Overview: - Elin Betanzo, a Michigan-based drinking water engineer, has been removed from the National Drinking Water Advisory Council after signing a letter critical of Trump-era environmental policies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dismissed Michigan-based drinking water engineer Elin Betanzo from the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, months after placing her under investigation for signing a public letter criticizing Trump administration environmental policies. The advisory council provides recommendations to EPA on drinking water regulations and includes water utility executives, state regulators, and public health experts. Unlike other EPA advisory panels that were fully reset after Trump took office, the drinking water advisory council has largely remained unchanged — making Betanzo’s removal stand out. “That should concern anyone who cares about independent, science-based drinking water policy.”