To help residents recover from devastating water crises, Senate lawmakers are close to moving on legislation to provide millions of dollars in assistance to Flint, Mich., and cities like it.

参议院领导人，包括詹姆斯·伊诺夫（James Inhofe）（R-Okla。）和黛比·斯塔诺（Debbie Stabenow）（d-mich。），制定了一项制定的法案，该法案将从《能源现代化法》（Energy Modernization Act）独立投票，这是两党的全面综合包，预计可以轻松地通过，但可以轻松地通过相反，弗林特（Flint）应付出多少财政援助。

2月初，为弗林特提供资金的修正案被添加到了能源法案中，但一些共和党议员以6亿美元的价格标签拒绝了。

该交易于2月24日达成，要求提供1亿美元的饮用水状态循环资金（SRF），任何州都可以在饮酒水中紧急；

$70 million to back secured loans made under the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), which could be used to leverage up to $4.2 billion to address water and wastewater needs; and $50 million for various health programs to address lead exposure. The additional funds would be offset by cutting $250 million from the Advanced Technical Vehicles Manufacturing loan program. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to consider the bill the week of Feb. 29.

同时，密歇根州州长里克·斯奈德（Rick Snyder）（R）以及美国环境保护署管理员吉娜·麦卡锡（Gina McCarthy）将于3月17日在众议院监督和政府改革委员会作证。

尽管许多立法者和弗林特居民将州长归咎于该市的许多困境，但EPA受到了批评。2月16日，国会研究服务局（CRS）发布了一份报告，该报告使EPA不使用其根据《安全饮用水法》（SDWA）将弗林特失败的水系统符合规定的权限。CRS表示，SDWA要求EPA通知不合规的州和供水系统，并提供协助以使两者合规。“ 30天后，如果国家没有发起执法行动，EPA必须这样做。EPA在Flint中没有使用这种权威。” CRS指出。

Marc Edwards—a Virginia Tech engineering professor who has been a vocal critic of the EPA since Washington, D.C.’s water crisis in the early 2000s—told ENR that EPA has turned a blind eye to lapses in implementing the Lead and Copper Rule, the primary regulation requiring utilities to ensure that lead does not leach into drinking-water systems. He said utilities do not implement the rule properly and that EPA does not enforce it. “I think a message was sent from EPA that [non-compliance] would be tolerated,” he said, adding, “EPA’s attitude has permeated a significant fraction of the water industry.”

He added that he was not surprised to see what happened in Flint. “We’ve been screaming about this for 10 years,” he said.

在供水系统不是Flin独有t. Recently, elevated levels have been observed in Sebring, Ohio. On Feb. 24, officials in Jackson, Miss., told local residents that pregnant women and children should avoid local drinking water; a sampling of 100 homes in January found that a small percentage had lead levels above 15 parts per billion, the level that triggers action under the SDWA.