Councilmember Harold Brazil and Adrian Fenty
Press releases on lead-in-water issue
March 15, 2004

Home

Bibliography

Calendar

Columns
Dorothy Brizill
Bonnie Cain
Jim Dougherty
Gary Imhoff
Phil Mendelson
Mark David Richards
Sandra Seegars

DCPSWatch

DCWatch Archives
Council Period 12
Council Period 13
Council Period 14
Election 1998
Election 2000
Election 2002

Elections
Election 2004
Election 2006

Government and People
ANC's
Anacostia Waterfront Corporation
Auditor
Boards and Com
BusRegRefCom
Campaign Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Management Officer
City Council
Congress
Control Board
Corporation Counsel
Courts
DC2000
DC Agenda
Elections and Ethics
Fire Department
FOI Officers
Inspector General
Health
Housing and Community Dev.
Human Services
Legislation
Mayor's Office
Mental Health
Motor Vehicles
Neighborhood Action
National Capital Revitalization Corp.
Planning and Econ. Dev.
Planning, Office of
Police Department
Property Management
Public Advocate
Public Libraries
Public Schools
Public Service Commission
Public Works
Regional Mobility Panel
Sports and Entertainment Com.
Taxi Commission
Telephone Directory
University of DC
Water and Sewer Administration
Youth Rehabilitation Services
Zoning Commission

Issues in DC Politics

Budget issues
DC Flag
DC General, PBC
Gun issues
Health issues
Housing initiatives
Mayor’s mansion
Public Benefit Corporation
Regional Mobility
Reservation 13
Tax Rev Comm
Term limits repeal
Voting rights, statehood
Williams’s Fundraising Scandals

Links

Organizations
Appleseed Center
Cardozo Shaw Neigh.Assoc.
Committee of 100
Fed of Citizens Assocs
League of Women Voters
Parents United
Shaw Coalition

Photos

Search

What Is DCWatch?

themail archives

PRESS RELEASE
Harold Brazil - DC Councilmember At-Large
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 404, Washington, DC 20004 202-724-8174

Councilmember Harold Brazil Calls For the Creation of a Residential Lead Pipe Replacement Fund To Help D.C. Residents
Homeowners Should Not Have to Pay for Government Foul-ups

(Washington, D.C.) At-Large Councilmember Harold Brazil was joined by Councilmember Adrian Fenty (Ward 4), and others, on the steps of Ward 4 resident Paul Vessels' home, and announced legislation to create a program that will pay for the replacement of lead pipes on District resident properties.

"To fully protect our residents we must replace the lead pipes on their property - a cost many residents cannot afford. I am working with my colleagues to identify up to $20 million in our budget to solve this problem and keep our citizens safe. Today, I am introducing legislation with my colleagues to reallocate funds from the fiscal year 2004, and add funding to the 2005 budget, to pay for the replacement of lead service lines on District residents' property," said Brazil.

Currently, the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) only replaces the lead pipes up to the homeowner's property line. Lead pipes extending beyond the property line is the homeowner's responsibility and is often a financial burden on District residents.

"I'll be working aggressively with the Mayor and my colleagues on the Council to solve this public health crisis by identifying additional resources and to hold WASA accountable," Brazil added.

Brazil concluded, "Lead poisoning does not stop at the street, so we must do everything in our power to protect the lives of families and children everywhere in the District."

Back to top of page

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004

FENTY CALLS FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY

Today, in a letter to U.S. Attorney Roscoe Howard, District of Columbia Councilmember Adrian Fenty (D - Ward 4) called for an investigation into whether the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) violated federal law when they "consciously" decided not to alert residents and authorities about the high levels of lead present in District drinking water.

In his letter, Fenty stated that the U.S. Attorney should investigate whether representatives of WASA, or other related District agencies, were criminally negligent when they failed to notify residents that there were "illegal" levels of lead in the water. Fenty points out in his letter that lead in the water serves as a "poison" to young children, literally stunting the development of the brain.

"Over the past week", stated Fenty, "a number of my constituents have called upon me to ask for the prosecution and levying of fines upon WASA for their callous disregard of their duty to notify District residents about poisonous levels of lead in the drinking water. I hope that this investigation will occur promptly and that all representatives who are guilty of criminal activity will be brought to justice."

Fenty's letter asks for the investigation of current and former employees going back to the mid1990s when WASA could have begun to take steps to reduce the levels of lead in the water of the District of Columbia.

Back to top of page

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004

March 15, 2004

Roscoe Howard
United States Attorney 
District of Columbia 
555 4th Street, NW 
Washington, DC 20530

Dear U.S. Attorney Howard:

As you are aware, over the past 6 - 7 weeks, the general public has been made aware of the presence of illegal levels of lead in the water of the District of Columbia. As you are also aware, the presence of lead in drinking water is known to be a "poison" to young children, preventing the proper development of their brains. Over the same period, media reports and public hearings have yielded information demonstrating that representatives of the Water and Sewer Authority consciously decided to keep information from District residents about the high levels of lead.

Accordingly, my office has recently received concern from residents who would like your office to work with the appropriate sanctioning agencies to investigate

1. whether the Water and Sewer Authority, and/or other duty-bound agency, have engaged in criminal negligence by failing to properly notify residents and authorities about the presence of poisonous lead in the water in the District of Columbia and should thus be prosecuted; and
2. whether the Water and Sewer Authority, and/or other duty-bound agency, have engaged in activity in violation of federal law by failing to properly notify residents and authorities about the presence of poisonous lead in the water in the District of Columbia and should thus be fined pursuant to that law.

I hope that you will focus your investigation not only on current managers at WASA but also go back to the mid-1990s when WASA apparently made a conscious decision not to use best practices of putting phosphates in the water to reduce the presence of lead. Any and all officials responsible for this decisionmaking should be investigated.

I look forward to your prompt response on these concerns.

Sincerely,
Adrian Fenty
Councilmember, Ward 4