Watchdog says lack of EPA oversight helped cause ‘catastrophic’ Flint water crisis

Placards posted above water fountains warn against drinking the water at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Michigan, May 4, 2016.

(CNN) — A report from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General strongly criticizes the local, state and federal government’s response to the Flint water crisis in 2015 and 2016.

The report claims that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality failed to comply with two Lead and Copper Rule requirements, and that the EPA issued an emergency order seven months after it had the "authority and sufficient information" to do so, according to a news release from the EPA OIG’s office.

"While oversight authority is vital, its absence can contribute to a catastrophic situation," EPA Inspector General Arthur A. Elkins said in a news release. "This report urges the EPA to strengthen its oversight of state drinking water programs now so that the agency can act quickly in times of emergency."

An ineffective partnership The report faults both the state and local governments for their handling of the crisis individually, but the partnership between the two also played a large role in the delayed response to Flint, according to the report. As early as 2010, the […]

Full article: Watchdog says lack of EPA oversight helped cause ‘catastrophic’ Flint water crisis

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