‘Suffering’ Residents Sue Leaders Over Jackson Water Crisis
It’s the first federal class action lawsuit tackling the environmental disaster.
Brad Vest/Getty
Residents from Jackson, Mississippi, are suing their city, mayor, current and past officials, and two engineering companies for neglect and mismanagement that has left them and 150,000 others without safe, reliable water for decades. In their complaint, which is the first federal class action lawsuit tackling the environmental disaster, residents argued that their government leaders violated their constitutional rights. Jackson, which is 82 percent Black, has not had consistent reliable water and has had to watch for “high levels of lead, E. Coli, and other contaminants,” the complaint states. For years, officials tested Jackson’s water and found that its lead levels far exceeded safety thresholds, yet nothing was done. “We’re suffering because of the lack of leadership and planning by government officials and others,” Raine Becker, a resident, said in a statement. “Access to clean water is a basic human right, and government officials must be held accountable for their misconduct.”
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