Gov. Snyder Named In Lawsuits Tied To Flint Water Crisis

FLINT (CBS DETROIT/AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder is the target of two class-action lawsuits filed by Flint residents over the state's handling of the city's water crisis.

The Flint Journal reports that the suits were announced Tuesday in Flint.

One filed in Genesee County Circuit Court seeks to stop Flint from shutting off residential service for nonpayment of bills. It also requests that customers should not have to pay for water they can't drink.

Flint's tap water became contaminated with too much lead after the city switched its water supply in 2014 to save money while under state financial management. Local officials first declared a public health emergency in October in response to tests that showed children with elevated levels of lead.

Now, Michigan State University and a Flint hospital are putting a team together to keep a long-term eye on Flint's lead problem, from offering nutrition tips to residents to health monitoring.

The effort will be led by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who is credited with sounding the alarm last year about high levels of lead in children.

Drinking water that lacked treatment for corrosion caused lead to leach from old plumbing in Flint for about 18 months.

The decision was made while a Snyder-appointed emergency managerwas running city government in Flint. It was the first time in over 50 years that the city was not using water from Detroit.

The other lawsuit was filed Friday in the state Court of Claims.

The Governor will be presenting the State of the State in an address Tuesday night.

You can listen LIVE ON WWJ NEWSRADIO 950 AT 7 P.M.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.