EPA Chief, Mich. Governor Urged to Resign over Flint Water Fiasco

The governor of Michigan and the Obama administration's top environmental official are under fire for their roles in the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

EPA chief Gina McCarthy and Gov. Rick Snyder received harsh words at a congressional hearing Thursday, with some calling on both to resign.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told McCarthy the "courageous" thing to do is abandon her position as the nation's top environmental protection leader.

The EPA deserves its share of blame, too, Chaffetz said.

"You had authority under the law (to fix problems in Flint) and you didn't do it," McCarthy told him in one of several heated exchanges.

McCarthy acknowledged that the EPA should have been more aggressive in testing Flint's water and requiring changes. But she said the agency "couldn't get a straight answer" from state environmental officials about what was being done in Flint.

"The crisis we're seeing was the result of a state-appointed emergency manager deciding that the city would stop purchasing treated drinking water and instead switch to an untreated source to save money," McCarthy said. "The state of Michigan approved that decision."

Meanwhile Democrats on the committee joined the chorus of those blaming Gov. Snyder for the situation. Snyder is a Republican.

At the contentious congressional hearing, the governor repeatedly apologized for his role in the crisis.

"Not a day or night goes by that this tragedy doesn't weigh on my mind - the questions I should have asked, the answers I should have demanded," Snyder said.