The Environmental Protection Agency wants a judge to enforce an agreement on how Jackson will fix its water system. The EPA is looking into the quality of the city’s water as well.The water quality tests approved by the Mississippi State Department of Health allowed a citywide boil-water advisory to be lifted. But those approvals were made with a cloud now hovering over the city’s water system, raised by the legal warning sent to the city by the Department of Justice.”The letter indicates things that have gone out for some time now. It is a form letter — not a form letter, but consistent with form letters that have gone out. It indicates nothing new that hasn’t already been communicated to our residents,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said.Some Jackson City Council members have questions about the city’s water crisis. “We have not learned of some of the situations until recently. Even a letter from the DOJ, I had to find out through a third-party source,” said Councilman Aaron Banks.The DOJ sent the city a legal warning Monday telling Jackson leaders to either start negotiations on a judicially enforceable agreement to fix the water system or face a lawsuit.”The United States believes that an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health exists,” the DOJ said in the letter. The warning cites at least six violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and goes on to say the Justice Department believes “that contaminants are in, or likely to enter the city’s public water system.” The EPA Inspector General’s Office has said it is conducting an inquiry into the water crisis.”We have done testing to ensure that the boil water notice could be lifted, and the water is safe. We also are going to pursue lead testing, as well, we are going to test to ensure the water is safe,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Monday during a visit to Jackson.Mississippi lawmakers are divided in some cases on whether the state should return control of the O.B. Curtis Water Plant to the city.”These are human errors. These are a result of a lack of training, a lack of certification, but these are not things that did not have to happen recently to make this system fail,” said state Rep. Earl Banks, a Democrat from Jackson.”I think the can has been kicked down the road long enough,” said State Sen. John Horhn, a Democrat from Jackson. “We need a long-term solution to this problem.”The mayor said the city is actively looking for a third-party operator for the city’s water treatment plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency wants a judge to enforce an agreement on how Jackson will fix its water system. The EPA is looking into the quality of the city’s water as well.
The water quality tests approved by the Mississippi State Department of Health allowed a citywide boil-water advisory to be lifted. But those approvals were made with a cloud now hovering over the city’s water system, raised by the legal warning sent to the city by the Department of Justice.
“The letter indicates things that have gone out for some time now. It is a form letter — not a form letter, but consistent with form letters that have gone out. It indicates nothing new that hasn’t already been communicated to our residents,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said.
Some Jackson City Council members have questions about the city’s water crisis.
“We have not learned of some of the situations until recently. Even a letter from the DOJ, I had to find out through a third-party source,” said Councilman Aaron Banks.
The DOJ sent the city a legal warning Monday telling Jackson leaders to either start negotiations on a judicially enforceable agreement to fix the water system or face a lawsuit.
“The United States believes that an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health exists,” the DOJ said in the letter.
The warning cites at least six violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and goes on to say the Justice Department believes “that contaminants are in, or likely to enter the city’s public water system.” The EPA Inspector General’s Office has said it is conducting an inquiry into the water crisis.
“We have done testing to ensure that the boil water notice could be lifted, and the water is safe. We also are going to pursue lead testing, as well, we are going to test to ensure the water is safe,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Monday during a visit to Jackson.
Mississippi lawmakers are divided in some cases on whether the state should return control of the O.B. Curtis Water Plant to the city.
“These are human errors. These are a result of a lack of training, a lack of certification, but these are not things that did not have to happen recently to make this system fail,” said state Rep. Earl Banks, a Democrat from Jackson.
“I think the can has been kicked down the road long enough,” said State Sen. John Horhn, a Democrat from Jackson. “We need a long-term solution to this problem.”
The mayor said the city is actively looking for a third-party operator for the city’s water treatment plants.
