ms. walters. let's start here. i want to go down the table. >> first we take responsibility for what's happened, then bechange the laws and quit talking about the nid walk. they're there to represent the utilities and protect utilities. let's get that on the record right now. there's one person on the nid whack fighting against what's been represented there. what the nid whack is suggesting is adopted by the epa, what happened in flint will happen throughout the united states. there's a big mossability. we need to make hour that the children and people in flint are taken care of health wise. i know my children are going to need help with that, not just children under the age of 6. i know of a 15-year-old who has severe liver issues. a 44-year-old man who had an eye stroke because of problems with his blood pressure with his blood poisoning. doing right for the people is making sure we're taken care of and making sure we get clean water, get the pipes replaced once we have the science behind it to see what we need t

ms. walter. i appreciate you coming before the committee and doing what you did early on in the process. i really do. i look forward to hearing from our witnesses. we can't let this happen. it should never have happened in the first place. i am going to yield back. i will turn the time to our ranking member, mr. cummings, for his opening comments. rep. cummings: mr. chairman, i really appreciate you for your efforts, for requesting this hearing and making it happen. mr. chairman, i want to yield three minutes to my distinguished colleague mrs. lawrence from michigan. rep. lawrence: in a letter, i asked that this hearing examined actions of key decision-makers involved in the development of this drinking water contamination crisis. i never thought this could happen in america, in this day and age. in our great country and our great home of michigan, where we are surrounded by freshwater and the great lakes. every american has the right to three basic needs from their government -- clean air to bre

ms. walters, for your testimony. truly it has made a profound difference in such a way -- i'm from north carolina. a long way away from flint, michigan, but in a way we're connected. i got texts this morning from people who have been affected by region four, not region five, but with water quality issues for years and the epa's failure to address them. now, the troubling thing for me is, is that what i hear from our water quality epa official is that they're going to just let the office of inspector general do their work. now, the problem with that is -- and i have high regard for that particular inspector general. in fact, i can tell you, ms. walters, that they will continue to look at it in a very detailed way. but it will not be enough. there is more than enough blame to go around. the problem is there's not enough answers to be shared. and so i'm going to come to the epa and ask you, since foia is under my subcommittee and the foia request allows the public to look at documents, often used in a regular basis by r

ms. walters. i appreciate your coming before the committee and doing what you did early on in the process. i really do. and i look forward to hearing from our witnesses. we can't let this happen. it should have never happened in the first place. i'm going to yield back and let's give the time to our ranking member, mr. cummings for his opening comments. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, mr. kildee and i really appreciate you and miss lawrence for all of your efforts, for requesting this hearing and making it happen. mr. chairman, i want to yield three minutes to my distinguished colleague, ms. lawrence from michigan for part of her opening. >> thank you, mr. chair and to the ranking member cummings. i want to personally thank you for holding this hearing. in my letter to the chairman on january the 12th of this year i asked that this hearing examine the action of key decision-makers involved in the development of this drinking water contamination crisis. i never thought this coul

ms. walters house and some neighboring houses. very high lead levels are being found. >> i understand the concept of a deal a lot with water that epa, the environmental quality, but it is set up as a checks and balances would you agree? >> epa has an oversight responsibility. >> would you agree mr. edwards? >> yes, i do. >> so something failed. there is another line that should come about. i'm going to go along the line of the pa. when did epa administrator mccarthy's first visit with flint about this crisis? >> i believe yesterday with mr. it was yesterday. >> it wasn't until yesterday that you visited for the first time. so the day before this hearing. said mr. mccarthy knew about this for eight months but didn't visit flint until the day before congressional hearing. >> i do not believe he knew about the crisis rate month. >> really? something as dynamic as this and you didn't relay that up the chain? >> i came into this job in november 2015 so i don't have personal knowledge. >> what is today? >> today is february 2016. i'm a

ms. walters who is home with the subject of the testing. my understanding is that was provided to a reporter and that it went out into the public. >> at some point, mr. del toral was on leave of absence, who worked on this issue in his absence? >> i'm not aware he was placed on leave of absence. >> okay. mr. edwards let me go to you. do you believe in any way that the epa's management of this whole thing hindered its employees from having the ability to do their job in flint? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. okay. do you believe that the epa's management made the lead crisis in flint worse? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. who at the epa do you find fault? >> susan hedman who had the memo buried, covered up and stood silent as mr. del toral was publicly discredited for his work when she was questioned by politicians from all parties, through as late as september of this year she discounted there was anything occurring in flint at all. that includes the mayor, people from the state government as well as democratic congressional staff. >> okay. mr.

ms. leanne walters, a resident and parent from michigan. we welcome you all and thank you for your participation today. pursuant to committee rules, all witnesses will be sworn before they testify. if you will please rise and raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear or affirm the testimony you give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? thank you. you may be seated. let the record reflect that all witnesses answered in the affirmative. in order to allow time for further discussion and questioning by member, we would appreciate your limiting your opening comments to no more than five minutes. and your entire commission will be -- entire written statement will be made part of the record mr. bevay, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, good morning, mr. chairman, ranking member cummings, distinguished members of the committee. my name is joel beauvais and i serve as deputy assistant administrator of epa's office of water. thank you for the opportunity to testify about epa's response to the drinking water

ms. walters whose home was the subject of the testing. my understanding is that was then provided to a reporter and that it went out into the public. >> well, at some point mr. del toral was on leave of absence. who worked on this issue in his absence? >> i'm not aware that he was placed on leave of absence. >> okay. mr. edwards, let me go to you. do you believe in any way that the epa's management of this whole thing hindered its employees from having the ability to do their job in flint? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. okay. do you believe that the epa's management made the lead crisis in flint worse? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. who at the epa do you find fault? >> susan hedman. >> pardon me? >> ms. susan hedman who had the memo buried, covered up and stood silent as mr. del toral was publicly discredited for his work. when she was questioned by politicians from all parties, through as late as september of this year, she discounted that there was anything of concern in flint occurring at all. that includes mayor walling, people from the

ms. walters had four children had lead poisoning manager at the epa midwest water division that flynn is not treating water with standard corrosion controls that prevent lead pipes from leaching lead. also the taps were being pre-flushed for several minutes prior to sampling limited water tests. that is february 25, the epa was notified that corrosion controls are not being implemented and that the testing process is flawed. my understanding is under the safe drinking water act you have the authority for action authorized and there is imminent and substantial endangerment to health. if you do this in february why was there no action taken for almost a year? >> my understanding in february was that we did asked the state of michigan whether or not corrosion control is happening. they gave us an indication that it was. we relied on that. at the same time we did work specifically to test ms. walters home, and it ithome, and it is not unusual nor an indication of corrosion control happening are not to have a high lead level in a particular home. one house does not dictate whether corrosion c

ms. walters. being here today your passion going above and beyond and i saw you taking a breath during your testimony this is your life and children. takes for the year. >> stakes to the panel. it is outrageous this sort of government made catastrophe would happen anywhere in the united states. i agree with my democratic colleagues that we need an independent to provide assistance to the people of the second three of women and without some in depth here michigan and him pain forced $28 million. >> they have the resources and need to make a right and never like to emergency meeting interlock it takes power away from the community. it is disappointing that forever beverages "the reader" had his attorney tell us when he received the subpoena that headquarters all and nonsensical. two except that subpoena to come here. what is nonsensical or disappointing that is most culpable but he needs to appear and have more people. this is an esteemed panel and three touchdowns on this but what rule to enforce t

ms. walters home, and it is not unusual nor an indication of corrosion control happening are not to havehigh lead level in a particular home that can occur for a variety of reasons including the disruption in the street. one house does not dictate whether corrosion control is happening, but in no way that mcgill ignore this individuals assertion. >> i'm not saying the gilded. the upper levels of the epa did. miguel actually e-mail people to my colleagues at the epa relaying his concern about the faulty testing mechanism and also in follow-up when they actually used the right testing mechanism there were lead levels of nearly 400 parts per billion, 27 times the epa threshold. that is march 3, almost a year ago. and still, nothing happened. i want to go again to june 24, again, when mr. del toro wrote to the head of the epa drinking water division calling the flint lack of corrosion controls at major concern. again no action from the epa. finally, i am told that rather than taking action a legal opinion was requested on the authority of the epa to step in.in. i have to believe that anyone

ms. wynns and mr. haney 7 i's. >> all right. can i have a motion and a second? for the formal introduction of resolution. >> all right. i el paso it on to president walterwill lead the read into the record the resolution. >> thank you. the resolution so first of all, we're not going to read the entire resolution (laughter) why not gives the highlights. >> we're going to go over a few of the resolve clauses so ms. chin will read a few whereas clauses but state briefly this legislation that supervisor wiener, supervisor cohen and supervisor mar they're introducing it very important not only it is our responsibility to make sure our children live and leads health life stills but attack the proce proceedy institutions from tobacco but institutions that provide sugar sweetened beverage to our students this resolution is a counter to that so we can inform everybody of the seriousness of making sure p we do things to protect our students the city with that, we'll have ms. chin read a capture of whereas and mr. totiano. >> before i do that mr. walton i'd like to ask your permission if we could pefrm co-author with you i'd like to make the motion to co-author. >