Judge OKs federal intervention in struggling water system
The U.S. Justice Department has received a federal judge’s approval to carry out its proposal to improve the precarious water system in Mississippi’s capital city
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has won a federal judge's approval to carry out a rare intervention to improve the precarious water system in Mississippi’s capital city, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday, months after the system's partial failure.
The department filed the proposal for intervention on Tuesday and U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate approved it later that day in Mississippi. The move authorized the appointment of a third-party manager to oversee reforms to Jackson’s water system, which nearly collapsed in late summer and continues to struggle.
At a news conference in Washington, Garland said the proposal is necessary to “stabilize the circumstances” in Jackson as soon as possible while city, state and federal officials negotiate a court-enforced consent decree.
“We have to get something done immediately," Garland said. “The water is a problem right now, and we can’t wait until a complaint is resolved.”
