Federal judge finds Flint, Michigan, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis

A federal judge has found the city of Flint, Michigan, in contempt for failing to comply with a court order that spelled out the steps it needed to take to finish replacing old lead pipes after Flint’s lead-contaminated water scandal. U.S. District Judge David Lawson wrote in Tuesday’s decision that he had found Flint in civil contempt because it had failed to meet deadlines for pipe-removal that he outlined in his February 2023 order. The city originally had promised to replace the pipes by early 2020. Lawson’s ruling comes after he heard a motion seeking a finding of contempt by groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council.