Curt Guyette

Importance: High Mr. Wurfel, Attached are a few questions regarding the MDEQ’s oversight of Flint’s Lead and Copper Rule monitoring program. i would appreciate it if you would provide me answers by the end of the day Thursday, Sept. 24. Feel free to call me either at work (313-578-6834) or on my cell phone i 4 if you have questions or need anything clarified. Sincerely, Curt Guyette xxxEND_PAGE:deq26_b164_1530_1530_1

Importance: High Dear Mr. Wurfel, After testing more than 250 homes in Flint, researchers at Virginia Tech have continued to find dangerously high levels of lead in many of the homes being sampled. They are unequivocal in their findings, stating that: “Flint has a very serious lead in water problem.” These results run contrary to the city and MDEQ’s assertions that the city of Flint is in compliance with U.S. EPA Lead and Copper Rule compliance standards. In fact, based on Virginia Tech’s results — which are much more extensive, having tested nearly four times as many homes as the city tested during the first half of 2015, and the VT researchers have not specifically target high-risk homes, as the city is required to do for the LCR monitoring — the city is actually well out of compliance. | was hoping you would be able to provide the MDEQ’s position regarding VT researchers’ purported findings, and the contradictory conclusions.. Virginia Tech’s methodology and results have been posted on a web site dedicated to the project (flintwaterstudy.org/), so it is clear from their end how they have approached this project, and exactly what they've done, and what they’ve found. It would be very helpful to have the MDEQ’s views on all this for my upcoming story. | am working on a deadline and would very much appreciate a response by the end of the day tomorrow, Sept. 11. | appreciate any help you can provide in my reporting on this very important public health issue. 1 xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails21_b0052_0091_0092_1 Sincerely, Curt xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails21_b0052_0091_0092_2

Mr. Wurfel, Prof. Mare Edwards of Virginia Tech university has been leading a research project to canduct an independent study of lead in Flint’s water. Working with a group of city residents, they have been collecting water samples frorn hornes throughout the city. The study is still under way, but the results so far have been so disturbing that VT has begun posting results on the web in order to alert residents about how serious the problern may be. This is what VT is reporting: Over the weekend we analyzed another 72 lead samples collected by Flint residents and mailed to VT. For the 120 samples analyzed to date, forty two percent were over 5 ppb, which suggests a serious lead in water problem according to our experience and criteria. Twenty-three (20% of those collected) also exceeded 15 ppb lead, suggesting a serious lead in water problem. That is, the Flint Citizen Science study to date, is finding resuits worse than the EPA standard which is applied to sampling “worst case” homes. The highest lead sampled in first draw so far was 158 ppb, and the highest sample after 45 second flushing is 1051 ppb. Six of 120 homes sampled (5%), had over 15 ppb lead even after 2 minutes of continuous flushing. The 90%’ile lead level in the Flint Water Study is currently 30 ppb, which is double the EPA standard applied to “worst case” homes, and in a range where water consumption has caused lead poisoning in children and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Needless to say, these data are very worrisome. Here is the website containing the information. xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1405_3576_3577_1 lam writing about this for a story that will be posted tomorrow. If the city chooses to respond, I need to hear back from you by the end of the day today, Aug. 31. Sincerely, Curt Guyette xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1405_3576_3577_2

Mr. Wurfel, I’m following up on last week’s story about information contained in an internal EPA memo about lead in Flint’s drinking water. Two things: 1. Miguel Del Toral of the EPA’s Region 5 says that Flint is required to be putting corrosion control treatment in the drinking water there, and that it isn’t doing so. What is the DEQ’s postion? 2. Both Mr. Del Toral and Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor and one of the nation’s leading experts on water pipe corrosion, say that the method Flint is using to test for lead in water is almost certain to minimize the results and miss worst-case scenarios. Del Toral says Flint is using a “loophole” in the law. Edwards says the methodology should be banned. What is DEQ’s response to that? FYI, | tried repeatedly to get a response to these questions prior to publishing this story last week, but after making initial contact, received no response. Thank you for your help. Curt Guyette xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0392_1573_1573_1

Hella, Pron following up on my phone call and ernail frorn yesterday about water testing and corrasion control questions regarding Flint. fro in my office this afternoon and really need to get a response this afternoon, if that fs at all within your power to make happen. My office number is 313-574-6834, Thanks for any help you can provide, Curt Guyette xxxEND_PAGE:deq15_b135_0479_0479_1