"DETROIT — The federal government can be sued for negligence in the Flint water crisis, a judge said Wednesday, citing the failure of regulators to timely act as good Samaritans and blow the whistle on lead in the water supply.

The decision comes days after the state of Michigan said it’s willing to pay $600 million to settle a raft of lawsuits by Flint residents over disastrous decisions by Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency didn’t cause Flint’s water to be contaminated with lead, but it knew about high lead levels and didn’t crack down in time, U.S. District Judge Judith Levy said in an 86-page opinion."

Ed White reports for the Associated Press August 28, 2020. [2]