LANSING - In the wake of the Flint water crisis, the former head of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance unit was fired Friday.
In a statement sent to the media the governor says, "Putting the well-being of Michiganders first needs to be the top priority for all state employees. Anything less than that is unacceptable.
The DEQ is working to change this culture and ensure mistakes that endanger our residents don't occur again."
A spokesperson for the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget confirms that the fired supervisor is Liane Sheckter Smith.
She was dismissed after a disciplinary conference.
Another DEQ employee, the regional manager responsible for the Flint area, who reported to Smith, is also under review. A decision on his employment status is expected soon.
The Department of Environmental Quality has already seen the resignation of its director, Dan Wyant, and its communications director, Brad Wurfel, in December of 2015.
