Water Expert Says Problems in Flint Happening Across U.S.
Congress hears expert testimony that old pipes, bad corrosion control fouling Flint’s water also happening nationwide.
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Klinefelter
4.8.16
Congress puts the water crisis in Flint back under the federal microscope this week.
Michigan Congressman Fred Upton will hold a hearing on the lead contamination tainting Flint’s water supply.
In recent weeks members of the U.S. House heard both federal and state officials blame each other for the delayed response to the water crisis in Flint.
The ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee even wrote to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder questioning the accuracy of his recent testimony before Congress.
But Upton says he won’t focus on that when he convenes a new hearing on Flint this week.
Upton, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, says he will not be pointing fingers at anyone during the hearing.
Instead Upton says he wants to understand the infrastructure issues facing Flint, the long-term implications of the health problems surfacing in the city and what can be done to prevent such water contamination in the future.
The hearing follows one held last week regarding what the government needs to do to ensure the nation as a whole has access to safe drinking water.
That hearing included testimony from the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Erik Olson.
He tells WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter that what is affecting Flint today could impact other communities soon.
