The EPA fucked up royally in Flint.

[Nye Bevan]

Yes, Snyder is mostly to blame and should resign or be forced out. But the EPA behaved disgracefully, sitting on their asses and wondering whether it was appropriate for them to act and whether they had the legal authority to do so. As soon as they were aware of the problems (which was at least a year ago) they needed to get their butts to Flint, do their own independent testing, and even if they could not legally compel a fix, shout out from the rooftops about what was happening to get people's attention.

Heckuva job, EPA.

[benld74]

1. EPA did nothing wrong

[Nye Bevan]

3. "the EPA’s public position throughout was that Flint’s water remained within a safe range"

But the EPA’s public position throughout was that Flint’s water remained within a safe range, even as they privately pressured state officials to do more. It wasn’t until last November, shortly after Michigan began acknowledging problems, that the EPA aired Del Toral’s initial concerns publicly.

.........

The agency has since explained it kept concerns private because of delegated roles under law. It’s the EPA’s authority to set treatment and testing standards, but it’s up to the state to ensure its water operations comply. And that’s where the EPA insists Michigan failed.

Ultimately, state and local water agencies are responsible for correct monitoring and reporting on water quality, and to implement the standards that federal officials set. That doesn’t mean the EPA is blameless. The EPA didn’t act as urgently and as transparently as it could have to help the people of Flint—something it has acknowledged only grudgingly.

On Monday, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy insisted, “EPA did its job but clearly the outcome was not what anyone would have wanted.” But a day later, the agency said that “while EPA worked within the framework of the law to repeatedly and urgently communicate the steps the state needed to take to properly treat its water, those necessary (EPA) actions were not taken as quickly as they should have been.”

In other words, they screwed up—like just about every government agency involved in this public health disaster.

https://newrepublic.com/article/128156/epas-silent-guilty-role-flint-water-crisis

"Nothing wrong"? Really?

[former9thward]

6. The EPA did everything wrong.

That is why their region administrator for the Midwest resigned yesterday.

[Gregorian]

2. A friend is a managing engineer at the Sonoma water district.

The degree to which they go to get water chemistry within limit is astounding. Of course, it's grape vineyards versus a city with low income.

Criminal.

[joeybee12]

4. I think the difference might be a bureaucrat who knew squat

versus a governor who really couldn't care less...one was incompetence, the other was pure evil. Not excusing the EPA, but I do think there's a difference.

[former9thward]

7. The bureaucrat knew everything.

That is why she resigned yesterday.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/health/flint-water-crisis/

[joeybee12]

8. I meant knew squat about how to proceed

overly cautious.

[intheozone]

5. Flint is what you get when you put Republican in charge of government.

Republicans do not know how to govern, and even if they did, they are really only focused on politics and getting and keeping power. They never are concerned with actual "governing."

With all the yelling Republicans do about "states rights" and keeping the federal government out the states' business, the Repubs deserve what they get in this case.

The people of Flint clearly don't deserve it , but the Repubs running Michigan certainly do.