Legal action could be forthcoming from the federal government against the city for failure to properly staff, operate water system.
The Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is back in Jackson this week meeting with the city’s Mayor and later with Governor Tate Reeves. The U.S. Department of Justice is also now involved.
On Monday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Assistant U.S. Attorney General Todd Kim met with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba to discuss the actions the federal government is prepared to take to help remedy what they say is a “longstanding injustice.”
Regan said on Twitter that during that meeting, he conveyed their desire to work with the city to reach a “judicially enforceable agreement that ensures a sustainable water system in the mid- and long-terms.”
The EPA Administrator later tweeted that the people in Jackson have suffered long enough.
“As evidenced by the roughly 300 boil water notices that have been issued over the past two years, the multiple line breaks during the same timeframe, and the recent drinking water crisis, it’s clear the people of Jackson, Mississippi have suffered long enough,” Regan said. “The people of Jackson – like all people in this country – deserve clean water. They also deserve more than words. They need action. I look forward to working together with the Mayor and City of Jackson to deliver long overdue relief for Jackson residents.”
These meetings come as the U.S. Department of Justice has put the city on notice that it is prepared to file legal action against the city for Safe Drinking Water Act violations.
Among the violations, the Department of Justice noted in their letter to the city that Jackson leaders have failed to adequately staff water treatment plants, failed to implement an Alternative Water Supply Plan, and failed to install corrosion control pursuant to the Lead and Copper Rule, among other violations.
EPA Administrator Regan also attended a meeting with local pastors while in Jackson.
Thank you to Pastor Young and faith leaders in Jackson, MS for our conversation today.
As a person of faith, I’ve seen firsthand how this community can use its moral authority to change hearts and minds and to bring even the most unlikely partners together for the common good. pic.twitter.com/7Ka3hFk93j
— Michael Regan, U.S. EPA (@EPAMichaelRegan) September 26, 2022
