At any time. We have the third in a series of hearings that were doing, examining the federal administration of the Safe Drinking Water act dealing with the crisis in flint, michigan. Appreciate the witnesses here today. I also appreciate the strong Public Participation and interest in this hearing. I would remind those that are participating that this is a congressional hearing. We would appreciate your proper, the proper decorum in this room. There are to be no shows of expression, positive or negative, and we would appreciate your help in that way. Let me make just a few observations, and then well turn it over to the Ranking Member and get right to the questioning here. There are people still today in flint, michigan, who are waking up this morning, they cant drink the water and they cant take a shower. Theyre using a bottle of water to drink and a bottle of water to take a shower and i cant even imagine my family having to go through that here in the United States of america. I was able to visit flint with a number of members here this past saturday, and this is a crisis, and it affects a lot of people. And i think these hearings have been very productive. There are people that have been exposed to drinking leadlalsed water for more than a year, and this is i believe a failure at every level and i think most everybody has acknowledged that. Lets remember that flint city was a city in crisis, financial situation was dire at best. People of michigan made a decision, Emergency Managers were put into place, to save dollars and i think the idea, desire to reduce the rate of the cost of water as well as improve the quality of water was where this started but not where it ended up. At every level in michigan, from the city to the department of public works, to the emergency manager, to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality there were failures, questions about the accuracy of the data that was provided. Some of those people were responsible and reported to the governor of michigan. I appreciate the governor volunteering and suggesting that coming here and testifying before congress to tell his version of the story was an appropriate thing and governor, i appreciate your willingness to come talk to this body, because there are some serious questions and we do want to get to the bottom of it. The Congress Also has responsibility and jurisdiction over the epa, the funding of the epa obviously being a federal organization. We have jurisdiction and its proper and important that we look at things from that perspective as well. In february, leanne walters, whoa is here in the audience with us today, finally the go fed up with what was going on, managed to get a hold of the epa and miguel del toro showed up on scene and started to test the water. He should be highly commended for his actions and the things that he did, and i appreciate leighanne walters and her family stepping forward and cant even express i cant even imagine what her and her family and son who we met and got her picture with, what theyve been through. By june the epa clearly knew this was a crisis. They absolutely knew that this was a problem. And susan hedmond is the administrator for region five and definitively knew there was a problem. The mayor at the time in flint asked what had happened, is the water safe to drink. He was told dont pay no attention to the report that was written by the epa, and actually went on local television and told people it was safe to drink the water. Move forward to september 24th, one of the more troubling things i want to put up this graphic. This is an internal email within the epa talking about susan hedmond, perhaps she, susan hedmond already knows this but im not sure flint is the community we want to go out own a limb for, end quote. Take that down. Thats one of the more offensive concerning things ive seen. Depressed economically, going through their own economic crisis, and theres internal discussion at the epa deciding whether or not who we should go out on a limb for. Days later the epa administrator said miss hedmonds work was very encouraging. Gina mccarthy said theyre making great progress, but it wasnt until january of 2016 the epa actually took definitive action. The day after that, susan hedmond the reenlgor five administrator resigns. Later asked about that action, Gina Mccarthy the epa administrator said that that resignation was courageous, courageous. Thats something were going to talk about here today. Ive seen a lot of things before this committee, but ive got to tell you, this lack of action here, the lack of letting people know, so they can make an informed decision, is very concerning. Its very concerning. Lets now recognize the Ranking Member mr. Cummings. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. And i, too, agree that this is a tragic situation. But lets be clear. This is not just on the epa. Its much bigger than that. So i take a moment first of all to thank leanne walters, professor edwards and to the people of flint, many of whom have come here today. Theyre lined all outside these walls, unable to get in, and probably feeling left out. But they probably felt left out for a long time. So, mr. Chairman, i take this moment to thank you. You didnt have to do this. I asked you for a hearing, and you granted us three hearings, and i really appreciate that. You see, because i live in a neighborhood where lead is a problem. Im very sensitive to this issue, described as running the state of michigan like a business, well, what if this was a business . What if a ceo ran a company that sold toys, laced with lead, that children put in their mouths . What if those children were poisoned as a result, and what if that ceo ignored warnings for more than a year as those kids got sicker and sicker and sicker . Theres no doubt in my mind that if a corporate ceo did what Governor Snyders administration has done, he would be hauled up on criminal charges. The board of directors would throw him out, and the shareholders would revolt. This is some of what is happening now to Governor Snyder. The special counsel for the state Attorney Generals Office has launched an investigation, and he says, i didnt say this, he says, the state officials could face charges including breach of duty, gross negligence or even manslaughter, charges he says and i quote not farfetched, end of quote. On our committee weve obtained documents showing that people all around the governor, including his chief of staff, were sounding the alarms but either ignored them or didnt hear them. So we are talking about quotes, lets talk about them. In october 2014, the governors top Legal Adviser had warned that flint should, and i quote, get back on the detroit system as a stop gap as soon as possible before this thing is too far out of control, end of quote. Thats the chief of staff. In march of 2015, the governors own chief of staff that was his Legal Adviser but his chief of staff said in march of 2015, if we procrastinate any longer in doing something direct, well really well have real trouble, end of quote, thats from the chief of staff, and in july the chief of staff again warned Flint Residents are concerned and rightfully so about the lead studies they are receiving, they are basically getting blown off by us, end of quote. The document reveals failures at every level, led by Governor Snyders handpicked appointees and the governors fingerprints are all over this. His department of Environmental Quality, his department of Human Services, his inner circle of top aides, his press staff, his chief of staff, and of course the Emergency Managers the governor put in charge of flint. There will be now be an entire generation, an entire generation of children who suffer from brain damage, learning disabilities and many other horrible effects of lead poisoning that were inflicted on them by Governor Snyders administration. There will be many children, mr. Chairman, who will sit in the second and third grade and will not be able to read the words see spot run, and wont know why, but the reason why is because theres lead in their veins. Now republicans are desperately trying to blame everything on the epa. So let me say this. I agree that the epa should have done more. They should have rushed in sooner to rescue the people of michigan from Governor Snyders vindictive administration and his utter incompetence at every level. Governor snyders administration has primary responsibility for enforcement under the Safe Drinking Water act. Not the epa. Governor snyders administration chose to switch to the flint river for a source of water. Not the epa. Governor snyders Administration Ignored Warnings from the flint Water Treatment plant supervisor not to go forward with the switch, not the epa. Governor snyders administration falsely told the city of flint that Corrosion Control was unnecessary, not the epa. Governor snyders administration delayed Corrosion Control for months and harmed thousands of additional people in the process. Not the epa. Governor snyders administration overruled the flint City Councils vote to return to clean detroit water, not the epa. As i close, so yes, i agree, the epa should have snatched control out of Governor Snyders hands even sooner than they did, but Governor Snyders administration caused this horrific disaster, on the children of flint. On the governors website his motto is, and i quote, reinventing michigan, getting it right, getting it done, end of quote. Its hard to imagine a more misleading slogan. It also says this, and i quote, we will learn from this experience, end of quote, and so as i said earlier, in the other hearing, these children, when we are dead, when we are dead and gone, these children will suffer for what we failed to do, and so mr. Chairman, as ive said to you before, we have to be the last line of defense. We have to be it, because generations yet unborn will suffer, but weve got to do everything in our power to mitigate that. I look forward to the hearing, and i yield back. I thank the gentlemen. Well hold the record open for five legislative days for any members who would like to submit a written statement. Pleased to welcome the honorable Governor Snyder and Gina Mccarthy, administrator for the Environmental Protection agency. Pursuant to Committee Rules if you would both rise and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony youre about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth . Thank you. Let the record reflect that both witnesses answered in the affirmative. We normally have a fiveminute rule but you areal with come to take the time that you need for your verbal comments and your entire written statement will be made part of the record. Governor snyder, you are now recognized. Mr. Chairman chaffetz, ranking number cummings and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about the crisis in flint and the actions we are taking to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. Let me be blunt. This was a failure of government at all levels, local, state, and federal officials. We all failed the families of flint. This isnt about politics nor partisanship. Im not going to point fingers or shift blame. Theres plenty of that to share, and neither will help the people of flint. Not a day or night goes by that this tragedy doesnt weigh on my mind, the questions i should have asked, the answers i should have demanded, how i could have prevented this. Thats why im so committed to delivering permanent longterm solutions and clean, Safe Drinking Water that every michigan citizen deserves. Today ill report what weve done, what were doing, and what we will do to deliver real results and real relief to the families of flint. But before going through the facts, i want to express my profound gratitude for the help and heroism of professor mark edwards, dr. Mona ana atiia and flint resident leanne walters. They were among the first to sound the alarm about the failures of government and the crisis afflicting the flint community. Here are the facts. From the day the city of flint began using the flint river as an interim water supply on april 25th, 2014, and repeatedly after that, the department of Environmental Quality assured us that flints water was safe. It wasnt. A water expert at the federal epa tried to raise the alarm in 2015 and he was silenced. It was on october 1st, 2015 that i learned that our state experts were wrong. Flints water had Dangerous Levels of lead. On that day, i took immediate action. First we quickly reconnected to the detroit water supply to begin sealing the damaged pipes. Second, i had the Immediate Distribution of water filters and extensive blood level testing in schools and homes to identify those at highest risk so they could receive health care, nutrition and additional support. Third, we deployed 67 million to address both short term needs and longterm solutions. Our focus and our priority is on both Short Term Health and longterm safety. This includes diagnostic testing, nurse visits and environmental assessments in the home to treat any child with high lead levels. This is only the beginning. Right now were in the appropriations process for an additional 165 million to deliver permanent longterm solutions. I urge congress to pass the bipartisan bill for aiding flint immediately so we can further protect the health and safety of Flint Residents and families from identifying every pipe that must be replaced to providing longterm medical support. Were working with local leaders like karen weaver and representatives here in washington to deliver the assistance our citizens deserve. We are holding those who failed accountable, and were being open with the public about how these failures came about, including releasing my emails and my staff emails related to this water crisis. We are in the process of publicly releasing relevant documents from the state agencies involved, so the people will have an open, honest assessment of what happened and what were doing to fix it. We also began a thorough investigation of what went wrong. Weve uncovered systematic failures at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The fact is, bureaucrats created a culture that valued technical competence over common sense, and the result was the lead was leaching into the residents water. Thats why im committed to a complete and comprehensive change in State Government that puts Public Health and safety first and why ive called for a thorough investigation of the Michigan Department of health and Human Services by the Auditor General and Inspector General. Were taking responsibility in michigan, and were taking action and thats absolutely essential here in washington, too. Inefficient, ineffective and unaccountable bureaucrats at the epa allowed this disaster to continue unnecessarily. Im glad to be sitting next to the administrator from the epa because all must acknowledge our responsibility and be held accountable. I do want to thank miguel del toro, a water specialist at the epa, who spoke up early about the crisis, tragically his superiors at the epa told local leaders in flint to ignore his call for action. The truth is, there are many communities with potentially dangerous lead problems, and if the epa and the deq do not change and the dumb and dangerous federal led and copper rule is not changed, then this tragedy will befall other american cities. Professor edwards has been sounding this alarm for years and i look forward to joining with him to address this failure of government. Im grateful to have been elected to serve the people of michigan. I understand their anger. Ive been humbled by this experience and im going to make flint and every community in michigan a better place to live. We have a lot to learn and we have a lot to do. I close with a simple plea partner with me in fixing this, not just for the people of flint, but for the people all over the country. Ranking member cummings is right. The American People this is america, and this should never have happened. The American People deserve rules that make sense and professionals to enforce them who know that health and safety are urgent matters. I can make sure that happens in michigan. You can make sure it happens for every american. Thank you and i look forward to your questions. Thank you, governor. I now recognize the administrator of the epa, ms. Mccarthy. Youre now recognized. Good morning, mr. Chairman, Ranking Member cummings, distinguished members of the committee. I thank you for the opportunity to testify about epas response to the Drinking Water crisis in flint, michigan. I want to start by saying that what happened in flint should never have happened, and can never be allowed to happen again. The crisis that we are seeing is a resu