Federal regulators say state and city officials still aren’t doing enough to fix problems that caused lead contamination in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan.
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In 2009, the city started replacing old water pipelines that are over a century old, and according to CityLab writer Laura Bliss, 80% of Chicago residents receive water from pipes that date before 1986 when lead pipes were banned.
The toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan has increased public scrutiny of the quality of drinking water across the US.
In a letter to the MI department of environmental quality (MDEQ), Mark Pollins, director of the EPA’s water enforcement division, said Flint has “not yet demonstrated that it has an adequate number of qualified personnel” to ensure safe drinking water standards are maintained. For lead to be a cause of concern, 10 percent of the samples the city tests have to contain lead.
“In the meantime, we look forward to continuing our collaborative work with the EPA to ensure that Flint water is safe to drink and that the proper regulatory support is in place”, DEQ spokeswoman Melanie Brown said by email.
The mayor’s response underscored that the city could face tight scrutiny over its handling of the crisis, after much of the blame had previously fallen on state officials.
The Flint River water was more corrosive than the Detroit water that Flint’s pipes were created to carry, and Flint’s new water treatment plant failed to add anti-corrosive chemicals to prevent the water from damaging water mains and waterline connections.
Our goal in – partnership with the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village – is to provide water for Flint residents until the water crisis is resolved. A state of emergency has been declared in Flint.
The next day, Creagh disputed whether McCarthy’s agency had the legal authority to require a state to take the actions outlined in the directive. If the EPA discovers that a water provider isn’t in compliance with the law, it needs to notify the state and the water company and provide them assistance.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson led hundreds of protesters Friday to the Flint water treatment plant, which the civil rights leader referred to as a “crime scene”.
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Jackson was accompanied by ministers from the group Concerned Pastors for Social Action; Judge Greg Mathis, a syndicated television personality; and Flint mother and activist Melissa Mays. A failure to treat the water properly led to it corroding lead pipes, resulting in lead leaching into drinking water.
