Michigan sues Flint after council refuses to OK water deal
The state of Michigan sued Flint Wednesday, alleging that the city council's refusal to approve a broadly backed deal to buy water long term from a Detroit-area system is endangering public health in the wake of a man-made crisis that left the supply contaminated with lead.
The Department of Environmental Quality had threatened legal action if the council did not approve Mayor Karen Weaver's recommendation or propose a reasonable alternative by Monday. The council instead OK'd a short-term extension of its contract with the Great Lakes Water Authority.
"Ensuring that the residents of Flint have drinking water that meets public health standards is our primary concern," DEQ Director Heidi Grether told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
State and federal officials do not want Flint to change water sources a third time after a fateful 2014 switch resulted in lead contamination and other issues while the city was under state management. The federal lawsuit says Flint has no other currently available water source. It seeks an order barring Flint from switching again and requiring it to enter the 30-year contract to comply with federal and state drinking water laws.
Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-flint-water-michigan-lawsuit-20170628-story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
I can't imagine all they've had to go through - having to use bottled water for everything, for years!