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Kildee said he has been pushing for legislation that would update lead regulations since he learned of the crisis in Flint and would keep pushing for the administration to update the Lead and Copper Rule.

The Rule has not been updated in more than 25 years and the Trump Administration continues to delay action,\" he said in a statement. \"I will continue fighting to make sure that Flint families have the resources they need to recover from this man-made tragedy and work so that a similar crisis does not happen elsewhere.\"

Another problem the report identified was that the EPA regional office did not convey the urgency of the situation when communicating with EPA headquarters. Butler said the office was not aware of the extent of lead contamination at the time they were asking EPA headquarters for guidance so there was \"less of a fire\" underneath the discussions. She said the EPA has since made changes to make sure that any issues that could impact human health are escalated more quickly.

\"PHOTO:
AP
PHOTO: Water distribution employee Albrey Kirkland places water cases into the back of a pickup at a water distribution center on North Franklin Avenue, April 5, 2018 in Flint, Mich.
>

City officials in Flint, Michigan changed the city's water supply in 2014 but the water wasn't treated properly, exposing city residents to elevated lead levels that are considered harmful to young children. The city and state declared a state of emergency in the city the next year after water still tested positive for lead even after the city switched to a different water source.

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in his first remarks to EPA employees that Flint is an example of how the agency needs to improve the way it communicates with communities impacted by environmental events.

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