Neighborhood's lawsuit claims GM contaminated water, damaged property

(WJBK) - An entire neighborhood near the Milford proving grounds is suing General Motors, saying the automaker is making them sick and damaging their property.

Ellen Moore and her family were living the American dream. In 2004, they purchased a home in The Oaks at Beach Lake in Livingston County.

"It's a beautiful neighborhood and directly across the street from the proving ground, which is a very impressive and beautiful site," she said.

But immediately they realized something was wrong.

"From the very beginning my family would not drink our water because it had an unusual smell and distasteful flavor," she said.

Moore says unlike her family, she continued to drink the water. Then the Livingston County Health Department gave them some alarming news.

"We had high levels of sodium chloride in our water," she said.

The county began issuing bottled water, but after searching for answers to the source of the sodium chloride they got some information from their neighbor - the proving grounds. They sent a letter saying sodium chloride may have migrated off of their property and onto theirs and that they were now going to take over supplying them water.

Moore says first plants on her property began today, and then she and some neighbors started getting sick. That's when they hired an attorney.

"General Motors has done a number on this neighborhood and what we're looking for is for General Motors to step up, take responsibility, and take care of the problem," he said.

A lawsuit was filed in Livingston County on Thursday.

GM issued the following statement:

"GM does not believe this suit has merit. Salt deposits...naturally occur in this area, and salt is also used on the many nearby public roads during winter. Nonetheless, acting as a good neighbor, salt usage has been reduced by 60% over the last two decades."

Moore says she hopes the lawsuit can provide some resolution and that she can sell her house.