Water Contamination Lawsuit Filed Against Michigan And It’s Governor As Residents Of Flint Michigan Continue To Deal With Lead-Conta
As the residents of Flint, Michigan continue to deal with lead contaminated water, a class action lawsuit has been filed by its’ citizens. The governor and the state of Michigan are both named as being in the water contamination lawsuit and claims they were negligent in their implementation of the new water system for Flint, Michigan.
A state of Federal Emergency was declared and Flit Michigan was given state and federal aid to help pass out clean water and build new pipes to replace the ones damaged by the alternate water source. The state has offered $10 million to Flint as aid to restore their pipes and regain clean water.
The lawsuit was launched January 12th and accused the state of Michigan and the governor of Flint of “breaching the contractual obligation” which required the government to supply over 30,000 homes with clean, safe, potable water. The lawsuit states that some residents are still being billed for the contaminated water source through local water bills and through medical bills. Some of the citizens with the worst symptoms have also sued Flint’s administration and other local officials.
Flint Michigan was the scene of a proposed water supply change that was supposed to conserve water and ensure the entire city had plenty of water. Instead, the lead-contaminated water caused nearly 100,000 people to suffer the effects of lead poisoning and the corrosive water damaged hundreds of miles of city pipes, requiring their replacement. Over an 18-month period, citizens of Flint suffered strange symptoms that lead to a diagnosis of lead poisoning for thousands. Children were hit the hardest and suffered the worst symptoms. Reports show that over 80 people have contracted legionnaires diseases due to contaminated water and it has resulted in over 10 deaths. [http://mwcnews.net/news/americas/56704-michigan-state-sued.html, January 2016]
The new water system was implemented in April 2014 as a way for Flint to save money on water. The new water source was the Flint River and Flint chose to draw its water from there after Flint was no longer able to accept water from Detroit due to hikes in water rates. The corrosion in the water caused old pipes to lead lead, poisoning thousands.
The state administration have denied allegations of negligence. The state said in a statement that it had been “working closely with the city to focus on health issues affecting children and other city residents, and address water infrastructure challenges,” however, critics state that his efforts were too little too late. Investigations by Michigan’s Auditor General have found that the state officials ignored red flags for several months before taking action. The Department of Environmental Quality in Michigan told citizens that the water was safe to drink although local doctors were finding high levels of lead in many patients.
According to some critics, even the Environmental Protection Agency was in on the danger and tried to cover up the situation. According to investigations, the EPA may have known about the water crisis as early as April 2015 but did not take action until October 2015.
One of the first doctors in Flint to recognize the danger, Dr Mona Hanna-Attisha is researching the effects of lead poisoning. “Lead poisoning has long-term impacts. It affects your cognitive development, your intelligence, and it is directly linked to violent behavior,” she said. “There is no safe level of lead.”
Wright & Schulte LLC is currently representing numerous Ohio and West Virginia residents in a water contamination lawsuit against DuPont. If you would like further information on your rights and legal recourse regarding injury and illness from contaminated water contact one of our firms attorney by visiting www.yourlegalhelp.com or 1-800-399-0795.
minated Water
