SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the EPA cracking down on California water quality (all times local):
12:35 p.m.
San Francisco’s mayor has rejected a federal claim that there is a link between homelessness and water quality in the area.
Mayor London Breed also said Thursday that she’s “sick” of President Donald Trump taking political swipes at the largely Democratic city.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says California is failing to prevent water pollution, largely because of problems with homelessness in cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Trump warned last week of a potential violation notice for San Francisco involving needles and waste being allowed to go through storm drains into the Pacific Ocean.
Breed says there are no needles washing out into San Francisco Bay or the ocean.
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7:45 a.m.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says California is falling short on preventing water pollution, largely because of its problem with homelessness in big cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler outlined the complaints Thursday in a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Wheeler is demanding a detailed plan for fixing the problems within 30 days.
The letter says “piles of human feces on sidewalks and streets” could cause water contamination. It criticizes San Francisco for routinely discharging inadequately treated sewage into the Pacific Ocean.
Wheeler says if the state doesn’t meet its responsibilities, EPA will have to take action.
The letter escalates a feud between the Trump administration and California, a predominantly Democratic state that has fought the administration’s efforts to weaken environmental regulations.
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