Former EPA Official Says Agency Did Nothing Wrong On Flint, But ‘Could Have Done More’
Members of a congressional oversight committee blasted Susan Hedman's testimony. "You screwed up and you ruined people's lives," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The New York Times:
House Panel Denounces E.P.A. Actions In Flint Crisis
Members of a congressional oversight committee excoriated a former Environmental Protection Agency official on Tuesday for not responding more forcefully when she learned last year that Flint, Mich., was not adding a chemical to its new water supply that would have prevented the city’s pipes from corroding and leaching lead. The former official, Susan Hedman, testified that limited enforcement options had kept her from acting more aggressively to order corrosion control, saying, “I don’t think E.P.A. did anything wrong, but I do believe we could have done more.” But committee members from both parties reacted furiously to her explanation, casting Ms. Hedman, who resigned in January as director of the E.P.A. regional office in charge of Michigan, as one of the primary villains in Flint’s water crisis and heaping contempt on her for more than four hours. (Goodnough, 3/15)
The Washington Post:
Ex-EPA Official Defends Agency’s Work In Flint Water Crisis At Capitol Hill Hearing
Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech scientist who exposed the tainted water when government agencies failed to do so, called Hedman’s remarks “completely unacceptable and criminal.” Edwards, appearing on the panel with Hedman and two others, said the EPA official was was guilty of “willful blindness,” was “unremorseful” and was “completely unrepentant and unable to learn from [her] mistakes.” “I guess being a government agency means you never have to say you’re sorry,” Edwards said. (Bernstein, 3/15)
The Hill:
Former EPA Official: Agency Did Nothing Wrong In Flint
[Hedman] took the brunt of complaints from lawmakers and local experts that the EPA did not do enough to prevent the water crisis in Flint despite the agency knowing of the risk. Records show the EPA knew in early 2015 that Flint’s water had dangerously high lead levels, but it did not take formal action, beyond pushing Michigan officials to address the matter, until January 2016. Hedman told lawmakers Tuesday that those allegations are “false.” She said the agency moved quickly to alert local officials about the corrosion problem before it developed into a crisis. Under state supervision, the city changed its water supply to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving move. But the water wasn't properly treated to travel through lead pipes, and the toxic metal leached into the supply. (Henry, 3/15)
The Associated Press:
Ex-Officials Point Fingers At Hearing On Flint Water Crisis
Hedman stepped down Feb. 1 over what she called "false allegations" that portrayed her as sitting on the sidelines during the crisis and that she "downplayed concerns raised by an EPA scientist about lead in the water." (Lardner and Daly, 3/16)
In other news on the water crisis —
Detroit Free Press:
Flint Water Crisis Will Tax Schools, Raise Student Needs
Flint children impacted by lead exposure will need help for years to come — help that may tax a school district struggling financially and academically. Already, nearly 15% of the 5,400 kids in Flint Community Schools have been identified with special education needs. Of that number, 22% have been identified with a cognitive impairment — a percentage that's far higher than the county and state averages. (Higgins, 3/15)
NPR:
Before Flint, Lead-Contaminated Water Plagued Schools Across U.S.
Across the country, it's hard to know whether there's lead in school water. [Researcher and activist Yanna Lambrinidou of Virginia Tech] says for the vast majority of schools, there is no requirement to test for lead. Even if a school finds lead, there's no mandate to fix it or tell parents. "What we see again and again is that the people who first discovered the contamination were parents whose children were diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels," Lambrinidou says. Three times over the past decade, she says, Congress has declined to pass legislation that would have required schools to test for lead and make the results public. (Ludden, 3/16)
