Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/636267
MOLLYRILEY—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Flint, Mich. resident Glaydes Williamson holds up water from Flint and hair pulled from her drain, during the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to examine the ongoing situation in Flint, Mich., on Capitol Hill in Washington. ByMatthewDaly TheAssociatedPress WASHINGTON Government officials tangled on Wednes- day over who was to blame for the crisis in Flint, Mich- igan, that allowed lead-con- taminated water to flow to thousands of residents at a combative congressional hearing that devolved into a partisan fight over wit- nesses and no-shows. "A failure of epic propor- tions," said Rep. Jason Chaf- fetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Com- mittee at the first Capitol Hill hearing since the crisis in Flint emerged last year. Joel Beauvais, acting water chief for the U.S. En- vironmental Protection Agency, said Michigan of- ficials ignored federal ad- vice to treat Flint water for corrosion-causing el- ements last year and de- layed for months before telling the public about the health risks. "What happened in Flint was avoidable and never should have happened," Beauvais told the House panel. Countering the federal official, Keith Creagh, di- rector of the Michigan De- partment of Environmen- tal Quality, acknowledged that the state should have required Flint to treat its water, but said the EPA "did not display the sense of urgency that the situa- tion demanded," allowing the problem to fester for months. Creagh apologized for the state's role in the water cri- sis, but said, "in retrospect, government at all levels should have done more." Flint is under a pub- lic health emergency af- ter its drinking water be- came tainted when the city switched from the Detroit system and began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014 to save money. The city was under state manage- ment at the time. Water was not properly treated to keep lead from pipes from leaching into the supply. Some children's blood has tested positive for lead, a potent neurotoxin linked to learning disabil- ities, lower IQ and behav- ioral problems. In the Senate, Democrats are pressing for money for Flint and threatened to block a bipartisan energy bill if the city doesn't get some relief. "We are serious, and if they want a bill we want to help the people of Flint," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., sponsor of a pack- age of aid that Democrats hope to add to the energy bill. Democrats had proposed a $600 million package, but Stabenow said they had a agreed to less than half of what they had originally asked for. But Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the sec- ond-ranking Republican, said it "seems a little pre- mature to write a multi- hundred million dollar blank check when the state hasn't even assessed their needs," and is already get- ting funds from the state and the Obama adminis- tration. Senate Republicans and Democrats continued their negotiations. While lawmakers and officials traded charges at the four-hour House hear- ing, much of the attention was on three people who weren't there. Frustrated Democrats complained that the GOP- led committee did not ask Michigan's Republican gov- ernor, Rick Snyder, to ex- plain to Congress what hap- pened. Chaffetz, the panel's chairman, lamented the absence of Darnell Earley, a former state-appointed emergency manager who ran Flint when its water source was switched. Earley declined a request to testify. Chaffetz vowed to "hunt down" Earley, although his lawyer said it was impossi- ble for Earley to appear at the hearing and suggested a different date. Chaffetz also said he would issue a subpoena to Susan Hedman, the EPA's former Midwest region chief who resigned amid criticism of her handling of the water crisis. Chaffetz said the committee will in- terview Hedman under oath this month. Snyder has apologized repeatedly for the state's role in the crisis. Sny- der and state legislators have enacted $37 million in emergency Flint fund- ing for the current fiscal year. Snyder is expected to propose an additional $30 million in state funding to help Flint residents pay their water bills. The crisis has taken on partisan overtones, as Dem- ocrats blame the Republi- can governor and some Re- publicans target the EPA for failing to intervene sooner. Chaffetz and other Re- publicans said EPA should have acted on its own to warn the public about wa- ter problems in Flint. Democrats were equally adamant that the state was to blame. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., accused of Snyder of "hiding" by failing to ap- pear at the hearing. Despite the partisan bick- ering, the hearing "got stuff accomplished," said Lee- Anne Walters, a Flint par- ent and activist who helped bring public attention to the city's water crisis more than a year ago. "I think we were heard, that's the main thing," said Walters, a member of the group Water You Fighting For. Walters said that the fo- cus of some lawmakers on state officials and oth- ers on the federal govern- ment "works for the people because they are both ac- countable." Flint crisis reaches Capitol Hill, and it's a blame game CONTAMINATED WATER By Tracy Seipel Bay Area News Group SANTA CLARA A Santa Clara University student is ill with what officials sus- pect is a case of meningo- coccal meningitis, univer- sity officials confirmed on Monday. University spokes- woman Deepa Arora said school administrators have alerted faculty, staff, stu- dents and parents of stu- dents, as well as the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health. The school and health department are working to identify anyone who was in close contact with the stu- dent to determine if those individuals need preven- tive medications or treat- ment. No information about the student was released. Allison Thrash, a spokes- woman for the county pub- lic health department, said the student has been tested for the disease, and the re- sults are expected Tuesday. Meningococcal meningi- tis is a typically severe bac- terial infection of the blood or brain, according to the California Department of Public Health. Infections can cause hearing loss, learning problems, brain and spinal cord inflamma- tion and damage, loss of a limb, paralysis or death. About 1 in 10 people with meningococcal disease will die from it even if treated appropriately. The disease is spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat se- cretions, which can occur when people live or sleep in close contact or through other close contact such as kissing, coughing or shar- ing eating utensils or bev- erages. Teens and young adults have a higher risk for meningococcal dis- ease, and dormitories and other crowded settings can make dangerous breeding grounds. The disease is hard to di- agnose because symptoms are similar to the flu and other illnesses. Since it's fast-moving and debilitat- ing, prevention and knowl- edge of symptoms is crit- ical. Symptoms of menin- gococcal disease are usu- ally sudden onset of fever, headache and stiff neck. It can start with symp- toms similar to influenza (flu), and will often also cause nausea, vomiting, in- creased sensitivity to light, rash and confusion. "One of the messages we are trying to get out is that since it is spread through saliva and mucus, the gen- eral community is not at risk," Thrash said. Experts say a majority of these cases are vaccine- preventable. In November of 2013, four students at UC Santa Barbara fell ill from a form of bacterial meningitis. Three recovered and the fourth had both feet am- putated. SANTA CLARA Bay Area college students test positive for meningitis By Janet Mcconnaughey The Associated Press NEWORLEANS ANewYork real estate heir pleaded guilty in New Orleans on Wednesday to a weapons charge and agreed to an 85-month prison sentence, a move that could usher in his extradition to Califor- nia to face murder charges. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt told Robert Durst that he will not make the plea final before he re- views a pre-sentencing re- port due in two weeks. Durst, 72, appeared frail. He said mostly "Yes, your honor" and occasionally "I'm sorry; I couldn't hear that." Defense attorney Richard DeGuerin occa- sionally repeated questions into Durst's right ear; he told the judge that Durst's left ear is completely deaf. Durst wore an or- ange jail jumpsuit, and his hands were shackled to his waist. When Durst was sworn in, the judge told him to raise his right hand, quickly amending that to "as best you can." Durst admitted that he illegally carried a .38-cal- iber revolver after being convicted of a felony. The charge stems from his arrest in a New Or- leans hotel last year by FBI agents who feared he was about to flee to Cuba. The gun was found in the hotel room he had taken under the name Everette Ward. After his arrest, a package with $117,000 in cash ar- rived, addressed to Ever- ette Ward. Durst will for- feit that money, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mc- Mahon said after the hear- ing. NEW YORK Real estate heir pleads guilty on weapons charge By Christine Armario The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Professors not eligible for tenure at two of three departments at the University of Southern California voted to union- ize, an effort they hope will result in improved salaries, health benefits and job sta- bility. Professors at the Roski School of Art and Design and the USC International Academy voted overwhelm- ingly Tuesday to join Ser- vice Employees Interna- tional Union Local 721. The art school vote was 31-to-6, and the academy vote was 32-to-3. However, the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, which has more professors than the other two departments combined, narrowly voted not to unionize. The vote was 113 in favor and 127 against. Katie Levin, a writing professor who advocated for unionization, said teach- ers felt "triumphant, be- cause in the face of aggres- sive anti-union tactics by the USC administration, two key schools managed to rise above the fear." The university objects to unionizing the art school because non-tenured teach- ers have a significant voice in academic affairs via their role in the academic senate, faculty council and various committees, USC Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mi- chael W. Quick said. Quick called the art school vote "personally dis- appointing" and said the university will appeal the unionization to federal la- bor regulators and courts if necessary. But the vote at the Inter- national Academy is valid, Quick said, and USC will recognize and begin "bar- gaining in good faith with the union" because those lecturers do not have a voice in making policy. The provost said about the vote in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences that he does not take lightly the number of faculty mem- bers voicing dissatisfaction and said he'll try to earn the trust placed in him by the votes against unionizing. Of all teaching appoint- ments nationwide, 76 per- cent are for non-tenure- track positions, according to the American Associa- tion of University Profes- sors. Close to 70 percent of USC's faculty is not on the track for tenure, according to SEIU. Professors began organizing in January. Levin said faculty mem- bers are concerned about instructor working and liv- ing conditions, with some working multiple jobs aside from teaching to make ends meet. Over the last year, non- tenure faculty at institu- tions including the Univer- sity of Chicago and Tufts also voted to unionize. This story has been corrected to show that a union statement released after the vote was incorrectly attributed to union spokesman Mike Long, instead of writing professor Katie Levin. LABOR ISSUES Some USC faculty departments vote for union, others reject | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 8 A