Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
Residents from Benton Harbor, Michigan, are suing Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and multiple current and former State and City officials through a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit is seeking relief actions and monetary damages related to the city’s ongoing drinking water crisis. State agencies have advised residents to start using bottled water in early October due to the increase of lead in the municipal water supply.
Plaintiffs accused the city, state, and private contractors for not adequately notifying the public of the situation sooner. The plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation for property damage, medical examinations to access the health risks of being exposed to and ingesting lead. They are also seeking blood work, in home water testing, distribution of safe water, establishment of a community center for kids and adults with learning impairments, replacement of lead service lines, and a monitor to oversee operations of the beleaguered water system.