(CBS DETROIT) – It’s been nine years since lead was found in Flint’s water supply, and many residents are still dealing with issues related to the public health crisis.
“Getting the lead services lines out are only one part of this, and here we are. We’re not finished yet,” said Flint resident Melissa Mays.
Mays joined attorneys in a Detroit federal court Friday after filing a motion to hold the city and its mayor in contempt of court.
It’s their latest attempt to get the city to comply with a 2017 settlement that required the city to replace tens of thousands of lead service lines for residents by January 2020.
In February, a judge found the city violated the settlement by missing the deadline to finish removing Flint’s lead pipes, which led the city to agree to get the job done by Aug. 1, 2023.
But attorneys for Flint families say residents are still dealing with damaged lawns and sidewalks because the city has yet to show up to finish the job for so many across the city.
“So far, the city has identified over 4,000 homes that never received the property repairs they were entitled to,” said Adeline Rolnick, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “As a result of these missed deadlines, the city is further prolonging the amount of time that Flint residents are being denied the rights guaranteed under this agreement.”
A spokesperson for the city of Flint issued the following statement:
“The City of Flint is continuing to work with our contractor Rowe Professional Services to complete all service line excavations, replacements and restorations as quickly as possible. We are confident that the City is on track to meet all requirements of the settlement agreement by Aug. 1, 2023.”
The judge didn’t rule on the case and ordered post-hearing briefs to be submitted in July.
Mays says she doesn’t have confidence the city will keep its word and finish the work required in the settlement.
“I can just walk out of my front door and see work that’s not been done,” she said. “So I don’t have a lot of faith that it’s going to be done because I don’t see a sense of urgency on the city or the state side.”
The judge has ordered the plaintiffs to file their briefs by July 14 and gave the city until July 21 to do so.
The judge could likely make a ruling by the end of July.
