F Flint Water Crisis Public Archive

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Brad Wurfel Dennis Muchmore

Re: flint water

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Be aware that the GCDC hasn't reached an agreement with GLWA to reconnect their transmission pipes. Lawyers are still talking. Sent from my iPhone Steve, what's our role here and do we have an update to offer? Howard, wanted you looped into this request if you've got anything to add. Tor, heads up Fonger may be headed your way. Geralyn, same FYL

Latest on Flint water

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Here’s what Fonger published yesterday. While the reporter declined to use the full page statement | sent him, he apparently read it to the Virginia tech researcher, who didn’t like my statement to the Journal and has sent a FOIA to the department for any and all communications. hilo /Awww orilive com/newsAlintindex ssffed1S/oo/new festing shows flint water. himbfincart m-rpt- Brad Wurfel Communications Director Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 517-284-6713 517-230-8006 cell Lead leaches into 'very corrosive’ Flint drinking water, researchers say xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_1 xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_2 xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_3 HY Jgke May | fmayegrniive.cam Pyhet Eyal Reddit Ernaitl FLINT WATER AGl Stories xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_4 FLINT, Mi -- Flint drinking water is “very corrosive” and “causing lead contamination in homes," La 5 o ped 2 researchers from Virginia Tech University reported online Wednesday, Sept. 2. "On a scientific basis, Flint River water leaches more lead from plumbing than does Detroit water," the report concludes. "This is creating a public health threat in some Flint homes that have lead pipe or lead solder.” The Virginia Tech report comes as students there, overseen by Professor Mare Edwards, are in the final days of testing water collected from 300 sample kits distributed to Flint residents. xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_5 On Monday, Aug. 31, the researchers reported 42 percent of 120 initial samples from Flint had lead levels that were more than 5 parts per billion, “which suggests a serious lead-in-water problem, according to our experience and criteria.” Virginia Tech was initially contacted by a Flint resident who had concerns about lead in Flint water. it has been working with citizen groups in Flt such as Water You Fighting For. Twenty percent of the first samples also exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lead action Hmit of 15 ppb, the report said. The EPA requires water systems like Flint's to collect tap samples from sites that are more likely to 1ave plumbing materials containing lead. Ifmore than 10 percent of samples exceed 15 pph, then water systems are required to take action, inchiding steps to optimize corrosion control treatment. Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around homes, according o EPA. "Even at low levels, lead may cause a range of health effects, including behavioral problems and earning disabilities,” EPA's website says. “Children 6 years old and under are most at risk because this is when the brain is developing." The Virginia Tech report on Flint River water comes two days alter representatives of three organizations delivered more than 26,000 online petition signatures to Mayor Dayne Walling, demanding the city end its use of the Flint River and reconnect the city to the Detroit water syetem. The petition language says high lead levels are one reason the city should no longer use the river as a drinking water source. Walling and Department of Public Works Director Howard Croft issued statements in response to questions about lead in Flint water Wednesday after Croft declined to discuss the issue in a news conference Tuesday. Flint spokesman Jason Lorenz said the two would not comment further Wednesday. "The city of Flint is currently in compliance with the safety mandates of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and continues to work with them to stay in compliance with all safety and quality standards,” Croft's statement said. "We have also been in constant contact with Virginia Tech, sharing information as it becomes available.” xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_6 Walling, who has supported Flint's continued use of the Flint River as a drinking water source, said, “Lead can be a concern in communities with older public and private infrastructure. "The city of Flint has offered free and independent testing to residents since spring, and I encourage people to use this service if they have questions," Walling's statement said. Edwards, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, said the elevated lead levels he has seen in Flint tap water are tied to a corrasive water source that contains about eight times more chloride than Detroit water does. "Chloride is generally considered to be very corrosive to iron. For instance, chloride present in road salts applied in the winter causes iron in cars and bridges to rust,” the Virginia Tech team's website says. "This could be a huge public health problem. ... The Flint water fust ate the pipe up,” Edwards said of the testing he has overseen so far. In the testing, researchers took copper pipe pieces icined with lead solder inside them, according to the report, which says lead solder is probably present in plumbing systems of many Flint homes built before 1986. Lead solder-copper pipe test pieces were placed in containers filled with water from Detroit and Flint in the experiment, according to the report. "Tf it were me, I would not be using (Flint River water) for cooking or drinking unless I had it tested for lead," said Edwards, who previously mounted a six-year campaign that succeeded in forcing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to admit it had misled the public about the risk of lead in the Washington, D.C., area's drinking water, according to The Washington Post. "Bottled or filtered water (is what I would use for) children under 6 years old or if l was pregnani,” he Brad Wurfel, communications director for the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the preliminary water testing results from Virginia Tech don't jibe with two separate rounds of testing during the past vear by the city. That testing indicated "Flint drinking water meets state and federal safe drinking water standards,” Wurfel said. Wurtel said lead levels detected in testing are not the result of water containing lead when it leaves Fiint's treatment plant. But he said the state "has requested Flint optimize its water treatment to further limit exposure to lead from plumbing in homes.” xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_7 The concerns about lead are the latest challenge for the Flint water system since the city started using the Flint River te replace Lake Huron water sold by the city of Detroit in April 2014. Since the switch, the city has been plagued by issues such as water main breaks and boil water advisories because of bacteria and has been in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act because of high levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHM), a byproduct of chlorinating river water. The Rev. Alien Overton, who hand-delivered petitions to Walling on Monday, asking that city officials reconnect the Flint water system to Detroit, said Wednesday that the Virginia Tech experiment is more evidence Flint is not using the best quality of water available. "We have a major health issue here, (and) they are not being honest with the citizens of Flint," Overion said. City Council President Josh Freeman said the city has been willing to provide customers with free water testing and has taken action — such as installing a new $1.6 million filtration system — to address problems such as TTHM. Councilman Eric Mays said, as more water testing is done, it becomes clearer that Flint should be negotiating with Detroit for a new, short-term water contract as work continues on the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline. The pipeline, a partnership between the city and Genesee County, is expected to bring untreated Lake Huron water to Flint at some point in 2016. "They are trying to make the water safe by trial and error,” said Mays, who called Flint’s water situation "a disgrace.” xxxEND_PAGE:deq24_b648_1678_1685_8

FW: LeeAnn Walters Draft

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Just @ heads up, our Drinking Water Stalf closing the loop with one of the participants from the meeting with the Flint Ministers regarding water quality issues in Flint. Some very worihwhile information here, and a heads up to everyone that this letier will be going fo this individual. Let me know if you have further questions, concerns, or olher issues. Thanks!

FW: Flint Lead Monitoring Letter

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Heads up, here is a communication headed for Flint regarding lead & copper testing of their system and the need for ‘optimizing’ their treatment. Good News: Based on two rounds of testing, they pass inspection for lead and copper. Next News (there’s no bad news here): They still need to provide a plan to optimize their treatment. This usually means adding phosphate to the water to minimize corrosion. If you have questions, I’m happy to address them. Thanks! b Brad Wurfel Communications Director Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 517-284-6713 517-230-8006 cell

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