Virginia Tech researcher Dr. Marc Edwards is coming back to Flint.
Edwards’ team was the first to discover high levels of lead in Flint’s drinking water last summer. Earlier this month, Edwards announced his team was ending its probe of Flint's lead-tainted water.
Mayor Karen Weaver announced today that Edwards will oversee all water testing by the state and federal governments.
“He is fully independent. He will be reporting to me,” says Weaver.
Weaver adds that Edwards’ work will be paid for with “private donations.”
Meanwhile, the state plans to set up "sentinel" sites around Flint to check for lead contamination in the city’s drinking water.
A state official says preliminary data suggests lead levels are declining slightly.
