WASHINGTON _ The Trump administration will notify California officials on Thursday that it is "failing" to meet federal water-quality standards, attributing this in part to homelessness, according to the Washington Post.
The expected oversight letter would come days after the Environmental Protection Agency threatened to cut federal transportation funding from California as punishment for not submitting timely pollution-control plans. It also follows a threat from President Trump to punish San Francisco with some type of violation notice for what he described as environmental pollution during a recent trip to the state.
"The agency is aware of the growing homelessness crisis developing in major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the impact of this crisis on the environment," wrote EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Based upon data and reports, the agency is concerned that California's implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs."
The letter, which reportedly gives Gov. Gavin Newsom 30 days to respond, would mark the latest escalation in the Trump administration's political feud with California.
