Another lawsuit in the Flint Water Crisis has ended in a multi-million dollar settlement for the victims in the case. It’s been more than a decade since the crisis.
The engineering company Veolia North America -which operates thousands of water and wastewater treatment plants- was alleged to have failed to identify corrosion control issues when Flint’s water supply was switched to the Flint River. The water corroded lead pipes, leading to dangerous lead levels in the drinking water.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement that the settlement amounts to $53 million which will be distributed among about 26 thousand plaintiffs, including many children who were victims of high blood lead levels.
"While no amount of money can fully repair the damage caused to the Flint community, these funds will provide additional resources to those directly impacted, especially Flint children, by this preventable crisis," Nessel said.
In exchange for the settlement, the State of Michigan will dismiss its separate lawsuit against the company.
A previous settlement five years ago of $600 million resolved litigation against the State of Michigan and the City of Flint as well as others.
