BENTON HARBOR,Roland Preston Mich. (AP) — An appeals court on Wednesday dismissed a Michigan mayor from a lawsuit that accuses local officials of mismanaging problems with lead-contaminated water.
The court reversed a decision by a federal judge and said Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad has governmental immunity.
“Although we recognize that the response to Benton Harbor’s water crisis was far from perfect, the complaint does not provide any statement or action by Muhammad that would indicate that he had acted with deliberate indifference in causing or dealing with the crisis,” the three-judge panel said.
For three straight years, tests of Benton Harbor’s water system revealed lead levels in water that were too high. Lead can be especially harmful to young children, stunting their development and lowering IQ scores.
The lawsuit accused Muhammad of violating residents’ rights to bodily integrity by not doing enough to protect residents. In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the city for more than a year had failed to warn residents and the local health department about lead. It ordered changes at the water plant.
The situation is different today. Lead pipes have been replaced in the city of 9,000 people, and lead levels in water have not exceeded federal guidelines.
Experts said an aging water system, fewer users and other issues caused lead to leach from pipes in Benton Harbor. Water flows from Lake Michigan to a treatment plant.
The lawsuit will continue against Benton Harbor’s former water plant director, the appeals court said.
2025-05-03 10:292620 view
2025-05-03 10:161741 view
2025-05-03 10:142949 view
2025-05-03 09:242445 view
2025-05-03 09:072659 view
2025-05-03 08:41202 view
Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on
Even for the most enthusiastic boosters of renewable energy, it’s hard to argue that solar panels pr
Indigenous Peoples' Day, which falls on the second Monday of October as a counter-celebration to Col