mr. creagh? >> yes, sir, there's testing available. >> and then we should set aside a fund or whatever because we should make certain that these kids are taken care of. and then, mr. edwards said, this is going on not just in flint. it's going on in d.c. it's go iing on in durham, we heard testimony today. it needs to stop and we need to make certain the system works, right, mr. edwards? >> that's correct. >> right? >> yes, sir. >> and you're new on the block. >> yes, sir. >> thank you, citizen-hero, we appreciate what you did. >> thank you. audience is reminded to -- to hold their applause, please. we'll now recognize the gentleman from virginia, mr. connelly, for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. we ought to be clear about flint. arguably one of the worst municipal environmental tragedies in the modern era in the united states. and it was manmade. and it is the consequence actually of implementing a political philosophy of social darwinism, of smaller governm t government, of rabid anti-

mr. creagh, do you agree that mr. ambrose's actions was an absolutely horrible decision for the people of flint? >> i cannot address mr. ambrose' actions. i can say that the plant in flint had been used historically as a back-up water supply utilizing the flint river. had passed its performance standards, had been, had been tested on a quarterly basis. >> that's very interesting, mr. creagh, i'm looking at water being held up in baby bottles and water bottles that looks like lemonade and iced tea and not clear water. mr. creagh, if mr. ambrose led the city council's decision to stand the actual amount of lead exposure would be reduced. >> if he had let the city council's resolution to return to the detroit water system as a source of water, would the actual amount of lead exposure in flint, would it have been reduced? >> i believe that's a true statement. >> mrs. walters, this decision by the governor's emergency manager for mr. ambrose came after the state was told about the extremely high levels of lead in your hous

mr. creagh: when mr. ambrose was asked why your department make that recommendation he replied, "you'll have to ask them." i am asking you as the head of mdeq, why did your department previously opposed the use of flint river water as a primary source back in 2012? mr. creagh: i don't have knowledge as to that conversation nor decision. rep. cartwright: you don't know. we have called for your predecessor's deposition. i press that request. i'm trying to figure out what happened between 2012, when your department opposed using the blue river, and 2014, when you reversed course and assigned off on permits to allow it. you can't explain that to us because you weren't there at the time, right? mr. creagh: that's correct. rep. cartwright: okay, we're having a hearing in washington dc with witnesses they don't have personal analysis of the subject. how interested are we in getting to the bottom of the facts when they bring witnesses that don't know what went on? mr. creagh:, in a press release dated april 25, 2

mr. creagh, so mr. neeley also wrote, quote, governor snyder's account of the events leading to this water crisis are completely wrong, end of quote. why would governor snyder try to blame the city council for this decision when it was his own appointee who made it and you have a city council that has no authority? there's something wrong with that! that's why i interjected here because i want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. now, let me ask you -- i'm not finished. do you have any reason to believe that mr. neeley is not telling the truth? >> i have no reason to believe. >> now, mr. neeley's letter is supported by statements from flint's former mayor dane walling. on january 22nd, 2016, he stated and i quote, after city council and i expressed support for a new water supply from lake huron, the emergency manager, edward kurtz, went behind closed doors with the department of environmental quality and decided to use the flint river as an interim source, made the budget changes, and p

mr. keith creagh/director, department of environmental quality: we cannot guarantee at this point in time the water is safe to drink. how congress is working to find if anyone acted ("jeremy ad libs wx headlines") today: on/off rain showers. rain may be heavy at times. highs will be in the 50s early. temps will drop to the 40s through the day. winds: sw then north at 10-20mph. tonight: mostly cloudy. occasional rain showers. lows will be in the mid 30s. winds north 10-20mph. friday: a few early showers. then partly cloudy. highs will be in the mid 40s. winds north 15-20mph. a cold front is very slowly moving through the region today. a weak area of low pressure will form along the front as it moves offshore through the afternoon. this will help to keep the rain going today into tonight. localized flooding will be possible with another 1-2" of rain forecast. the front will slowly push offshore tonight, but rain will continue behind it. we'll could end briefly as a rain/snow mix, but nothing would stick. then we'll dry out through the day. we'll be dry on saturday. most of sunday looks dry

mr. creagh, do you agree these changes should be made state wide? >> i agree and those changes have been made. >> they have been made? >> yes. >> so okay so they are across michigan. dr. edwards do you feel these recommendations by the epa task force should apply across the nation? >> yes, absolutely. >> would you include anything else in the recommendations? >> no -- obviously that the utility should be following the protocol for identifying the high risk sampling pool. all across the united states, they're supposed to be sampling from the homes that are highest risk for lead in the water. and there's very real reason to believe that's not occurring. the whole effectiveness of the rule is based on that first step as well. >> mr. bovay what are the barriers to the epa applying these recommendations across the country? >> my understanding is that we can move forward with making these recommendations across the country and we're actively working on that in terms of regulatory requirements, those issues will have to be taken up in the ruvisions to the

mr. keith creagh/director, department of environmental quality: we cannot guarantee at this point in time the water is safe to drink. how congress is working ("jeremy ad libs wx headlines") today: on/off rain showers. rain may be heavy at times. highs will be in the 50s early. temps will drop to the 40s through the day. winds: sw then north at 10-20mph. tonight: mostly cloudy. occasional rain showers. lows will be in the mid 30s. winds north 10-20mph. friday: a few early showers. then partly cloudy. highs will be in the mid 40s. winds north 15-20mph. a cold front is very slowly moving through the region today. a weak area of low pressure will form along the front as it moves offshore through the afternoon. this will help to keep the rain going today into tonight. localized flooding will be possible with another 1-2" of rain forecast. the front will slowly push offshore tonight, but rain will continue behind it. we'll see the rain wrap up tomorrow morning. it rain/snow mix, but nothing would stick. then we'll dry out through the day. we'll be dry on saturday. most of sunday looks dry now.