The investigation found that MDEQ Jackson did not racially discriminate in funding for water systems

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has been cleared of any wrongdoing in funding projects in Jackson.

Back in October 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened an investigation into MDEQ based on a TITLE VI complaint from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) that the department was racially discriminating against the state’s majority Black capital by refusing to fund improvements to the water systems. The investigation found essentially no evidence that MDEQ violated anti-discrimination regulations

“The evidence overwhelmingly shows that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality did everything right,” said MDEQ Executive Director Chris Wells. “Our state is blessed to have its own environmental protection agency through the MDEQ. We are Mississippians regulating Mississippians, and MDEQ is made up of very capable and fair-minded engineers, scientists, geologists, lawyers and other support staff – all who choose to live here and serve our great state. These allegations were completely false and distracted from our agency’s mission.”

In its report, the EPA noted that it had identified “identified deficiencies” in the implementation of certain non-binding procedural safeguards in MDEQ’s loan approval processes. But Wells argued that the claim was misleading because the department already follows federal law.

“MDEQ has already done everything the regulations require,” Wells said. “EPA accepts responsibility for updates and improvements that are not specifically required by the regulations and were in the works well before the filing of this complaint.”

The EPA’s investigation was launched in the heat of the Jackson water crisis, in which about 150,000 residents lacked access to clean tap water for months in 2021. Still, MDEQ officials claimed that the department not only did not discriminate against the capital at any time, but also approved loans for Jackson at a disproportionate interest rate compared to other cities.

Since Jackson signed a new wastewater permitting ordinance with the EPA in 2012, MDEQ has loaned the city more than $86 million. According to Wells, in 2018, Jackson received over 54% of the loans from MDEQ’s revolving loan program, and in 2021, Jackson received nearly half of the loan funds for approved projects.

A former MDEQ employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Wells’ efforts. In a statement to SuperTalk Mississippi News, the former MDEQ employee said the department has already approved over $100 million for future wastewater projects for Jackson.

“More than half of the money for MDEQ-approved projects has recently gone to Jackson. Jackson had projects worth around $100 million and all are in phase one, phase two or phase three. It’s a whole system,” the former MDEQ employee said. “The replacement of the entire system has been approved. It’s only a matter of time. It will take a decade or more to fix everything.”

Wells added that the EPA took much longer than the stipulated 180-day deadline to complete its investigation, further supporting MDEQ’s claim that it complied with all federal rules and regulations. Meanwhile, the NAACP insists the city of Jackson was discriminated against.