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Reuters
The US state of Michigan has agreed to pay a $ 600 million settlement to victims of the Flint water crisis, US media say.
Most of the money will go to children in the city who were exposed to drinking water poisoned with lead, added reports.
At least 12 people died after Flint flooded its water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to save money.
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease ensued, leaving nearly 100,000 residents without safe tap water.
The settlement is expected to be formally announced later this week, according to the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter.
There has been no official comment from the Michigan government yet.
What do we know about the settlement?
Anyone who lived in Flint between 2014 and 2016 could be eligible for the withdrawal money, US media say.
However, nearly 80% of the funds will go to residents who were under 18 at the time.
Experts say children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, particularly infants and children under five who may experience brain damage before their brains are fully developed.
- One in three children ‘exposed to lead worldwide’
- Flint: Life in a poisoned city
Flint is a majority African-American city, with more than 40% of its population living in poverty.
Why did this happen?
In 2014, Flint disconnected its water supply from the Detroit system, which draws from Lake Huron, and instead used water from the Flint River.
Flint was in a financial state of emergency and the switch was intended to save the city millions of dollars.
But the water from the river was more corrosive than the water from Lake Huron and was not treated properly, causing lead – a powerful neurotoxin – to leak out of the pipe.
Residents began to notice that tap water sometimes turned blue or yellow – and many began to lose their hair, or rashes appeared on their arms and face.
Despite this, local officials and leaders denied that anything was wrong for more than a year, even as residents complained that the water tasted and looked strange.
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The city has since switched to using Detroit’s water system.
However, many locals still rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking and washing, saying they no longer trust the government.
Thousands of residents filed lawsuits against the state of Michigan – and this arrangement would only resolve claims against the state, not individuals including Rick Snyder who was governor at the time, as private companies, reports say.
Last year, prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against officials awaiting trial on the crisis, saying a more in-depth investigation was needed.
