Politics & Government

BREAKING: 2 DEQ Workers Suspended In Flint Water Crisis

The two employees, who haven't been named, were suspended without pay and could be fired.

Beth Dalbey's profile picture
Beth Dalbey, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|

Get%2BPatch%2BEmail%2Band%2BNews%2BAlert

LANSING, MI – Gov. Rick Snyder, who has blamed the state’s mishandling of the Flint water crisis on the state Department of Environmental Quality, on Friday suspended two employees of the agency without pay, according to WDIV-TV.

» RELATED: Congressional Inquiry Into Flint Water Crisis; $80M Aid; Read Snyder’s Emails

Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Jonathan Carlson, a reporter for the TV station, said the two, who weren’t identified, will be the subject of an expedited investigation hearing that could lead to their firing.

It’s unclear what roles the employees filled for the DEQ.

Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama announced an $80 million federal aid package to help Flint families deal with the water contamination, and U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, said Congress was launching a formal inquiry into the crisis.

Also Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that its Region 5 administrator, Susan Hedman, had resigned, effective in February.

When Snyder accepted the resignation of former DEQ director Dan Wyant in December, he said more changes was made. Snyder has apologized repeatedly for the state government’s handling of reports showing that residents were exposed to dangerous levels of lead when the city switched its water source from Lake Huron to corrosive water from the Flint River in 2014.

This is a developing story. Come back to Patch for more details.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from West Bloomfield