F Flint Water Crisis Public Archive

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Brad Wurfel Nancy Kaffer

RE: Need comment ASAP

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Nancy, we belleve we've responded to your Inquiry and provided the information you requesied. As | mentioned before, we are working fo provide all necessary information to the afer action review task force, and the DEO is focused on moving forward and faking care of priorities in Flint. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this issue.

RE: Need comment ASAP

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The state doesn’t run municipal drinking water systems, but it does sign off on their plans for water treatrnent — yes? if the state’s assertion is that it mistakenly applied an arnbiguously worded standard, it seems to me that the existence of a report, in MDEQ's possession before the switch, that indicated the need for —and cast af - corrosion cantral should have prompted further investigation? Do you disagree? (BTW, per this report, phosphates would have cost $60 a day.} Nency Kaffer Columnist Detroli Free Press www.

RE: Need comment ASAP

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The state coesn’t run municipal drinking water systems, but it does sign off on their plans for water treatment — yes? if the state’s assertion is that it mistakenly applied an ambiguously worded standard, it seems to me that the existence of a report, in MDEQ’s possession before the switch, that indicated the need for -— and cost of - corrosian contral should have prompted further investigation? Do you disagree? (BTW, per this report, phosphates would have cost $60 a day.} Nancy Kaffer Calumnist Detroit Free Press www freen com/abetiemmichigan 313-222-8588 @onancykafier, Mabettenni

RE: Need comment ASAP

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These questions all make the presupposition thal the stale actually runs municipal drinking water systems. Every municipal drinking water system is required by law to have a certified operator on staff. In Filnt’s case, they added oulside expertise on 1 xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1184_2977_2978_1 contract as well as having a certified operator. The nuance in your question is the idea that they don't do anything locally without being told to do so by the State. Not the case atall. Plenty of systems around the state make adjustments to their drinking water sysiem within guidelines. The DEQ staff offer counsel and guidance, but State’s formal role is to serve as regulator, not operator. Flint commissioned the report you mentioned. If they ignored the recomrnendations in appendix of the report they commissioned, they can probably best explain why. Gur take was that Flint was to run two consecuive tests of the system to determine optimization needs. The U.S. EPA finally came out with its finished guidance on that and distributed it nationally this week. lve enclosed it. We were pleased that they acknowledged the Lead and Copper rule is worded ambiguously on continued corrosion control. The clarification will help Michigan anc every other state going forward. Your second questions also is more appropriately directed to Flint. The city made the decision to use the river, the historic backup, as their primary. DEQ’s role was to oversee necessary changes to the drinking water plant to ensure the water met Sefe Drinking Water standards. To your final question, | recall it was reintroduced when the Flint City Council voted 7-1 to join Karegnond!, and DWSD responded by sending Flint a one-year contract termination notice. Vvhile that notice was not a shutoff notice, f did signal that the contract rales for water would oe terminated and thus open for renegotiation. Bul again, this is @ question best addressed by the city. These issues will undoubtedly be considered by the Governors After Action Review Task Force. Until that review is finalized, we don't have much more to say about it, The DE is now focused on implementing the Governor’s 10-point plan to protect kids and families in Flint, which includes free tap filers for all city residents as a precaution, free home water testing and children’s blood tests for all city residents, and an unprecedented look at potential for lead exposure in the city schools, arnong other things. b Brad Wurfel Communications Director Michigan Department of Environmental Cuaiity 517-284-6713 ceil xxxEND_PAGE:executiveofficeemails20_b1184_2977_2978_2

Need comment ASAP

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Importance: High Hey Brad, Just want to make sure you got my voice mail. | have some follow up questions based on the FOIA’d material | received yesterday. Specifically: - By 2013, MDEQ had a 2011 Flint report about the prospect of using Flint River water as a drinking water source. That report includes an appendix that lists phosphates, which we all now know are used for corrosion control, in the list of chemicals that would be required to treat the water. With a report in hand stating phosphates should be used, why were they not required? - Based on the materials | received, the 2011 report comes up briefly in 2013, when the KWA switch was contemplated, then seems to drop out of the picture. Why was a report about the viability of the Flint River water as a drinking water source not part of the 2014 conversations about whether to switch to the river or to stay connected to DWSD? - Areport included in the material | FOIA’d said that by the end of 2012, Flint officials did not want to pursue the option of using the Flint River as a drinking water source. Why was it reintroduced? Need a response ASAP. This is for Sunday. Nancy Nancy Kaffer Columnist Detroit Free Press www. 313-222-6585 @nancykaffer, @abettermi xxxEND_PAGE:deq15_b307_1306_1306_1

Follow-up questions on deadline

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Importance: High Hey Brad, Reviewing my notes from our conversation yesterday, I’m seeing a few holes — we covered a lot of ground. I’m writing on deadline for tomorrow, so if you can get me answers ASAP I’d really appreciate it. - You mentioned yesterday that the results of the January-June testing which showed test results in the 90" percentile at 11ppb started to come in in July. As you explained, lead greater than S5ppb requires the system to optimize corrosion control. When was Flint notified that they would need to optimize corrosion control? - If yes, why did they not then optimized implement corrosion control? - — If no, why not? Please call if this will be easier to cover on the phone. Best, Nancy Nancy Kaffer Columnist Detroit Free Press we 313-222-6585 @nancykaffer, @abettermi xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0657_2087_2087_1

FOIA request

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Brad, if you’re not the DEQ’s FOIA officer, please forward or advise. Best, Nancy Nancy Kaffer Detroit Free Press 160 W. Fort St. Detroit, MI 4226 Oct. 5, 2015 Brad Wurfel Michigan Department of Environmental Quality To Whom It May Concern: Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., | am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of electronic, written or audio files, material or documentation -- including but not limited to communications, emails, letters, memos, reports and meeting records -- related to a 2011 report titled “Analysis of the Flint River as a Permanent Water Supply for the City of Flint” and a supplementary document, “Analysis of the Flint River as a Permanent Water Supply for the City of Flint Appendices 1 to 8.” If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $10. However, | would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of the Flint water situation. This information is not being sought for commercial purposes. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act requires a response to this request within five days. If access to the records | am requesting will take longer than this amount of time, please contact me with information about when | might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records. If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law. Thank you for considering my request. Sincerely, Nancy Kaffer 313-222-6585 xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0626_2034_2035_1 Nancy Kaffer Columnist Detroit Free Press www freep. com/abetiennichigan 313-222-6585 @nancykaffer, @abettermi xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0626_2034_2035_2