Community input needed for City of Jackson drinking water system
JACKSON, Miss. (September 26, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will hold public meetings to get community input on mid- and long-term solutions to improve Jackson’s drinking water system. This feedback will assist the agency’s oversight of the drinking water system. The meetings will be held at the Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State University located at 1230 Raymond Road. The meetings will be held on Thursday, October 10th at 6 p.m. CST in the e-Logistics Room and Friday, October 11th at 10 a.m. CST in the California Room.
The EPA and DOJ have heard from the public in previous meetings, letters, emails, and phone calls concerning the future of the drinking water system. In the upcoming meetings, the EPA and DOJ are seeking additional community input on the future of the system.
Background
On November 29, 2022, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi entered an Interim Stipulated Order (ISO), agreed to by the EPA, the Department of Justice, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), and the City of Jackson to: (1) create a Priority Projects List with steps needed to stabilize the City’s drinking water system, remedy problems that contributed to the water crisis, and establish sustainable practices; (2) appoint Edward “Ted” Henifin as the Interim Third-Party Manager (ITPM) to manage the City‘s drinking water system and implement the Priority Projects List; and (3) delay further litigation while the Parties (EPA, MSDH, DOJ, and the City) worked on a longer-term solution.
In addition to hearing from the community at the meetings, we have created an email box to gather your input. Comments can also be sent to JacksonMSWater@epa.gov until Friday, October 31, 2024.
The EPA and DOJ cannot discuss details of negotiations with the City or MSDH about this civil enforcement action.
For more information, please visit: www.epa.gov/ms/jackson-ms-drinking-water
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