Mich. AG Files Charges Against Firms Over Water Crisis: ‘They Failed Miserably In Their Job’
The companies face civil charges of professional negligence and public nuisance. In other news, Milwaukee gets a $1 million loan to replace the lead water pipes and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wants federal regulators to determine if PFOA should be banned.
The Washington Post:
Michigan Attorney General Charges Firms He Claims ‘Botched’ Work On Flint Water
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) on Wednesday filed civil charges against two engineering firms that he said “botched” their work on Flint’s water supply system, contributing to the city’s ongoing lead-polluted water crisis. The complaint filed Wednesday in a Genesee County Circuit Court targets Veolia North American, part of a global corporation that specializes in operating water and sewer systems for municipalities, which contracted with Flint in early 2015 to help with its drinking water quality. (Dennis, 6/22)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee Gets $1 Million Loan For Lead Pipe Replacement
Milwaukee will receive a $1 million state loan this year to begin work on an enormous and costly task of replacing 70,000 lead water pipes throughout the city. And the first priority will be replacing pipes to 385 state-licensed day care centers, public works officials said Thursday. No public school buildings now in use within the Milwaukee Public Schools district receive water through lead pipes, so the city will focus on the licensed day cares with young children. (Behm, 6/23)
The Associated Press:
Sen. Gillibrand Calls For EPA Action On Toxic Chemical PFOA
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on federal regulators to use new powers under the toxic substances reform bill to determine if the industrial chemical PFOA should be restricted or banned. The New York Democrat says in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday that health concerns about the chemical have been heightened by the recent discovery of drinking water contamination in upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. (6/23)