Jackson Jambalaya

 It's time for another edition of What Did They Tell the EPA?.  The EPA asked for public comments on whether Jackson's water receiver, Ted Henifin, should take over the city's sewer system.  JJ is weeding through 721 pages of comments and posting the more notable ones. Sit outside, enjoy the nice weather, and check out what Jacksonians had to say about their city's sewer system.  

The comments posted below represent the overwhelming majority of the comments.  Indeed, 95% of the public comments submitted approved of Mr. Henifin taking over the sewer system.  Read away.

I live at xxxxx. My insurance has been cancelled because of sewage and meter damage to my yard in the front yard (facial damage).  I have a huge hole in my yard that is getting larger every day it rains.  A car hit the hole coming around the corner too fast and totaled out two automobiles.  Also my house was badly damaged.  There’s sewage problems behind my neighbors and my home.  We have had sewage problems over 20 years.  It has been reported with EPA.  Water is running down the street of xxx block of xxxx.  HELP!!! HELP!!! Thank you!!!  Jenice Luckett, p. 410

 My name is Manning McPhillips and I live at    xxxxx   in Jackson. We moved into this house in. For the past 2 years, we have repeatedly faced sewer problems in our part of the neighborhood. There was a collapse in the sewer main that had gone unresolved for years by the city. That led to sewage backing up in my next door neighbor's home causing them to move out of the home for the safety of their children.

The same issue led to us not being able to flush our toilets for days at a time. This would happen about every other week for about 18 months. The city never took any action to address this public health problem.

In the 1st quarter of this year, the water main a block from our house broke and poured water into the street and down a nearby storm drain for weeks. This water break eventually eroded the soil to the point that the sewer line collapsed causing a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Raw sewer gushed into the free-flowing water that was already pouring down our street. That contaminated water went into the storm drain and ultimately into the Pearl River.

There are 11 small children that live on this block. At one point there was a 6-foot deep and 10-foot wide hole in the street full of this contaminated water that we were told was jokingly referred to as "Lake Belhaven" by city staff. We do not think this was a laughing matter. I contacted my city councilwoman and the mayor. Neither acted like it was within their power to deal with this problem.

When the JXN Water team was brought into the discussions, they quickly identified the problem and developed a solution. Within a week, both lines were repaired, the hole was covered, and the street was repaired. This public health hazard and safety problem, that the city was utterly incapable of addressing, was fixed in about a week by the competent team at JXN Water.

I strongly support the stipulated order and request that JXN Water be made responsible for the sewer system as well. My children's health and safety were put in jeopardy for months by the city's unlawful neglect and inaction. The EPA and DOJ have a duty to protect our health and right to safety. These federal agencies have a duty to stop the discharge of billions of gallons of sewage into the Pearl River.

I have full faith and confidence in JXN Water to protect our family and the environment and hem taking on the sewer system.zManning McPhillips  P. 457

 Due to negligence on the part of the City, my house was flooded on December 20, 2022. All of our Christmas presents were lost, the entire first floor of our house was flooded with 3 ft of raw sewage, and the city took 8 hours just to stop the water from flowing in the house.

Over the next 6 weeks, I watched as city crews came to my house every day to work on the water line on   xxxxx. For 6 weeks, we had no water (we have two toddlers). Once Ted and Jordan got involved, the water line, the sewer line, and the street were all fixed and repaved in 3 days. Drew Maddox, p. 422

 We wholeheartedly support the court’s order of the sewer system being managed by Ted Henifin and Jxn Water.  Hu Meena, p. 463

As a long time Jackson resident and one concerned about the environment, it is crucially important that management of repairing and operations of the Jackson Sewer system be taken away from the city’s incompetent leadership and permanently placed under the competent management of JXN Water.

I have witnessed first hand the tremendous amount of pollution to the Pearl River ecosystem caused by Jackson Public Works incompetence. It is an environmental tragedy and shocking that the federal government has not stepped in before now.  Billy Mounger, II p. 494

I give my 100 % TOTAL SUPPORT to Mr Ted Henifin to run our city’s sewer system along with our water system. He has proven to be a professional and a very competent manager .

HE MUST STAY. I have been a resident of Jackson for the last xx years .

Our city CANNOT & MUST NOT manage our water or sewer. I will move out of Jackson if the city gets these services back. City of Jackson needs to focus on reducing crime and improving our streets. P. 502 Savita Nair

I am a resident of Jackson and completely support Mr. Henifin as the interim manager for both the water and sewer systems in Jackson. He is an extraordinarily competent and responsible manager. David Palmer, p. 525  

These systems have been badly mismanaged by the City of Jackson for the past 20 or more years. The water disaster that resulted a year ago was a predictable result of the mismanagement.

Since the new management has been put in place under the order of the court, an incredible amount of progress has been made. We are totally supportive of the Court's appointed management, under the leadership of Mr. Ted Henifin. We are pleased that management of the sewer system has also been assigned to the same team.

I believe that vocal criticism of the water system management is unjustifiable complaining from persons who had positions of influence with City Hall prior Mr. Henifin's appointment by the court. I believe those vocal critics had been hired by the City to perform work on the water and sewer systems which was faulty and ineffective and led to the failure of the system. I believe they are more concerned about their loss of business from the City than they are about the effectiveness of these systems which are functioning far better today than they were a year ago. These are my opinions based on personal observation, conversations with informed persons, and my experience as a graduate of xxxxxx.  I am a lifelong resident of Jackson.  P. 756, George Pickett

As resident of Jackson, Mississippi, and as a business owner in Jackson, I wish to express my support for the Court's Order and the management of the water and sewer system by Ted Henifin and JxnWater. Crymes Pittman, p. 756. 

I support the court's order and the sewer system being managed by Ted Henifin and JXN Water. Brad Reeves, p. 582  (KF: Most comments were short and similar to this one).

This past Spring the odor of sewage was so bad that no one living in this area could go outside without gaging. I learned about the sewage leaking into  xxxxx  much later due to no full disclosure. There is no excuse. Children play along the creek as well as all the animals and wildlife. Even though my pets are on a hidden electric fence, the spring waters overflow their banks into a small oxbow on my property. These waters overflow all along their banks from their origination to their destination of the Pearl River. All 7 of my pets and my daughter’s pets had to be treated for gastric issues with multiple trips to the vet. The health hazard to all is astounding. All had to take metronidazole for diarrhea caused by protozoal parasites such as giardiasis and bacterial infections which come from fences contaminated water. The fact that it was not addressed and allowed to go on for so long is disgusting. I also live on a major sewer line easement for the City of Jackson. I reported a sewage leak several years ago that had I not it would have not been taken care of due to the fact that no one checks this area. There is a major pipe that crosses from the easement over White Oak Creek towards the McLeod area. Several neighborhoods lines cross on this property coming from Old Canton Road. I definitely support this order and appointing Ted Henifin to manage, operate, and maintain the City of Jackson’s sewer system.

I personally think it is time that The City of Jackson file for bankruptcy and a conservatorship put in place to get the of Jackson back in check as well as bring accountability. Suzannah McGowan, p. 663

I want to thank you for letting us show our support for the federal court order placing control of the Jackson, MS sewer in management of JXN Water which is managed by Ted Henifin. We are a Jackson business that is constantly trying to grow and improve our opportunities here in Mississippi. We need Mr. Heflin to operate our sewer system because we think it is equally important for Jackson to have a sound, successful, operating sewer system along with our water system. He has been a game changer.  William VanDevender, p. 685

I am writing to ensure that it is perfectly understood that the groups that have spoken against Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin receiving control of the city’s sewer system do NOT represent or speak for all African American citizens in the City of Jackson, MS. The current administration has had ample opportunity to be concerned about our water and sewer system for almost two terms now, yet matters have only gotten worse.

Many of us are sick and tired of the continuous antics of this current administration to further divide the Capital City by playing the race card. Enough is Enough! It is my prayer that Mr. Henifin is afforded the opportunity to provide the quality service WE as Jacksonians deserve.

There are more with Mr. Henifin taking over the water and sewer system than against it. Honestly, it would be best if he had complete control of the whole Public Works Department.

Bottom line .... We deserve far better than what we've gotten since July 1, 2017. There are only two positions to consider: (1) Part of the PROBLEM or (2) Part of the SOLUTION. Mr. Henifin is clearly Thee SOLUTION to this devastating and embarrassing state of our water and sewer system.

We are One City with One Aim and One Destiny! I wholeheartedly the transfer for the betterment of ALL citizens and visitors of Jackson, MS .  Tina Wallace, p. 697

It is incomprehensible that the present Mayor of Jackson MS (and the last 3-4) have been allowed to ruin the infrastructure to the current state of horrors.
Without a receivership (Ted Henifin) Chokwe Lumumba and his band of corrupt, lying contractor buddies...the criminal neglect will continue unabated.
The anti-white racism will never be addressed. I have accepted that hating me for my white skin is
just encouraged from the highest ranks of city government.
But you are FAILING the most impoverished minorities if you do not remove all power from the mayor.
I know that nobody cares about poor whites here, But if you care about the poverty stricken black people in the City of Jackson.... YOU WILL FUNDS AWAY FROM THE MAYOR AND HIS PALS.