2 Department of Environmental Quality employees suspended for their roles in Flint water crisis

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

Source: WXYZ News

FLINT, Mich. (WXYZ) - 7 Action News has learned Governor Snyder has just suspended two employees of the Department of Environmental Quality – for their involvement in the city’s water switch and resulting lead contamination.

It’s unclear what roles the employees played in the crisis, and they are not being named because they are civil servants.

But we do know they have been suspended without pay – and will be the subject of an expedited investigation hearing that could lead to their firing.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/news/2-department-of-environmental-quality-employees-suspended-for-their-roles-in-flint-water-crisis

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Two are thrown under the bus, problem solved, governor is fine, thanks. Flint, of course, still has bad water.

[mtasselin]

1. Really

Hey governor, whatever happened to all this personal responsibility you and the republicans are always talking about. Oh I get it that is code for when you are criticizing democrats or some minority, there is a very special place in hell for you and all these other republican governors who are destroying your states because the koch assholes want you to.

[mpcamb]

2. '2 ... employees suspended for their roles in Flint water crisis'- Don't stop there

Keep going up the chain till you reach the slimy weasels who actually caused it.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. No employee "caused" this. This is caused by our 100 year old infrastructure

The new water source is just slightly acidic. It reacted with the lead solder in the pipes. It would be perfectly safe to drink in a modern piping system without lead solder. Blame this on politicians who fail to upgrade aging infrastructure. Blame the governor, the legislature, and voters who keep voting for lower taxes.

[mpcamb]

12. I'd say, "No 'EMPLOYEE' caused this." instead

It happened on a political level by elected officials, not some guy with pencil and a clipboard.
People with an agenda, a motive and a vengeance.

[Drahthaardogs]

14. And to some degree the Democrats including our President are responsible

Obama promised an update to our aging infrastructure. However, the Republicans lambasted his ideas, and our Congress which was held by Democrats let it fall away. Instead we awarded contracts to update light bulbs. Politicians who worry about re-election instead of doing the right thing are the bane of this country. In time, they will destroy it.

[mpcamb]

19. Whoa! that's a very interesting and unique way to spew the blame...

This seems like a very specific issue about specific decisions that were made in a specific city.
Nope. I wouldn't go global with the blame.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

20. HEY Drathaar & ev - pls read up on this specific case before commenting! It was caused by whoever

decided they didn't need to follow the fed regulations re: adding anti-corrosion agents to the water supply.

LOTS of other cities have old lead piping without people dying and suffering permanent impairments because of it.

Someone decided they didn't need to follow no stinkin water regulations. THAT should be the person(s) who get fired.

Not some low level paper shuffler.

[Drahthaardogs]

21. I think that is wrong

I do not know of any clause in the SDWA that states that. The chlorides were the initial problem in this chemical cascade. They are treated with phosphates. We don't even allow phosphates in laundry soap any longer.

The point is, we need to fix our infrastructure.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

22. Heres the fact of the matter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_and_Copper_Rule

EPA published the Lead and Copper Rule Minor Revisions (LCRMR) in January 2000. This rule required water suppliers to install the best available corrosion control mechanisms and to continually observe water levels, even if corrosion control was implemented.

May I also refer you to 2011 study that stated Flint river water would require anticorrosion b4 safe to use as drinking water (google it).

Sigh. Maybe its not your intention but it sounds like you're trying to let the criminally negligent perps off the hook

Id certianly agree that infrastructure of all types need updating but you know what .... t he radical RW and their disaster capitalist cronies don't seem to be the least bit interested in replacing old lead pipes in old urban rust belt cities. How do you propose working around that?

[Sunlei]

3. their hospitals noticed the rising lead levels, informed the state water quality "Department" &

The State let the problem continue. Not an exact quote by the State water quality Department-, "we'll test water every 6 months" . The State Department was going to let the lead poisoning continue for maybe a year or more.

Our Federal Department should have instantly been all over this, lead poisoning has been an American problem for so many decades.

But of course our States are all about "Self Regulating" and that's why problems like this lead poisoning happen. States 'self-regulating' doesn't work, the Federal Government needs to step-in much faster and protect 'the people'.

[mountain grammy]

4. Desperately searching for scapegoats..

look in the mirror, Governor.

[Botany]

5. How about the director who hid the report about Flint's drinking water quality?

n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

6. It would be better to suspend Snyder ...

... preferably by his balls.

[lark]

7. Such fucking BS.

Like 2 low level schlubs would have the authority to make decisions of this nature. It's just a ploy to protect the emergency manager that mandated the change and Snyder for approving it and ignoring the reality of the toxins in the river. Come on, Justice Dept, do your job and put this guy away.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. I don't know the names, but apparently not low-level schlubs ...

... more like one middle-level schlub, and one little-bit-higher-level schlub.

But not the emergency manager or the governor, no, not them.

[Drahthaardogs]

15. NO! The RIVER is NOT full of toxins...

The lead is NOT in the river. The lead was in the PIPES. The increased chlorides in the River and higher pH reacted with 100 year old infrastructure. There is nothing TOXIC about the water. It is our shitty, old infrastructure that is to blame. It should have been fixed decades ago

[lark]

16. I just read an article yesterday, that said there were toxins in the river.

Agree lead came from the pipes, but the article listed several other carcinogens that had been found in the water. Sorry, I don't remember the article, it was either posted here or on KOS.

[Drahthaardogs]

17. We have an infrastructure problem in this country.

Both sides ignore it. Trying to pin these issues on the water is just another way to try to avoid the elephant in the room.

[lark]

18. Agree that we have a major infrastructure problem in this country.

We also have problems with industrial waste dumping in our waters. Both seriously need addressing for our health and safety, it's not an either or proposition.

[agent46]

9. No arrests

No arrests will be made for what was clearly an accounting error.

[Marty McGraw]

10. Employees

and the uber privileged are taken aback as to why we are all motivated by this Sander's Bid?

[Fast Walker 52]

13. I'm sure it's ALL their fault...