Questions:
- Who knew of water
insecurity issues in Jackson, Mississippi (as with other communities in
the U.S.) ?
- How long has water
insecurity issue been within the community?
- Who are the State, and
Federal representatives of the Jackson, Mississippi districts?
- What are the major sources
(natural, man-made, manufacturing, etc.) of water contamination in the
Jackson, Mississippi communities?
- If man-made what are the company names?
BEMA International
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October 17, 2022 CHAIRS MALONEY AND THOMPSON LAUNCH FORMAL
INVESTIGATION INTO MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR’S DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR
WATER SYSTEM REPAIRS IN JACKSON (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie
G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep.
Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and
Reform, sent a letter to Mississippi Governor
Tate Reeves requesting information on how the state plans to distribute more
than $10 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $429 million that was specifically
allotted to enhance the state’s water infrastructure. “We urge you to take action to
protect the health and safety of Jackson residents and direct funding to
Jackson immediately to fix this life and death issue,” wrote the Chairs. On August 30, 2022, President
Biden declared the Jackson water
crisis a federal emergency after torrential rain in the Jackson area left
residents without reliable access to safe drinking water for more than two
weeks. Scientists have concluded that the rise in
coastal sea-levels and frequent flooding in Mississippi—which contributed to
the water crisis in Jackson—are a direct result of climate
change. The city, the majority of whose residents are Black, has
also suffered decades of disinvestment, and residents report they have not gone more
than a month without a “boil water” notice in effect for over two years. The American Rescue Plan and the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made billions of dollars available to
Mississippi to address a variety of problems, however, criteria used by the
state to allocate federal funding may limit the funds Jackson receives compared
to other locales, despite Jackson’s much greater need. The Mississippi
legislature’s decision to allocate federal
funding from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program on a matching
basis with municipalities risks further perpetuating underinvestment in
Jackson. The cost of necessary maintenance to Jackson’s water
distribution systems is projected to be as high as $1 billion. Under the matching formula Mississippi
adopted for American Rescue Plan funds, Jackson would directly receive, at
most, around $84 million for water projects. Jackson city officials informed
Committee staff that the state has repeatedly sought to limit funding for
Jackson to address its unsafe water systems, including the state’s initial
plan to bar communities of more than 4,000 people from competing for additional
funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In light of this information, the
Chairs requested that the Governor provide the Committees with information
related to the State of Mississippi’s efforts to address the water crisis in
Jackson and improve drinking water infrastructure, including the distribution
of federal funds to localities, by October 31, 2022. Click here to
read today’s letter.
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