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OK, so my friend knows someone who works for the EPA. That person started there after the Flint issue started, but is now part of the group investigating the story. I'm omitting a few details to keep the person's identity vague.
"Associate works at the EPA in Midwest and has been working on the case. From what They've told me, it sounds like the EPA tried to work with the MDEQ at first, kind of in shock that corrosion control wasn't being added, but after the MDEQ kept on insisting that the water was fine, the EPA has finally said no more being nice and that is when stuff started hitting the fan.
A few years ago, a consultant did a study to see if the Flint River would be feasible to use as a water source. The consultant's conclusion was that it would be fine, as long as corrosion control was added because the pH of the river would cause lead to leach out of the old lead water leads into houses. Corrosion control was a $100-$150 a day line item in the consultant's estimate.
Associate isn't sure if the line item was deleted out of ignorance, or out of extreme cost cutting; that is what their office is investigating right now."
This is my friend's opinion now...
"I'm guessing is that no one making the ultimate decision of the budget even knew what corrosion control was - seeing as the head of the DPW at the time of the water source switch was appointed by the emergency manager with no real credentials other than he owned some solar energy company. Or if they thought that since it was just a temporary situation they wouldn't need it? I don't know.....it's a sad situation and I'm appalled at how the various state agencies have dealt with it. Should have NEVER gotten to this point."
Earlier, my friend, the Civil engineer posted this (which is why I contacted her)
"When I first started seriously following this story last summer, my first reaction was "where is the engineer in all of this?!" and "what kind of engineer would allow this to happen?" As more and more information gets published and pieces of the puzzle are put together, guess what? The guy in charge of the City of Flint's Director of Public Works at the time of the switch was NOT an engineer! He was appointed by the state appointed Emergency Manager to 'cut costs.' You want to know what Howard Croft's claim to fame was? President and CEO of "Mid Michigan Solar." NOT a professional engineer!
To be a registered professional engineer in the state of MI, you need at minimum a bachelors of science in engineering, pass an eight hour exam, work as an engineer-in-training for 4 years, take another eight hour exam, and then take 30 hours of continuing ed every 2 years to retain the license. To have someone overseeing such an important aspect of society (and obviously botching it big time) without being licensed is a slap in the face to all of us who have put in the time, effort and taken an oath of ethics to do everything in our power to protect the public on a daily basis"
"Associate works at the EPA in Midwest and has been working on the case. From what They've told me, it sounds like the EPA tried to work with the MDEQ at first, kind of in shock that corrosion control wasn't being added, but after the MDEQ kept on insisting that the water was fine, the EPA has finally said no more being nice and that is when stuff started hitting the fan.
A few years ago, a consultant did a study to see if the Flint River would be feasible to use as a water source. The consultant's conclusion was that it would be fine, as long as corrosion control was added because the pH of the river would cause lead to leach out of the old lead water leads into houses. Corrosion control was a $100-$150 a day line item in the consultant's estimate.
Associate isn't sure if the line item was deleted out of ignorance, or out of extreme cost cutting; that is what their office is investigating right now."
This is my friend's opinion now...
"I'm guessing is that no one making the ultimate decision of the budget even knew what corrosion control was - seeing as the head of the DPW at the time of the water source switch was appointed by the emergency manager with no real credentials other than he owned some solar energy company. Or if they thought that since it was just a temporary situation they wouldn't need it? I don't know.....it's a sad situation and I'm appalled at how the various state agencies have dealt with it. Should have NEVER gotten to this point."
Earlier, my friend, the Civil engineer posted this (which is why I contacted her)
"When I first started seriously following this story last summer, my first reaction was "where is the engineer in all of this?!" and "what kind of engineer would allow this to happen?" As more and more information gets published and pieces of the puzzle are put together, guess what? The guy in charge of the City of Flint's Director of Public Works at the time of the switch was NOT an engineer! He was appointed by the state appointed Emergency Manager to 'cut costs.' You want to know what Howard Croft's claim to fame was? President and CEO of "Mid Michigan Solar." NOT a professional engineer!
To be a registered professional engineer in the state of MI, you need at minimum a bachelors of science in engineering, pass an eight hour exam, work as an engineer-in-training for 4 years, take another eight hour exam, and then take 30 hours of continuing ed every 2 years to retain the license. To have someone overseeing such an important aspect of society (and obviously botching it big time) without being licensed is a slap in the face to all of us who have put in the time, effort and taken an oath of ethics to do everything in our power to protect the public on a daily basis"