Office of the Mayor 219 South President Street

Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Mayor Post Office Box 17

Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0017
Telephone: 601-960-1084
Facsimile: 601-960-2193

November 3, 2022

President Joseph R. Biden

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Via president@whitehouse.gov

Dear Mr. President:

Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for the citizens of Jackson, Mississippi through
your emergency declaration for the State of Mississippi dated August 30, 2022, which you issued due to
the City of Jackson's ("City") and Hinds County's water crisis. The emergency declaration authorized
FEMA to provide, through its Public Assistance Program, as authorized by Sections 403, 406, and 407 of
the Stafford Act, reimbursement or direct federal assistance to eligible state, local, tribal, and certain
private-non-profit organization applicants for emergency work located in the City of Jackson and Hinds
County. The Federal emergency declaration is due to expire on November 29, 2022.

On October 13, 2022, Governor Reeves received the enclosed request from the City of Jackson in our
effort to revise and extend the Federal state of emergency. That letter outlined:

1. How severe rain and flooding were/are major causes of the 2022 Jackson Water Crisis;
2. The City of Jackson’s water distribution system challenges; and
3. A request for an extension on the duration of the emergency to address outstanding
problems.

The intention of this request was to provide ample time for knowledge transfer to an operations and
maintenance contractor while ensuring the stabilization and winterization of the system – as we are
approaching subfreezing temperatures here in Jackson.

Rather than respond to the extension request, Governor Reeves indicated he intends to accelerate the
removal of emergency services support. Therefore, it is imperative that the City of Jackson receive
immediate and direct federal assistance in the following four areas:

1. Please extend the declared State of Emergency which expires on November 30, 2022, for six
months through May 31st, 2023. This will ensure continued and safe drinking water service
and a smooth transition between the ongoing emergency work and the upcoming one-year
emergency operations and maintenance contract. This could include, but not be limited to,

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 replacing services currently being provided by MEMA, EMAC, the Mississippi Department of
Health, and the consulting services currently being provided by Hemphill Construction Co., Inc.
2. Provide direct financial assistance to the City of Jackson to help defray the costs of the one-
year emergency operations and maintenance contract. The City proposes that funding be
provided for this purpose to the Delta Regional Authority which would serve as the fiscal agent,
recipient of federal funds, and payor of those funds to the selected operations and maintenance
vendor.
3. Direct FEMA to task the US Corps of Engineers to winterize and repair water main leaks in the
City’s distribution system as soon as possible, to reduce current 40%-50% water losses and
ensure continuous service.

The urgency of this matter should not be underestimated, as recent signals from Governor Reeves
jeopardize the system’s stability during the City’s recovery and preparations for winter weather.

It is crucial that the federal government, even as we are negotiating our mid-range operations and
maintenance solutions, provide the resources that the City of Jackson and its residents need in order to
ensure the consistent, long-term operation of the water facilities. We remain committed to quickly
transitioning into a mid-range solution as we go through our EPA-approved solicitation process to bring
on an operations and maintenance contractor for the next 12 months. We are actively engaging our
Congressional Delegation around emergency appropriations to support our plans for systemwide repair
and replacement.

After our discussion at the beginning of this crisis, you assured me that you would do all you could to
help the residents of Jackson and I believe you to be a man of your word. I sincerely appreciate your
consideration of these requests which are vital to the protection of safe drinking water and the public
health of the residents of Jackson.

Sincerely,

Chokwe Antar Lumumba

Mayor

Enclosures: FEMA 3582-EM-MS Extension Request

October 20, 2022 Governor Reeves Press Conference Transcript
List of MEMA Unified Command Activities

Cc: Senator Roger Wicker

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
Congressman Bennie Thompson
Congressman Michael Guest
EPA Administrator Michael Regan
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
USACE Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon
White House Senior Advisor Mitchell J. Landrieu

Office of the Mayor | Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Mayor

219 South President Street | Post Office Box 17 | Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0017
Telephone: 601-960-1084 | Facsimile:601-960-2193
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