The state of Michigan will pay out about $ 600 million to victims of the pollution of Flint’s tap water, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
Most of the money will be donated to children who have been poisoned by the lead-contaminated water supply, according to the Times, citing two people with knowledge of the settlement. While no further details of the settlement have been released, tens of thousands of Flint residents are expected to be eligible to receive a portion of it. The amount of individual benefits will depend on the extent of injury to residents, according to the Times.
Officials and lawyers representing the victims have been negotiating for more than 18 months. The water crisis began in 2014 after city officials, led by a state-appointed emergency manager, changed the source of Lake Huron’s water supply to the Flint River. Lack of safety measures led to chemicals and lead leaking into the water via corroded pipes.
While the water source has since moved to Lake Huron, residents of the city in many cases stay with and drink bottles of water, and the necessary pipe repairs are not yet complete. The line replacement was initially planned to be completed by January, but was suspended in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Sheldon Neeley (D) said last week that the replacement process was almost complete.
Thousands of residents have sued the state. Eardere Sen. Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin Unintended Consequences of Killing the Filibuster Inspector General of Independence Must Be a Two-Party Priority in 2020 Democrats: A Moment in History, Use It Wisely MORE (D-Mich.) And retired judge Pamela Harwood of the Wayne County Circuit Court have mediated the ongoing battle over the crisis. Under the final settlement, which has yet to be approved by a judge, anyone living in Flint would be eligible for a payout. The state is expected to begin paying the next settlement by May 20, according to the Times.
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