Brad Wurfel

Brad Wurfel Communications Director, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality [email protected] 517-230-8006 (cell) xxxEND_PAGE:deq26_b244_2025_2051_01 Olszewski, Rosemarie (DEQ)

Mr. Wurfel, As | read your statements today in the newspaper, your caring for the citizens of Flint and how that just didn't come through in your communications, | have to wonder what you were thinking. Your rudeness and arrogance towards citizens and experts was truly astounding. Given your words and demeanor, why would anyone think you care about the people of Flint or for that matter the citizens of Michigan? | am glad you have resigned as | don't think you had the welfare of the citizens as your top priority. | hope you take with you to your next job, whatever it might be, a new respect, compassion and understanding for people. | hope you have learned to listen attentively to what others say and have empathy for their plight - that our goal as humans is to help others in need not dismiss them and malign them. | hope you have grown as a person and realize we are all in this together. Sincerely, Ruth Wilson xxxEND_PAGE:deq25_b082_0984_0984_1

Ms. Winters, It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as Communications Director for the past five years. I’m quite proud of countless accomplishments this team has achieved. However, | am tendering my two weeks’ notice, effective January 16, 2016. Thank you all for a great run. Best wishes in the new year. b Brad Wurfel Communications Director, xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1750_4251_4251_1

Today, Director Dan Wyant offered his resignation to Governor Snyder. Dan Wyant has been an extraordinary DEQ Director, and I’ve been blessed and honored to serve him, Governor Snyder and the DEQ in the transformation of the agency over the past five years. Wyant is widely regarded for reforming the agency, within and without, rebuilding our connections to stakeholders and working to position DEQ as a key player in Michigan’s economic recovery. Our commitment from the outset was simple: Michigan shouldn't have to choose between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. We can have both. We've focused on reforming the department culture to put customer service, environmental protection and partnership with stakeholders as the top priorities. | believe Dan Wyant’s work in this department will endure for years to come. The situation in Flint has been difficult for everyone, and we recognize that in addition to a lot of work in the months and years to come, the state must rebuild trust with the community. The issue of lead in drinking water is not limited to Flint. In fact, itis a troubling reality in communities around the state and nation, and an important one for our state leaders to resolve. | have elected to follow Director Wyant and offer my resignation as well, to pursue new opportunities and make way for a new team to launch a fresh start at the DEQ in 2016. Thank you for all we’ve accomplished together, and | look forward to working with you in the future. b. Brad Wurfel Communications Director, Michigan | ar vail of Environmental Quality xxxEND_PAGE:deq15_b363_1549_1549_1

Hello Brad, A response to my inquiry please. Thanks, Gary Gary Wilson Commentator, Great Lakes Echo Contributor, WKAR Current State Member, Society of Environmental Journalists garvelxSi@amail. com T @garyglx5

Google Alert - Michigan DEQ Ringler was already conducting an audit of Michigan's Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance when the Flint corrosion issue arose. Toledo Blade You have received this email because you have subscribed to Gaagle Alerts. xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0927_3295_3295_1

Auditor General: State Responsible For Flint River Water Hookup It was state, not local officials that made the final call to switch water sources for City of Flint residents, according to a letter from Auditor General Doug RINGLER. The letter concludes the final call to change water sources was made by the State's Emergency Manager while waiting for the city's switch to the uncompleted Karegnondi Water Authority. “Although the Flint City Council voted in March 2013 in support of moving to the KWA pipeline, the vote was silent on the use of Flint River water as a temporary drinking water source,” the letter reads. The state's DEQ had approved the Flint River as an emergency alternative water source in 2006. “This is another example of how the state failed initially, and continues to fail by not treating this situation like the emergency it is,” Rep. Sheldon RE#EEY (D-Flint) said in a statement responding to the findings. “We need answers, we need action, and we need them sooner rather than later.” In a recent interview, Gov. Rick SNYBER said the state's Flint emergency manager; Flint's mayor, city council and other key stakeholders all had a hand in the dialogue surrounding the switch. "It wasn't isolated to one person, although one person ultimately had to make the decision," he said. "The letter

Testing for childhood lead exposure has not typically included water tests, so when Flint-area physicians earlier this year reported children with higher concentrations of lead, the state had to look at what could cause it, Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyonsaid in an interview. And when it was clear the increased levels correlated with the city's switch to water from the Flint River, the state almost immediately took action, he said. Mr. Lyon also said finding ways of reducing exposure to lead has been a priority of his and the department. The almost unique circumstances surrounding the Flint situation, "is not my issue," Mr. Lyon said. "My issue is how do I reduce the exposure to lead in children of Flint? That's the immediate concern, and then the next concern is, what sort of interventions are needed in the future?" In one sense, trying to anticipate what future interventions are needed ties into a theme Mr. Lyon stressed repeatedly in the interview, which was how to make the Department of Health and Human Services more pro- active and preventative-oriented to help prevent issues from arising. If, for example, the department can help a family that appears to have problems before a child is abused or neglected, then the child and the family both are spared traumas that could have dramatic effects years later, and the state will save the cost of the intervention system it has to go through, he said. Mr. Lyon has also overseen the integration and adjustment of the department - a merger of the former departments of Community Health and Human Services - through 2015 and said it had forced him to "drink

Democrats saw "serious failings" of the system in an early report released Monday from the Office of the Auditor General on the state's ability to adequately address a drinking water crisis in the city of Flint earlier this year. The report primarily consisted of answers to questions posed by Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) in a letter he sent to the auditor general in October during the height of the water crisis, but Mr. Ananich and Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint) said in a statement that some of those answers "confirmed that Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality failed to ensure proper corrosion control was used to treat Flint River water and that the state was responsible for the decision to use the river as the city of Flint's primary drinking water source." Mr. Ananich also said the results suggest that legislative oversight of the situation was best and expected hearings on the situation to be "high on the agenda" when the Legislature returns. "What's clear is that corrosion control should have been used and there are serious failings in our system that must be addressed," he said in the statement. "Between the FOIA emails released recently and these findings, it's obvious that legislative oversight is the best way to see how all of these pieces fit together." But the administration saw the responses differently. "The letter from the Office of the Auditor General includes some criticisms, but also reflects that state officials were following accepted protocols, or in one case, an interpretation of the corrosion control program that the EPA later clarified," Dave Murray, spokesperson for Governor Rick Snyder, said in a statement. "But we need to do better in ensuring Flint residents have safe water and tracking children affected by elevated lead levels. We continue to work with the bipartisan task force that is reviewing all the actions at the state, local and federal level and is expected to offer recommendations in a month or so. Governor Snyder is committed to working with Flint Mayor Weaver and officials on these issues," Mr. Murray said. And DEQ spokesperson Brad Wurfel said the department agreed with the findings in the AG's review. "The findings align with our internal department review," he said. "We appreciate the auditor general's work to provide a fair and well considered look at some key issues." One key finding was supporting the DEQ's decision to drop the two samples with the highest lead content in its second six-month sample. That decision has come under withering scrutiny, but the auditor general report set it was appropriate under federal rules. The report answered questions on how the Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance ensures the data it receives is accurate - to which the auditor general noted two potential improvements for the Flint water sampling process - and what accountability measures are in place for office staff who fail to follow data verification protocols. "DEQ does not provide any direct oversight over the Flint Water Treatment Plant (Flint WTP) and, therefore, does not have any accountability measures over the Flint WTP's LTR (Lead Copper Rule) data verification protocols," the report indicated. "We did not identify any instances in which ODWMA staff failed to verify that submitted samples were certified by the Flint WTP." On accountability measures in place for Drinking Water staff who lie or misrepresent information, the auditor general noted only one e-mail exchange between the DEQ and the Environmental Protection Agency that appeared to be a "significant contributor" to the concern that the DEQ misrepresented information to the EPA. "The EPA requested clarification on February 26, 2015 regarding the type of optimized corrosion control treatment (their emphasis) the Flint WIP was using. DEQ responded on February 27, 2015 that the city had an optimized corrosion control programin place, but DEQ did not provide any program details," the report 1 xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0924_3289_3290_1 outlined. "DEQ informed us that the Flint WTP corrosion control program included performing lead and copper monitoring for two consecutive six-month periods to determine whether corrosion control treatment would be necessary in the future. "However, it appears the EPA interpreted corrosion control program to mean that corrosion control treatment was being performed," the audit stated. Still, based on its review of numerous e-mails, the auditor said it had no specific reason to believe the DEQ willfully misrepresented the information to the EPA. But Democrats pointed out other issues: In response to the question about whether corrosion control treatment should have been maintained when the switch for the water source was made to the Flint River, the AG letter concludes, "We believe that corrosion control treatment should have been maintained," Democrats noted. And with regard to how the decision was made about using the Flint River as the primary drinking water source, the letter states, "Although the Flint City Council voted in March 2013 in support of moving to the KWA (Karegnondi Water Authority) pipeline, the vote was silent on the use of Flint River water as a temporary drinking water source," Democrats said. "This is another example of how the state failed initially, and continues to fail by not treating this situation like the emergency it is," Mr. Neeley said in a statement. "We need answers, we need action, and we need them sooner rather than later." The full report on the ODWMA within the DEQ is not expected until late February. Sent from my iPhone xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0924_3289_3290_2

Use Flint River, Failed to Ensure Corrosion Control 10-4. Can't fit into a 40 second headline but will quote in web version. Best~ We agreed with the findings in the Auditor General's review. The findings align with our internal department review. We appreciate the Auditor General's work to provide a fair and well considered took at same key fosues. bs Brad Wurfel Communications Director, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality wurfelb@michigs

Thanks for all the help andi responses! Best, Danisiie

Del Toral memo.pdf Hey, fave, The Nev, 3 guidance letter is the first ciocument. The other two are the draft and final EPA “Del Taral” memos. Worth reading. Our statement on the Auditor General fetter (enclosed here: IGA7OLOS2015.pcF }: We agreed with the findings in the Aucitor General's review. The findings align with aur internal departmant review. We appreciate the Auditor General’s work to provide a fair and well considered look at some key issues. b Brad Wurfal Communications Director, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality wurfelb@ michigan. Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 3:42 PM

Obviously, | don't think that’s a fair assessment. The Governor’s 10-peint plan includes an unprecedented look at lead levels in Flint schools, free testing around the community, free hame water filters unt we can be confident the system returns to acceptable levels, and a series of immediate, near-term and long-term steps to protect Flint families. We are doing the work and presenting the data as it cores forward. fern a department spokesman. I'm as good as the information | get to work with. And we've tried to do a very careful job of making sure folks in Flint get accurate information on this issue, because it is a very serious one for thousands af farnilles, This administration acknowledged an error in October and has been working hard since then to partner with communities and deliver necessary resources to protect kids arid families. b Brad Wurfel Communications Director, Michigan Department af Environmental Cuatity [email protected] el}

We agreed with the findings inthe Auditor General’s review. The findings alen with our internal department review. We appreciate the Auditor General's work to provide a fair anc well considered look at some key issues. Brad Wurfel Communications Turectar, Michigan Department of Environmental Quaiety

Use Flint River, Failed to Ensure Corrosion Control We agreed with the findings in the Auditor General's review. The findings align with our internal department review. We appreciate the Auditor General's work to provide a fair and well considered look at same key issues. b Brad Wurfal Communications Director, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

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Do you have the actual letter? Sent from my iPhone

Also while I’ve got you, if you care to respond to this statement by Senator Ananich (since we’re running his year-end story today): “The administration still, | think, seems to lack the sense of urgency that | expect, but they've done some positive steps in the right direction. They still have folks, Brad Wurfel for one, who are still making statements that aren’t really true, | think, to the public. You can’t say it’s the faucets in the school. If it wasn’t for the corrosive, poisonous water, we wouldn’t have a problem. It’s another example of trying to make it sound like it wasn’t their fault as opposed to just fixing the problem.” .. That should be all for today. Thanks This email has been c WWW. avast.com ed for viruses by Avast antivirus softwa xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1303_3348_3348_1

Hi... any reaction te this? Writing today ... eee Oe To Nora Macaluso

Failed to Ensure Corrosion Control

Hi... any reaction te this? Writing today ... fe ere arate Se ts a ne see are Nora Macahiso Bloomberg BNA xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b0444_1612_1615_2

Ensure Corrosion Control I did. Gladly, cause, you know, there's a hell of a lot more in that than how these two would like to paint things. Anyway, let me know if you *do* want to have a say - deadline 330p please and thanks. xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1314_3400_3403_1 Did you get a copy of the letter? Sent from my iPhone ° =) go oO fe) WN x I) oO = an g = eS On 2 a 5 Qa. a @Q we mn zB. = > A dds is) fe i ree ey ie, ies ia ‘aa cD ei foal Vv = 3 lo} = @ Hi Brad, Not sure if they're just late to the party or sitting on this or what (it's dated Dec 23rd) but editors have deemed this worthy of a couple spot news headlines today. Let me know if you'd like to comment. Best~ Date: Mon, Dec 28, 2015 at 1:01 PM

Use Flint River, Failed to Ensure Corrosion Control Do you have the letter? Sent from my iPhone

Did you get a copy of the letter? Sent from my iPhone

Brad, Will the DEQ have any response to the Auditor General’s opinion about the DEQ/state’s handling of the Flint water crisis? Thanks, Danielle Emerson Gongwer News Service 517-482-3500 office This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. WWW.avest. com xxxEND_PAGE:deq15_b362_1548_1548_1