SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Residents and environmental activists are demanding city officials declare a state of emergency over what they say could be worse lead contamination than the drinking water crisis that afflicted Flint, Michigan, a decade ago.
The city of Syracuse has been at odds with residents since it informed them in a letter over the summer that water samples from more than two dozen homes were found to have high lead levels.
Local officials later blamed the elevated numbers on improper testing, put two water department employees on leave and said retesting showed much lower levels of lead…