Tuesday, September 27, 2022

EPA Threatens Jackson...... Again

 The federal government threatened to sue Jackson over the long-term neglect of its water treatment plants. 

The Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department notified Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba yesterday it was prepared to sue over violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. After showing the stick, the letter offered the carrot as it "invited" the Mayor to negotiate an "enforceable agreement."  The letter cites as evidence:

the roughly 300 boil water notices that have been issued over the past two years, the multiple line breaks during that same time period, and the recent drinking water crisis where most City residents did not have access to running water for many days. 

The notice states the violations are 

* failure to staff the water treatment plants with Class A operators

* Failure to implement an alternative water supply plan as it was supposed to do under the March 2021 order. 

* Failure to install corrosion control pursuant to lead and copper rule

* Repeated exceedance of turbidity limits. 

* Failure to rehab filters

The Justice Department and EPA want Jackson to submit to a "comprehensive plan" for fixing the violations as well as a schedule for implementing the plan.  The EPA has issued similar deadline on Jackson since the March 2021 emergency administrative order yet Jackson repeatedly blew off the deadlines.  

Kingfish note: Although the letter sounds tough, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Mayor Lumumba were best buds at yesterday's press conference.  The EPA set deadline after deadline on Jackson, all to no avail as the city was never held accountable.  There is no reason to think such won't happen again. 


43 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wait, one of the reasons for the failure wasn't racism? This is Corm Pop's EPA, right?

Anonymous said...

At the press conference for this ongoing embarrassment the kiddee Mayor was grinning like he just won the lottery.

Anonymous said...

However, these citations do not include one thing that the mair can use to blame white people, finances, past administrations, history of the infrastructure or anything else that pre-dates HIS inaction. That's a plus.

It's not at all unusual for a visiting 'evaluation team' (public or private sector) to be all smiles and schmoozes while in town and as they leave town. They never say up front or during the visit, 'We expect inattention to duty, lax management and poor leadership' and never say 'We're here to kick your ass'.

Anonymous said...

So, you're saying the protected class will be protected?

Anonymous said...

Does this mean my house’s value is dropping even more? I am tired of this Detroit Michigan model the mayor is using.

Anonymous said...

Clowns in charge of clown world.

Anonymous said...

The federal government needs to sue NOT threatened to sue Jackson!
If it was a rich white community EPA would go after them like stink on poop!

Disclaimer: This comment is not racially motivated but stating a hard truth!

EFGAlterEgo said...

I don't believe a damn thing the EPA says until they're filing suit in Federal court.

Anonymous said...

One parent scolds him and sends him to bed without dinner…. The other slips him McDonalds.

Anonymous said...

This is like telling a toddler not to pull the cat's tail. They smile at you and do it anyway...over and over again.

Anonymous said...

If anything Jackson has been cut a lot of slack for race relations. The Federal, State and Regional agencies that work with Jackson have to provide much additional help to the city complete any project or program any where near on time. Jackson gets plenty of money and lots of funding for which is ear marked and goes directly to the city. Plus water systems make money and normally do not need help.

Anonymous said...

This is how dem cities operate. They take over then run it into the ground and as they start to bottom out they scream for federal assistance. They look for someone to blame and link it to racism.

For Consumption by the Sheeple of Jackistan said...

Meanwhile Regan and Chowke are swilling single malt scotch together at Ticos.

Anonymous said...

I’m already making money from this. Federal gov contract to truck in bottled water. FEMA has an enormous budget and pays above market!

Thanks to the optics of Katrina, the federal government will never allow anyone to ever go thirsty after a natural disaster. They spend an hundreds of millions of dollars to fly heavy pallets of bottled water down to Puerto Rico after every hurricane. Most of it simply goes to waste.

Anonymous said...

How is Bill Crawford going to spin this leftist democrat colossal failure and what scripture will he quote?

Democrats are environmentalists; YEA RIGHT!…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Anonymous said...

I propose an ordinance to be taken up by the city council renaming Jackson as "South Detroit."

Anonymous said...

Lock Chokwe up!

Anonymous said...

Is there anything stopping the state from taking these violations and hammering the city? Specifically, going after the mayor for not doing his damn job?

Anonymous said...

So, how do the individual failures of Jackson leadership support the revocation of the state's authority to enforce federal law? Can Annie Snider ask Lumumba?

"And then there is what advocates dub the nuclear option: pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to revoke the state’s authority to carry out enforcement of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA would then oversee Mississippi’s more than 1,000 drinking water systems directly"

Anonymous said...

By considering sending this letter in a meeting, the EPA needs to understand that Da Mair can simply veto it.

Anonymous said...

In a serious State, the willful neglect of a Water System would be criminal. The Mayor knew the serious state of the water system and has eloquently explained it over and over, yet never took any steps to remedy it. He should face charges for it, or at the least be suspended from his duties like Governor DeSantis has done to two incompetent, elected imbeciles in the State of Florida.

Anonymous said...

I’m not sure why state taxpayers have to pay for the city of Jackson’s incompetent leadership. It didn’t just start with 5his administration either! This one is just the most incompetent. The mayor is an idiot and, on a good day, you may have two decent city council members. Voters of Jackson, clean house!

Anonymous said...

The water was just a little brown for a few years. What's the big deal!!??

Anonymous said...

But but , the religious l e a d e r s said?.....

Anonymous said...

But wait a minute. I would swear that Rukia's announcement of her rally yesterday said that the failure of the water system was due to decades of neglect by the State, not neglect by the City. But yet the EPA seems to have addressed and sent this letter to the City and threatened legal action against the City. Why would the EPA do that if Rukia is right that maintenance of the water system is the responsibility of the State and its failure was the fault of the State ? This must be a mistake by the EPA, right ? Right ?

Whoa, hold up again. I just noticed that the prior federal court suit was "United States and State of Mississippi vs the City of Jackson". Now why would the US government sue the City of Jackson when all of this is/was the State's responsibility and fault ? Damn these EPA lawyers must be stupid. They done gone and sued the wrong entity, right ? Right ?

Anonymous said...

"I’m not sure why state taxpayers have to pay for the city of Jackson’s incompetent leadership."

Have you seen the abysmal population numbers from the 2020 Census? This ain't hard. If this State doesn't develop a healthy urban center that can retain college grads, that small growth we've seen will be heading the opposite direction and that isn't good for workers, property owners, or business owners.

Anonymous said...

You people know damn well we have a tiered justice system in this country.

The mayor is a member of the protected class, he's safe.

Anonymous said...

KF is spot on about Regan and the Mayor. They have been friends for awhile now. Regan will cover for the mayor like he has been doing already. He has no choice now. They have gone to far down the road together. Unless there is a whistle blower at EPA to spill the beans on their close relationship, nothing will happen.

Anonymous said...

Gonna take more than "water than you can safely drink" to gentrify Jackson and make it the desired urban spot 2:20pm is seeking on behalf of our shrinking population.

Step in the right direction sure, but without some level of safety assurance...you could pipe Pinot Gris from the faucets and young folks wont stick around.

Anonymous said...

9:28 a.m.: You do realize that Jackson has an old-money, rich white neighborhood located within the city limits, don't you?

Anonymous said...

If this State doesn't develop a healthy urban center that can retain college grads ...

Pure garbage.

We'll retain our college grads with jobs.

Anonymous said...

Kingfish, your systemic-reporting approach to the Jackson water crisis is unparalleled. I shudder to think how roughshod the charlatan serving as our Mayor would be running over this city without your dogged pursuit of the truth that most media here shy away from. Kudos for your outstanding efforts to expose and lead.

Krusatyr said...

There is no racial bias reason for Regan, a Black political hack for EPA, to help Lil Choke if, at the same time, he is hurting 120,000 +/- Blacks in Jackson. Plus the investigative arm of EPA does not ask Regan whom to indict for willful violation of EPA directives.

Why would the EPA, race hustlers though they may be, help Lumumba and simultaneously poison 120,000 Blacks?

I don't drink Choke water, boiled or not.

Anonymous said...

So let’s get this straight, Reagan handed a letter to Chokwe at the meeting. Upon reading the letter; the Mayor immediately contacts Rukia to form a marching coalition to Swap empathy for him and get EPA citations and fines off of the COJ. I had to read the letter twice and hopefully respect the EPA has the best interest for all people of MS and will hold the Mayor accountable. I will give Mr.Reagan the benefit of doubt as the deadline is Wednesday, September 28 to pursue settlement discussions so an initial meeting can be scheduled this week. If the Federal government does not follow through and only threatens Jackson then every other city in the US can use this in their argument should they have the same issues.

Anonymous said...

THIS time the EPA weally, weally, weally means it.

Anonymous said...

What enforcement power does the EPA have other than fines?

Anonymous said...

The EPA letter is just another letter and Lord Choke knows it. Choke says nothing was learned in this new letter and they will just ignore it like the 2016 letter. He knows the (D) lead EPA will not do anything to the (D) Mayor.

Anonymous said...

The EPA is toothless and altogether worthless. Their warnings and admonitions can even completely ignored. Wonder if the IRS is the same way?

Anonymous said...

@10:19
IRS has acquired millions of rounds of ammunition and thousands of service weapons and is giving weapons training to their agents.

Anonymous said...

I hoped with all the scrutiny of Jackson's water crisis, and revelations/creditable evidence of the city administration's crucial role in its exacerbation through mismanagement, the Mayor would take a different approach. I hoped he would learn that its not prudent (or smart) to denigrate and continue to blame those who can help you,and have helped you (especially when you need a lot of help) mitigate a crisis you helped create. It appears he is under the impression that the feds coming to the rescue, the Black "faith community" supporting him, and perpetuation of the narrative that it is Mississippi's racist government that is at fault, will successfully deflect from his administration's incompetence. His minimization of EPA's most recent letter, demonstrates he has not learned the lesson. Additionally, Mr. Regan, whether friends with the Mayor or not, will only go so far if he values his professional integrity and his job. The ministers involved, don't want to see the Mayor "go down" for something others have done variations of (and on a larger scale), yet remained in office. There is much more at stake for the Black community than the Mayor's reputation. So they will support him. Hopefully they will also provide the mayor some much needed wise counsel, and hopefully,he will listen. Too much is at stake.

Anonymous said...

And yet again instead of You doing YOUR JOB Chokwe, your answer is to incite anger and push citizens to file law suits against the State of Mississippi. The State of MS did NOT create these problems. You alone are in charge of the COJ, not Reeves! Quit finger pointing and grow up! You will soon have your day in Court hopefully very soon!

Anonymous said...

I will just throw this out the COJ needs former JPD Chief Robert Johnson to run & be elected as Mayor for the COJ. He was one of the best if not the best Chief who did not answer to a mayor. To succeed you must have the right people in each position. Right? Also you cannot run a city where the Chief of Police cannot follow the laws without the mayor impeding the police chiefs job. Right? With Sincere staff in place, department can be run effectively to do a job for the COJ that is required to financially to be a benefit to both the citizens and every entity that deals with public service. Right? Mr. Robert Johnson or a person of his ethics, honesty & integrity are imperative to run a Municipality! Just a thought. A city without laws being in force whether, water, garbage or crime are pretty much one in the same. There are too many good people to throw up the towel and say we can’t do better but it is a two way street. Change comes when you have people wanting better for their children & grandchildren. There is no shame in saying You elected the Mayor but is he the Person to Move the COJ forward in a sincere & honest way that is in the best interest for the COJ

Anonymous said...


So does EPA exist or only for Republican controlled Towns, Cities etc.. What the hell does Jackson,Ms have to do to bring this to a head.. Raw Sewerage going down the Pearl River, total incompetence in running a Water Intake System(if they don't show up-excuse them.. If no qualified Water Operators are on payroll-overlook it etc) where the hell is accountably here?


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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