The mayor of Flint, Mich., on Friday backed off a notice of intent to sue the state of Michigan for the lead water crisis in her city, saying she has no intent to sue the state.
Mayor Karen Weaver wrote a letter March 24 to the state notifying state officials that the city intends to sue Michigan for the lead water crisis enveloping Flint. Weaver released a statement Friday afternoon stating she was merely keeping her options open.
“I have no intention at this point of having the city of Flint sue the state,” she said. “However, the city of Flint would have forfeited its right to file a lawsuit in the future if I had not filed an official ‘Notice of Intention to File a Claim’ by the March 25 deadline. As the elected leader of Flint, I needed to preserve the city’s right to pursue a legal remedy if it is determined a lawsuit is necessary in the future.”
Court documents filed with the Michigan Court of Claims show Flint intends to sue the state of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and four agency employees for causing the lead water crisis.
Weaver said she plans to continue to work with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on helping Flint recover from the lead water crisis.
In April 2014, a state emergency manager appointed by Snyder signed off on a symbolic vote from the Flint City Council to change the city’s water source. The move aimed to cut costs by requiring the city to take its water from the Flint River instead of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department while a new pipeline was built to connect the city to Lake Huron.
The Flint River water, however, was so acidic that it caused the lead pipes bringing water from the city’s cast iron mains into homes to corrode. Lead leached off the pipes and into the drinking water throughout the city.
A state report issued last week put the blame on the state for the crisis.
