News Briefs: Huge King Cobra Pulled From Thailand Sewer Pipe

Also in this week's water and wastewater news, nearly 600 former EPA officials are asking House of Representatives leadership to investigate the EPA

A 13-foot king cobra was removed from a sewer in southern Thailand, according to rescuers who spent an hour wrestling the reptile out of a pipe.

Rescuers chased the cobra through the sewer pipe as it attempted to escape into the darkness, but they eventually were able to pull it out by the tail.

Rescuers say it was the third-largest snake they’d ever encountered. It was released into the wild.

There are images of the cobra along with the source story here.

Wichita Mayor Avoids Charges for Allegedly Steering Bid Awards to Friends

Wichita (Kansas) Mayor Jeff Longwell won’t face charges over allegations that he orchestrated the bidding process to award a water treatment plant contract to his friends.

A 20-page review from Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett says Longwell should make some fixes to his paperwork, but won’t face charges over the matter.

The story originated in The Wichita Eagle, and Longwell claims the Eagle report was “unfair and inaccurate,” according to KWCH News.

Hundreds of Former EPA Officials Call for Investigation Into EPA

Nearly 600 former Environmental Protection Agency officials signed a letter asking House of Representatives leaders to investigate the EPA for its unwarranted focus on enforcing California’s pollution, saying it’s politically motivated.

The letter was sent to the House Oversight and Reform Committee along with the Energy and Commerce Committee, and it asks that they investigate whether Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s recent warnings to California regarding concerns about its homeless population polluting waterways were issued in retaliation for its failure to support President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

“EPA’s credibility depends on its commitment to use its authority to protect public health and our environment in an objective, even-handed manner, rather than as a blunt instrument of political power,” reads the letter. “While that principle has served the public well under both Republican and Democratic presidents, it is in serious trouble today.”



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