City of Flint Threatens State with Lawsuit

Despite filing a notice of intent to sue last month, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said Friday the city has no intention of suing the State of Michigan, but the March 24 filing — which accuses the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of “grossly negligent oversight” — was necessary for technical reasons to guard the city’s rights in case Flint needs to sue the state in the future.

The action caught Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration off guard. The state, on Friday, urged Flint to withdraw the notice of intent to sue, saying the court filing is “legally unsupported” and creates “an unnecessary conflict between the parties that will damage ongoing efforts to resolve this crisis.”