A new series of pending lawsuits allege that local, state and federal officials knew about the levels of contamination at the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago, yet did nothing to prevent residents from being exposed to the toxins.

More than 250 individual tort claim notices, legal filings required before submitting a lawsuit to a court, were filed with the City of East Chicago, the city’s Department of Public Health, Mayor Anthony Copeland, the East Chicago Housing Authority, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the State Department of Health, Gov. Mike Pence , and the Carrie Gosch Elementary School.

The pending lawsuits claim all those officials knew about the high levels of lead and arsenic in the ground but never kept residents informed. Each plaintiff is seeking the maximum of $700,000 in damages.

“The scope and depth of this tragedy is almost beyond belief,” said attorney Eric Pavlack, in a statement. “Our clients, most of them children, are already showing signs of lead poisoning.”

The City of East Chicago does not comment on pending litigation. The Indiana Attorney General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

“I am horrified that the only present relief is going to be a long and arduous legal battle,” said attorney Walter Alvarez, in a statement.

The claims made by the group of current and former West Calumet residents is only the most recent of a string of legal filings related to lead contamination in East Chicago.

A class action lawsuit filed by LeRithea Rolan and Lamottca Brooks, on behalf of the residents of the housing complex, charged that Atlantic Richfield Company, DuPont and the Chemours Company should be responsible for the costs incurred by residents as they’ve been forced from their homes because of the lead and arsenic the now-demolished factories left in the ground.

Another class action suit claims government officials should have known about contamination at the former U.S.S. Lead site and plans to demolish the complex and relocate the tenants discriminates against the residents.

Lashawnda Walker filed a complaint in August that claimed the city was negligent in not notifying residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex of the lead issues at the site that have adversely affect their health.