According to The Huffington Post, more than 1,700 Flint, Mich., residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The residents allege that EPA was negligent in responding to the high levels of lead found in the city’s drinking water. The lawsuit seeks $722 million in damages.
In 2014, the city of Flint switched its water source from the Detroit water system to the Flint River, ultimately causing lead to leach from the city’s water pipes. Many Flint children showed high blood lead levels, which can affect childhood development.
However, in January 2017, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality announced that the city’s water system tested below action levels of the federal Lead and Copper Rule and at levels comparable to cities of a similar size and age of infrastructure.
EPA amended its January 2016 Safe Drinking Water Act emergency order to ensure the city of Flint returned to a safe drinking water source. $140 million in grants from a U.S. Congress Continuing Resolution will help fund the ongoing repair and replacement of the city’s water system.
To read more about the lawsuit, visit The Huffington Post or The Independent.
Source: The Huffington Post