Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it has launched an investigation into whether Mississippi state officials discriminated against Black residents in the state by declining to fund improvements to the state's water supply.
The federal civil rights investigation will look to see if two state agencies "discriminated against the majority Black population of the City of Jackson on the basis of race" in funding decisions that ultimately led to a series of drinking water infrastructure crises.
The latest crisis occurred in late August and early September when flooding led to a mechanical collapse at the main water treatment facility in Jackson, leaving the state's largest city without reliable running water for nearly a week.
The probe will aim to determine whether the state violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits recipients of federal dollars from engaging in discriminatory behavior, whether intentionally or not.
Jackson's population, along with its tax base, has been dropping since the 1980s. The city has not solved issues with water billing and collections, further starving the system of needed funds.
Last month, the NAACP filed a complaint requesting that EPA Administrator Michael Regan immediately launch a probe into the use of federal funds related to Jackson's drinking water.
The complaint alleged a "decades-long pattern and practice of discriminating against the city of Jackson when it comes to providing federal funds to improve local water systems."
NAACP National President Derrick Johnson, who lives in Jackson, said the investigation is only the beginning of getting the city past its long-running drinking water issues.
"This action is only the first step. NAACP and its partners will continue to press the Biden Administration and Congress to hold state officials accountable and ensure that Jackson officials and residents are active participants in the decision-making that will be required to fix the unacceptable problems with Jackson's water," Johnson said, according to ABC News.
The Mississippi Department of Health said in a statement that it "works with all eligible public water systems needing funds to improve their plants through the State Revolving Loan Fund."
Congress has started a similar investigation in the state's past record of passing along federal funds to Jackson to address infrastructure issues.