More than $626 million has been approved to settle multiple lawsuits stemming from the Flint water emergency.
On Tuesday, a Genesee County judge approved the massive payment, which is the largest in state history. The suit will dish out the funds to handle multiple settlements combined from the city and a local hospital. Of the money, $600 million will come from the state, $20 million will be from the city of Flint, $5 million from McLaren Regional Medical Center, and $1.5 million from private engineering firm Rowe Professional Services.
The settlement will help bring some closure to the nearly decade-long battle between Flint citizens and government officials. In January 2023, the long-running water bottle distribution finally came to an end after beginning over eight years ago when the city’s tap water was deemed unsafe to drink.
Flint’s water crisis began in April 2014, when the city switched its water supply source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. This set off a devastating chain of events that caused water distribution pipes to rust. Dangerous lead contaminated the drinking water, leaving 12 dead and thousands sickened. Funds will go to many of the impacted victims.
“This historic settlement cannot undo the unimaginable hardship and heartbreaking health effects these families and children in Flint have endured,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement following the ruling.
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