Flint

Jan. 09, 2018: Outrage ensued after the ACLU found out that New Jersey had banned a book about mass incarceration. But censorship is a common tool used by officials to control prisoners. The Takeaway has that story, plus a look at President Trump’s latest immigration actions; privacy rights before the Supreme Court; a potential criminal case linked to the Flint water crisis; systemic school problems in Baltimore; and the careers that have been crushed by sexual harassment. 

May 04, 2016: 1. What’s Next for The Donald and The #NeverTrump Movement | 2. After Indiana, Is Bernie Back? | 3. The Emotional Toll of the Flint Water Crisis  | 4. Study Links Discrimination With PTSD, Mental Health Issues 

Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.

There’s a complicated web of laws and regulations governing and protecting water in the United States.

You might be surprised to know that the Clean Water Act—the primary law which governs water pollution in the U.S.—does not directly address groundwater contamination. Groundwater contamination actually falls under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies drinking water and infrastructure needs across the country, but state agencies are the first responders when it comes to concerns over the quality of drinking water in towns and communities.

We’ve seen this play out in Flint, Michigan. In the case of Flint, local leaders and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality were slow to take responsibility for contamination of the city’s water. The EPA eventually stepped in. The crisis has led to a series of resignations, though the fallout is far from over. 

Joel Beauvais is the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Water at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Here, Joel explains how oversight and regulation work at the EPA, and who you should call if you have a water crisis. 

What you’ll learn from this segment:

How the EPA sets water standards.
The role of the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
What the government is doing about the crisis in Flint.

February 15, 2016: A tenth of the world’s population lacks access to clean drinking water, but as the crisis in Flint, Michigan has shown, the fight for clean water isn’t just a problem for the developing world. Today, The Takeaway is giving you an hour-long special on the state of American water. 

The Takeaway’s resilience reporting is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.

February 03, 2016: 1. With an Eye on November, Some Want Rubio to Save the GOP | 2. Your Words Will Be Used Against You: How ‘Trackers’ Follow a Candidate’s Every Move | 3. The Zika Virus: Global Epidemic Prompts Search for a Vaccine | 4. Flint’s Mental Health Fallout