EPA Did Nothing When Informed of Flint Water Crisis
An illustration of why we shouldn’t give the EPA more power.
The Environmental Protection Agency knew months before the water quality in Flint, Michigan, became a scandal that the city’s water was contaminated with lead. Yet the agency ignored the situation. According to The Washington Examiner, “Jennifer Crooks, the Michigan program manager for the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, sent out an agenda on June 8, 2015, for a planned call with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials.” Crooks wrote that the state officials told her that Flint removed from the water chemicals designed to prevent corroding that would expose lead pipes. She recommended against making any changes until months into the future. Remember: People are calling for manslaughter charges over how the city managed its water system. Ultimately, the EPA is part of a system that liberals argue is the best vehicle for solving the crisis. While some congressional lawmakers want to use this scandal as a pretext to give the EPA more power, the Flint water scandal is showing us why we shouldn’t give the EPA more responsibility.