Crime & Safety
$600 Million Settlement Likely In Flint Water Lawsuits: Report
A settlement would put to rest cases filed by residents over the Flint water crisis, a city councilman told The Flint Journal.
FLINT, MI — Michigan state officials have reached a multi-million-dollar settlement of lawsuits filed by Flint residents related to the city's water crisis, the Flint Journal reported, citing Flint Councilman Eric Mays.
While state officials have yet to announce the details of the potential settlement, Mays told the Journal the deal is worth $600 million, adding the settlement is “primarily going to the kids” who claimed in lawsuits in state and federal court that they were lead-poisoned by city water while state-appointed emergency managers were running the city.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office told The Flint Journal on Wednesday that the governor is expected to release more information on the settlement on Friday.
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In July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that residents could proceed with a lawsuit against Michigan public officials for the disastrous decisions that caused the crisis in Flint. The court ruled 4-2 that Flint residents could pursue a claim of diminished property values.
The ruling also allowed residents to argue that their right to bodily integrity was violated by the use of corrosive water from the Flint River, according to the Associated Press.
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The lawsuits claim Flint used water from the Flint River in 2014-15 without treating it to reduce the corrosive effect on old pipes. As a result, lead leached into the system.
Use of the river water was supposed to be a temporary measure while a pipeline was built to Lake Huron, AP reported.
The lawsuit names then-Gov. Rick Snyder, two former Flint government managers appointed by Snyder and public agencies that repeatedly assured the public that the water was safe.
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