WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLBT) – The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General has officially announced it has begun an inquiry into Jackson’s drinking water emergency.
The office made the announcement on September 13, days after NBC News confirmed the investigation had begun and about two weeks after equipment failures at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant left tens of thousands of people without water or water pressure.
“This inquiry will include interviews, data gathering, an analysis of compliance with regulations, policies, and procedures for, among other things, overseeing the city’s water system and administering the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving funds.”
OIG notified EPA Region 4 that it may contact individuals associated with the Region 4 Water Division, the Enforcement and Compliance Divisions, and officials with the city and state.
Region 4 of the EPA includes Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
On Monday, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said he received calls from employees who said they had been contacted by investigators. He told those employees to cooperate with any agency requests.
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