EPA cites California for 'piles of human feces'

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday cited California for its "piles of human feces" and demanded a remediation plan that would address "potential water quality impacts from pathogens."

Breitbart reported the state is accused of violating federal water quality laws by failing to deal with the pollution that accompanies the homeless crisis.

"President Trump hinted last week during a fundraising trip to the state that the EPA might be planning to act against California for neglecting the homeless crisis by citing it for violating environmental laws," Breitbart said.

On Thursday a letter from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to Gov. Gavin Newsom made the concerns formal.

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"Based on data and reports, the EPA is concerned that California's implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs. The cost of this failure will be paid by those Californians exposed to unhealthy air and degraded water," Wheeler wrote.

"The purpose of this letter is to outline the deficiencies that have led to significant public health concerns in California and to outline steps the state must take to address them."

The EPA chief asked for a remediation plan from the state explaining what it will do "to address the issues."

The federal agency said it is aware of the homelessness crisis in the state.

"Indeed, press reports indicate that 'piles of human feces' on sidewalks and streets in these cities are becoming all too common," the letter said.

Specifically, San Francisco and Los Angeles "do not appear to be acting with urgency to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment."

There are problems besides the homelessness. Wheeler said "even more troubling" was San Francisco's decision to discharge more than a billion gallons of "sewage and stormwater" into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean annually.

"The state has not acted with a sense of urgency to abate this public health and environmental problem," the EPA concluded.

Meanwhile, the state has received "more than $1.16 billion of federal funds to implement" clean water programs in just the last five years.

And California had 200 community water systems with 665 "health-based exceedances that put the drinking water of nearly 800,000 residents at risk."

The state has been instructed to outline in writing "within 30 days" how it will begin dealing with the violations.

The EPA, just days ago, brought to California's attention its problem with air pollution polluted air and insisted on improvements.