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U.S. NEWSThursday 4 February 2016
City’s water woes reach US Congress, and it’s a blame game
MATTHEW DALY Witnesses, from left, Joel Beauvais, acting deputy assistant administrator, Office of Water, EPA; for the state’s role in the
Associated Press Keith Creagh, director, Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan; Marc Edwards, crisis. Snyder and state leg-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gov- Virginia Tech professor, Environmental and Water Resources Engineering: and Flint, Mich. resident islators have enacted $37
ernment officials fought on LeeAnne Walters, are sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, prior to million in emergency Flint
Wednesday over who was testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to examine funding for the current fiscal
to blame for the water crisis the ongoing situation in Flint, Mich. year. Snyder is expected to
in the city of Flint, Michigan, propose an additional $30
at a combative congressio- Associated Press million in state funding to
nal hearing that also pitted help Flint residents pay their
Democrats against Repub- administration official, Keith should have done more.” began drawing from the water bills.
licans. Creagh, director of the The hearing was the first on Flint River in April 2014 to The crisis has taken on par-
Joel Beauvais, acting wa- Michigan Department of Capitol Hill since the lead save money. The city was tisan overtones, as Demo-
ter chief for the U.S. En- Environmental Quality, ac- contamination crisis in Flint under state management crats blame the Republi-
vironmental Protection knowledged that the state made national news last at the time. can governor and some
Agency, said Michigan of- should have required Flint year, and frustrated Demo- Water was not properly Republicans target the
ficials ignored federal ad- to treat its water, but said crats complained that the treated to keep lead from EPA for failing to intervene
vice to treat Flint water for the EPA “did not display Republican-led committee pipes from leaching into sooner.
corrosion-causing elements the sense of urgency that didn’t ask the state’s Re- the supply. Some children’s Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the
last year and delayed for the situation demanded,” publican governor to ex- blood has tested positive Republican chairman of
months before telling the allowing the problem to plain what happened. for lead, a potent neuro- the oversight panel, said
public in the city about 100 fester for months. Flint is under a public health toxin linked to learning dis- EPA should have acted on
kilometers northwest of De- Creagh apologized for the emergency after its drink- abilities, lower IQ and be- its own to warn the public
troit about the health risks state’s role in the water cri- ing water became tainted havioral problems. about water problems in
of lead-contaminated wa- sis, but said, “in retrospect, when the city switched Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Flint.
ter. government at all levels from the Detroit system and has apologized repeatedly “Why didn’t EPA tell the
“What happened in Flint public they’re poisoning
was avoidable and never their kids if they drink the
should have happened,” water?” he asked Beau-
Beauvais said. vais, adding that EPA knew
EPA’s Midwest regional of- about potential health risks
fice urged Michigan’s en- for nearly a year before
vironmental agency to ad- making the results public.
dress the lack of corrosion “What good are EPA if
control in Flint’s water, “but they don’t tell kids” about
was met with resistance,” lead in the water, Chaffetz
Beauvais told the House shouted.
Oversight and Government
Reform Committee. “The “Can anybody tell me
delays in implementing the why Gov. Snyder is not
actions needed to treat here today?” asked Rep.
the drinking water and in Matt Cartwright, a Demo-
informing the public of on- crat, “Because he’s hid-
going health risks raise very ing, that’s why,” Cartwight
serious concerns.” added, answering his own
Countering the Obama question.
Boston mobster’s longtime love pleads guilty to contempt
DENISE LAVOIE Greig did not flinch when jury. This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service
AP Legal Affairs Writer Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV “Yeah, she loved him and shows Catherine Greig, longtime girlfriend of Whitey Bulger, who
BOSTON (AP) — The wom- told her that because there still does,” Reddington said. was captured with Bulger in 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif.
an who spent 16 years on is no maximum penalty for Bulger fled Boston in late
the run with Boston mob- the contempt charge, he 1994 just before he was Associated Press
ster James “Whitey” Bulger could sentence her to any indicted and remained a
pleaded guilty Wednesday term, including up to life in fugitive until 2011, when he
to a criminal contempt prison. and Greig were found liv-
charge for refusing to tes- When prosecutor Mary ing together in a rent-con-
tify before a grand jury in- Murrane told Saylor that trolled apartment in Santa
vestigating whether other Greig had refused to tes- Monica, California.
people helped him as a tify despite a judge’s or- Murrane told the judge that
fugitive. der and grant of immunity, Greig was called before
Catherine Greig, 64, en- Greig made a point of not- a grand jury in October
tered her plea in U.S. Dis- ing that she had not asked 2014, but refused to answer
trict Court in Boston without for immunity. questions about whether
having any agreement or After the hearing, Greig’s any third parties provided
sentencing recommen- lawyer, Keven Redding- assistance to her or Bulg-
dation from prosecutors. ton, said she did not invoke er. The following month,
Greig is already serving her Fifth Amendment right Judge Denise Casper en-
an eight-year prison term against self-incrimination, tered an order compelling
for helping Bulger while he but instead refused to tes- her to testify and granting
was on the lam. tify at all before the grand her immunity.
