The state of Michigan is in federal court trying to force the city of Flint to accept a deal to get safe drinking water.
The lawsuit demands that Flint make a long-term deal with the utility that provides water to the city of Detroit and its suburbs. The Flint city council is refusing to ratify a deal backed by Mayor Karen Weaver, the EPA, and the state Department of Environmental Quality.
The DEQ’s Tiffany Brown says the agency filed the lawsuit because the impasse creates an imminent public health risk.
"The main focus is making sure the city has quality water that meets public health standards.”
Flint switched from using Detroit water while the city was run by state-appointed emergency managers. The result was lead contamination and, possibly, a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
