A joint legislative committee looking into the Flint water crisis has been told state environmental watchdogs failed to follow federal clean water rules.
The state auditor general says the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality misinterpreted a rule that’s supposed to ensure lead doesn’t seep into drinking water.
The Republican chair of the committee says he wants to question DEQ officials at some future hearing. State Senator Jim Ananich (D-Flint) says he also wants to hear from former Flint emergency managers and from Governor Rick Snyder. “You can’t really get to solutions unless you know what happened,” he said. “People in Flint want those answers and I think they deserve them.”
The governor testified last week before a congressional committee. But the committee chair, state Senator Jim Stamas (R-Midland) says the decision on whether to call Snyder or the former EMs hasn’t been made. “We just haven’t gotten that far,” said Stamas. “We’re not saying we won’t. We just have not made that determination at this point.”
The governor’s office says he’s cooperating with the legislative committee and will make sure lawmakers get the information they need. Stamas says he’d like Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and former Mayor Dayne Walling to testify when the committee holds a hearing in the city next week.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
