Michigan Will Pay $600 Million to Flint Water Victims

Residents affected by the Flint, Michigan water crisis, will finally get the long-overdue settlement they deserve.

According to two people with knowledge on the matter, a $600 million settlement is set to be announced this week, the New York Times reports.

Residents of Flint were left ill and had to rely on bottled water, but what was most concerning was the damaging effects on the children. Therefore, the money would largely be designated for children who were poisoned by the lead-tainted tap water. Six years ago, city officials changed the water supply system, which caused the crisis to unfold.

Lawyers and public officials declined to comment on the settlement Wednesday night. However, tens of thousands of residents of the city are said to be eligible for the settlement funds. A Michigan federal judge will handle the approval of who gets what, which will likely be based off the degree of suffering and damage from drinking the water.

It has taken more than 18 months of negotiations to answer the most difficult question, how much are Flint victims owed?

In 2014 the city grappled with deep financial distress, officials and an emergency manager chose to cut costs by switching the water system from Lake Huron to the notoriously foul Flint River, failing to add corrosion controls to the tap water in the process. An investigation led to the discovery of lead and other chemicals drained from old pipes into the water supply.

Residents complained of metallic tasting-water and said it often appeared green or light brown. Many showed signs of illness, skin rashes, hair loss, and other unexplained symptoms that were later linked to the contaminated water.

Sadly, residents protests and pleas outside the city hall fell on deaf ears.

It wasn’t until months later tests revealed increased and alarming levels of lead in children that local pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and other scientists and researchers warned officials, the same warnings that were initially disregarded.

In fall 2015, governor Rick Snyder finally acknowledged the issue that the water wasn’t fine.

The water was switched back to Lake Huron, but the damage had already been done, on top of that, there is still a distrust of city officials Flint residents which is why it’s common for residents to use bottle water for cooking, drinking, and bathing.

Last year Dana Nessel, the attorney general said she was dropping pending criminal charges against government officials who were involved with the scandal, she also vowed to continue the investigation, but there have been no new charges filed since.

But there are thousands of lawsuits filed by residents against the state, two court-appointed officials helped residents reach settlement agreements.

If you lived in Flint between 2014 and 2016, you may be eligible for the settlement claim, which is set to be disbursed spring 2021.