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Improvements Needed to the Public Notification Rule Following Hurricane Maria
After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September of 2017, it took months before public water systems had electricity restored and were able to distribute safe drinking water to the public again. This public health emergency highlighted several opportunities to provide more reliable information to the public about the status of their drinking water during a natural disaster.
The Lead and Copper Rule is Not a Health Based Rule
The Detroit News published an editorial about drinking water quality in Flint, Michigan on April 15, 2018 that repeats some common misunderstandings of the Lead and Copper Rule that can perpetuate the lack of trust in state leaders who did not take basic steps to prevent lead poisoning from the city’s water supply starting in 2014. It is true that lead levels in the water in Flint now are the same as for other cities that are in compliance with the federal Lead and Copper Rule, but this does not mean that families can drink their water without fear.
Lead Action Level Exceedance in Beverly Hills, Michigan
The Village of Beverly Hills, Michigan exceeded the lead action level as a result of compliance sampling completed in summer 2017.
Opportunities for Addressing Lead in Drinking Water
The Lead and Copper Rule has regulated lead in drinking water since 1991, yet there are still serious data gaps and shortcomings in the way we work to eliminate the risk of lead exposure in drinking water.
This report was prepared to provide funders in the Great Lakes region with an overview of critical issues surrounding lead in drinking water and specific strategies that could be used to address those issues and reduce lead exposure through drinking water.
No Stricter Than Federal is No Good for Michigan
House Bill 4205 would make it harder to pass a regulation in Michigan that is stricter than a federally mandated standard. This means if a federal rule isn’t providing the protection we want here in Michigan, we may not be able to address that with improved state regulation.
