U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyOfficeofInspectorGeneral

Khadija Walker Project Manager, EPA OIG, OA&E Water Directorate Charles Brunton Team Lead, EPA OIG, OA&E Water Directorate

ReviewofEPAResponsetoFlintContaminationIncident9/5/2018

2

WhyWeDidThisReview

3

Timeframe

Documentaryevidence

Testimonialevidence

AnalyticalEvidence

Methodology

4

EPAOIGFlintMultimedia–Video1(Oct2016)

5 5

NoCorrosionControl=DeadlyPipes

6

¥  Nearly100,000residentsexposedtopoisonouswater.

¥  12deathsfromLegionella;otherhealtheffects,somestudieslinkedover200fetaldeaths.

¥  Federal,stateandlocal“StatesofEmergency.”¥  15stateandlocalofficialsindicted.¥  5investigations/reviews.¥  CitizenandNGOlawsuits.¥  2CongressionalHearings.

EffectsofCrisis

7

TwoReportswith11Recommendations

ResultsofReview

8

EPAOIGFlintMultimedia–Video2(July2018)

9

¥  EPAcouldhaveintervenedearlier.

¥  EPARegion5didnotrecognizeoruseavailableauthoritiesandtools.

¥  WeaknessesinEPAoversightofthestatedrinkingwaterprogram.

¥  CommunicationbreakdownsbetweentheStateandEPAandwithinEPA.

¥  Noeffectivesystemtoidentifyrisksatstateandlocallevel.

Findings

10

ClarityonAuthoritiesInternalControls

OverallImprovementsNeeded

11

Thecontaminationmayhavepresentedimminentandsubstantialendangermenttohumanhealth.

Appropriatestateandlocalauthoritiesdidnotacttoprotectthehealthofpersons.

SafeDrinkingWaterActSection1431InterventionRequirements

12

May2014 •  EPARegion5learnedofFlintdrinkingwatersourceswitch.•  EPARegion5receivedfirstcitizencomplaintsaboutdrinkingwaterquality.

August2014 •  Firsttotalcoliformviolationoccurred.

December2014 •  Firsttotaltrihalomethanesviolationoccurred.

February2015 •  EPARegion5learnedofelevatedleadlevelinFlintresident’sdrinkingwater.•  EPARegion5managervoicedconcernstocolleaguesthatsamplingprotocolisbiasingleadresults.

March2015 •  EngineeringfirmcontractedtoworkontheFlintdrinkingwatersystemissuedreport,whichrecommendstheadditionofcorrosioncontroltreatment.

•  EPARegion5learnedthatGeneseeCountywasinvestigatinganincreaseinLegionellacases.

April2015 •  MDEQstaffmembertoldanEPARegion5managerthattheFlintsystemdoesnothaveanycorrosioncontroltreatment.

June2015 •  EPARegion5learnedthatatleastfourhomeshadleadindrinkingwaterabovetheactionlevel.

•  EPARegion5managersharedinterimreportonhighleadlevelsinFlint’sdrinkingwaterwithanaffectedresident.Thereportwassubsequentlyreleasedtothepublic.

EvidenceofGrowingRisk

13

¥  Taken enforcement action under SDWA §1414.

¥  Issued an Order under SDWA § 1431.

¥  Alerted Flint residents.

EPACouldHave…

14 14

• PoliciesonSDWAAuthorities.Update

• StaffonSDWAAuthorities,LeadandCopperRule,andassociatedAgencypolicies.Train

• StatesaremonitoringincompliancewiththeLeadandCopperRuleannually.Verify

Recommendations

15

• AsystemtotrackandresolvepubliccomplaintstotheAgency.

• AsystemofelevationforEPAstaffandmanagers.• Asystemtoidentifyrisksatthestatelevel.

Implement

• LeadandCopperRuletoimproveeffectivenessofmonitoringandcorrosioncontroltreatment.Revise

• ClearrolesandexpectationsbetweenEPAandMichigan.

• ProgramReviewsofMIDrinkingWaterProgramDocument

Recommendations

16

OversawEmergencyOrderandAmendedOrder.GrantawardedtoCityofFlintforleadservicelineremoval.

1ConductedaprogramreviewofMI.Publishedfindingsandstatusofstatecorrectiveaction.

2

AgreedtoImplement10of11EPAOIGrecommendations.

3

EPAResponsetoDate

17

HouseBill6147

¥  RequiresEPAtoimplementrecommendations

¥  TiesImplementationtoAppropriation

18

AfterFlint,WatchdogUrgesE.P.A.toMonitorDrinkingWaterMoreCloselyLetFlintserveasawarning:Congressmusttodomoretoimprovethenation’sinfrastructureCONGRESSMANDANKILDEEONEPAINSPECTORGENERAL’SREPORTONTHEFLINTWATERCRISISIGurgesstrongeroversightafterFlintcrisisIGPushesBackOnEPA'sCooperativeFederalismFocusInFlintReportIGFlintreportfindslackofurgencyInspector:EPA'managementweakness'prolongedFlintcrisisInFlintWaterCrisis,EPA’sFriendlyRelationshipwithStateRegulatorsDelayedUseofLegalAuthorityAfterFlintdebacle,EPAmuststrengthenoversightofMich.drinkingwaterprograms,watchdogsaysFlintwatercrisispromptscallformorefederaloversightFederalwatchdogurgesbetterEPAoversightafterFlintwaterresponseEPA'SwatchdogurgesbetterwateroversightafterFlint,Mich.,crisisEPAneededtoactmorequickly,forcefullyonFlintwatercrisis,reportsaysEPAwatchdogurgesagencytostrengthenoversightofstatedrinkingwatersystemsafterleadcrisisinFlint,MichiganEPAwatchdogfaults‘managementweaknesses’inFlintwatercrisisEPAReportFaultsResponsetoFlintWaterCrisisEPAinspectorgeneralpointssomeblameforFlintwatercrisisresponseTheEPAWasTooSlowToRespondToFlint’sWaterCrisis,SaysAScathingNewReportLapsesatalllevelsofgovernmentmadeFlintwatercrisisworse:WatchdogTRUMP’SEPAFINDSCHRONICMANAGEMENTWEAKNESSDELAYEDFLINTWATERRESPONSEWatchdogreporturgesEPAtoheightenoversightinwakeofFlintwatercrisisWatchdogcallsonEPAtostrengthenoversightofstatewatersystemsafterFlintcrisisWatchdogtoEPA:YouNeedtoDoBetterAfterFlintCrisisThescandaloverFlint’swaterisataleofpovertyandraceInternalWatchdogBlastsEPA’sResponsetoFlintWaterCrisisinBlisteringReportAfterFlint,WatchdogUrgesE.P.A.toMonitorDrinkingWaterMoreClosely

MediaAttention

ABCNews:LapsesatalllevelsofgovernmentmadeFlintwatercrisisworse:WatchdogBloombergBNA:WanttoAvoidAnotherFlint?MonitorStates,InspectorGeneralSaysCircleofBlue:InFlintWaterCrisis,EPA’sFriendlyRelationshipwithStateRegulatorsDelayedUseofLegalAuthorityCNN:WatchdogsayslackofEPAoversighthelpedcause'catastrophic'FlintwatercrisisMichiganRadio:AuditcriticalofEPA'shandlingofFlintwatercrisis;EPAInspectorGeneralBlames'ManagementWeakness'InFlintResponse

19

MediaAttention–VideoCompilation

20

•  KhadijaWalker•  CharlesBrunton•  KathleneButler•  StaceyBanks•  AllisonDutton•  TiffineJohnson-Davis•  FredLight•  JayneLilienfeld-Jones•  TimRoach•  LukeStolz•  DanielleTesch

OIGFlintTeam

21

EPA.gov/OIG | @EPAoig | YouTube.com/EPAoig

Questions?