Flint Firebirds president says testing for players could be considered

The young men playing hockey for the OHL's Flint Firebirds aren't suspected of having been exposed to any contaminated water, but their team president thinks it might be worth having them tested to be sure of that fact.

Costa Papista, the president of the Flint Firebirds, says the players on his team do not live in Flint itself and the water at the hockey arena has been tested and found to be lead-free.

• Flint water crisis: Windsor Spitfires deliver 66,000 bottles of water

• Flint's water crisis reflects history linking lead levels to race and poverty

But that doesn't mean he and the organization are not concerned about any risks posed to their players.

Asked whether his players will be tested to ensure they are lead-free, Papista said he would be consulting with the OHL on that possibility.

"I've actually thought about that and that's something I will speak with the Ontario Hockey League about because I think that certainly could be something that should be considered," he told CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive in an interview on Monday.

More than a dozen Ontarians are listed on the Firebirds' roster. Papista said all of the players on his team live in the suburbs of Michigan's Genesee County.

"Literally, none of our players live in the City of Flint," Papista said. "Most live in Grand Blanc, which is a community south of Flint, and in various communities that are outside the city and therefore are not receiving city water."

Papista said in these communities, the water is drawn through the Detroit water system.

The water crisis in Flint has drawn attention from media all over the world.

The city began drawing from the Flint River two years ago, in a bid to save money. Before that, it had used municipal water from Detroit.

But the water wasn't treated properly and it ended up becoming contaminated by lead. 

People living in the city, which lies more than 100 kilometres northwest of Windsor, Ont., are being advised to use bottled water and filters on their taps.