts for billion are dangerous, especially for young children. The federal rules allow elevated levels in no more than 10 percent of sample taps.