Flint water crisis: governor could have declared federal disaster sooner, emails reveal

Rick Snyder previously said he became aware of severity of the lead problem on 1 October, but emails show he initially aimed to avoid a disaster declaration

Michigan governor Rick Snyder could have declared a federal disaster over the Flint water crisis months before he did, but instead acknowledged to his aides that he wanted to resolve the problem without a disaster declaration, according to emails released by his office on Saturday.

Snyder, who has previously said he became aware of the severity of Flint's lead problem on 1 October, has faced heavy criticism for waiting until January to seek federal assistance.