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               Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Over Flint Water Crisis

   by Megan Duzor

   Residents of the northern U.S. city of Flint, Michigan, have filed a
   class-action lawsuit against the state's governor and others alleging
   gross negligence for causing the city's drinking water to become
   contaminated with lead.

   The group of seven residents filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court
   seeking damages for thousands of Flint residents who suffered physical
   or economic injuries.

   The suit names Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and other current and
   former government officials, as well as corporations, for their role in
   the water crisis.

   ''It accuses them of gross negligence, which is an exception to the
   immunity that lawmakers generally are granted for performing official
   duties.

   A spokesman for Snyder said the administration is not commenting on
   pending legislation, but said the governor is staying focused on
   finding solutions for Flint.

   Michigan's slow response to the water crisis in Flint was a big topic
   at the Democratic presidential debate Sunday with both candidates,
   Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, calling for Snyder's resignation.

   Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under the control of a
   state-appointed emergency manager when it switched its water source in
   April 2014 from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The new, more corrosive
   water supply caused lead to leach from city pipes into the drinking
   water.

   Over the ensuing months, the city's residents complained about the odd,
   brownish color of the water and its taste. Tests later found that lead
   was in the bloodstreams of more than 200 children. Lead contamination
   in children is especially debilitating, causing developmental delays,
   learning disabilities and aggressive behavior.

   City and state officials are pointing the blame at each other. The
   state-appointed emergency manager who oversaw the switch to the new
   water source blames the decision on the city council. City officials,
   conversely, are blaming the emergency manager.

   Michigan's attorney general has launched an investigation into the
   contamination crisis, and so has the U.S. Federal Bureau of
   Investigation. One state investigator said charges as serious as
   manslaughter could be brought if drinking the toxic water causes any
   deaths.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/class-action-lawsuit-flint-water-cris
   is/3224210.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/class-action-lawsuit-flint-water-crisis/3224210.html