The Flint River

DETROIT — The NAACP has filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan and Gov. Snyder on behalf of the residents and businesses in Flint, where high levels of lead in the drinking water has created a health crisis.

The civil lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, accused city and state officials and two engineering firms hired to evaluate water quality of failing to detect the problems or properly treat the water. It accused the defendants of negligence, inflicting emotional distress and violating the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The lawsuit was filed on March 31 by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in U.S. District Court in Detroit, but announced on Wednesday.

The lawsuit also names the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, three former emergency managers with the city and several other officials. Snyder has repeatedly apologized for the state’s poor handling of the crisis.

Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder’s office, said they do not comment on pending lawsuits.

The lawsuit seeks personal, property and punitive damages, and asks the court to compel the city and state to have Flint’s drinking water meet federal safety standards.

“The people of Flint have been harmed through the failure of state officials to provide professional and accountable basic services mandated by federal law and expected by any person living in a major city,” Cornell Brooks, the NAACP’s national president, said in a statement.

He added that the NAACP demands a “clear timeline, deadline and price tag” for rectifying the crisis. The organization is also asking for “effective remedies” and “complete compensation” for the harms done to the people.