Supreme Court won’t take case prompted by Flint water crisis

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has declined to take a case stemming from the 2014 water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Approximately 25,000 people have sued over the crisis, in which a change in the source of the city’s water resulted in lead contamination.

The case the justices turned away without comment Tuesday involves a lawsuit against the city and water regulators, most of whom were responsible for making sure federal clean water laws were followed. The lawsuit claims the officials failed to protect residents from a foreseeable risk of harm from exposure to lead. The lawsuit and others like it claim that the public has a constitutional right to “bodily integrity” that was violated.

The city and officials have argued they should be immune from being sued, but lower courts have disagreed.

The lawsuit and others like it are expected to go forward in lower courts.