The city of Youngstown, Ohio, has reduced the salaries and suspended 25 water employees who were found guilty of falsifying credentials.

The workers falsified contact hours, claiming they finished coursework for Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Class 2 water certifications, although they only took parts of the classes.

“It’s a lesson for other city employees that if you have classes you have to go to, you have to go to the classes,” Mayor John McNally told The Vindicator.

McNally said the suspensions are only on paper and won’t cause the employees to miss work, and that they’re part of a process to punish the workers further if any other rule violations happen.

Source: The Vindicator

Onoway Residents Complain of Bright Pink Tap Water

Residents across Onoway, Alberta, recently complained to town officials after seeing bright pink water coming from taps.

There was some uproar on various social media sites showing photos of the pink water, which was caused by a stuck valve releasing potassium permanganate into the sump reservoir and later into the distribution system.

“While it is alarming to see pink water coming from your taps, potassium permanganate is used in normal treatment processes to help remove iron and manganese, and residents were never at risk,” said town officials in a statement.

Source: Metro.co.uk

Trump Administration Plans $2 Billion Cut to EPA

Recent reports say the President Donald Trump administration is planning a one-quarter cut to the U.S. EPA’s budget that could lay off 20 percent of the agency’s staff.

Administration officials are expected to propose a $6.1 billion budget for the EPA in 2018, which is a $2 billion cut from the current budget.

Environmentalist groups have voiced dissent over the expected cuts, and Democrat legislators likely will oppose the plan.

Source: The Hill

New York Providing $60 Million for Water Infrastructure

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved nearly $60 million in grants and interest-free and low-cost loans to help water/wastewater infrastructure in the state.

The funding will go toward 12 water projects and five wastewater projects in upstate New York. Cuomo’s figure includes more than $25 million in grants that were awarded last year through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.

Source: WRGB