Key Filings

The federal class action lawsuit is pending before Judge Janet T. Neff in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. It is titled Braziel et al v. Whitmer et al, case number 1:21-cv-00960-JTN-PJG,

  • Second Amended Complaint (5/20/22)

  • Exhibits A-O to Second Amended Complaint

    • Exhibit A: Petition for Emergency Action Under Safe Drinking Water Act

    • Exhibit B: Emergency Administrative Order

    • Exhibit C: SDWA Drinking Water Inspection Report

    • Exhibit D: 2019 Regulatory Status Update

    • Exhibit E: 2018 Benton Harbor Water Quality Report

    • Exhibit F: Email Chain between the Engineering team at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

    • Exhibit G: Email to Ellis Mitchell, Benton Harbor City Manager from US EPA, including the 2022 SDWA Drinking Water Inspection Report

    • Exhibit H: Water System History and Compliance and Enforcement Update

    • Exhibit I: Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate

    • Exhibit J: US EPA Unilateral Administrative Order

    • Exhibit K: Benton Harbor & Berrien County Health Department 2019 Joint Press Release

    • Exhibit L: ABC57 News Article

    • Exhibit M: Plaintiff Verification

    • Exhibit N: Pamphlet Email Chain

    • Exhibit O: EGLE Email Chain

Watch the town hall meeting

On June 4, 2022, legal counsel representing residents of Benton Harbor participated in a town hall led by Rev. Edward Pinkney, a longtime community organizer who chairs the Benton Harbor Water Quality Council. The full town hall can be watched here.

Contact Us & Take Action

There is power in numbers. If you are a resident of Benton Harbor and interested in joining our efforts to hold government and water officials accountable, we need to hear from you. 

Please submit any inquiries regarding the lawsuit here, or call us at 269-621-5326.