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Michigan Announces $ 600 Million Settlement Over Flint Contaminated Water Crisis

2020-08-20T18:16:21.078Z


It seeks to resolve all legal actions against the state for its role in a disaster that turned the impoverished black majority city into a symbol of government mismanagement.


By Erik Ortiz - NBC News

The state of Michigan announced Thursday that it agreed to pay $ 600 million to residents of the City of Flint whose health was affected by lead-contaminated drinking water in a crisis that sparked a class action lawsuit and became emblematic of how communities poorer and black majority may suffer under government mismanagement.

The offices of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel said they have been negotiating for more than 18 months with the attorneys for thousands of Flint residents who filed lawsuits against the state in the wake of the scandal, which dates back to as of April 2014.

Whitmer, a Democrat who took office last year, said in a statement that money may not yet be enough in some people's minds, and that "many will continue to feel justifiable frustration with a system and structure that will sometimes it's not adequate to fully address what happened to the people of Flint over the past six years. "

He added that "healing Flint will take a long time, but our continued efforts and the announcement of the settlement today are important steps in helping us all move forward."

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Nessel, also a Democrat, said that most of the money would go to settle claims that benefit children, who through tests were found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Exposure to lead can cause behavior and learning problems in minors, health officials warned.

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Under the settlement, the state has established a $ 600 million fund and Flint residents can file compensation claims. The amount each applicant will receive will be based on the severity of the damage.

Also, 80% of that amount will go to people under the age of 18 during the period Flint used river water, Nessel said.

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"This agreement focuses on the children and future of Flint, and the state will do everything possible to make it a step forward in the healing process of one of Michigan's most resilient cities," he said in a statement.

"Ultimately, by reaching this agreement, I hope that we can begin the process of closing one of the most difficult chapters in the history of our State and writing a new one that begins with a government that works on behalf of all its people," added.

Trachelle Young, a former Flint city attorney and resident who filed a lawsuit in 2015 in response to lead in drinking water, told reporters that the settlement is "fair and reasonable," though she stressed that it is biased because she believes that "there is more to come and there is more price to pay." 

There are other lawsuits pending against Flint, the Environmental Protection Agency and private consultants who advised the city on issues related to the problems in the water.

"We were fighting a machine," Young said of the state's initial rejection of the lawsuits, "they stood firm and today is the day they are accountable to the residents of Flint." 

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The Flint water crisis was the culmination for a community that suffered from the recession of the American auto industry.

In 2014, Flint stopped its water supply from the Detroit system and began to be supplied from the Flint River, with the purpose of reducing costs in the midst of the emergency due to the financial crisis that the state was going through. 

Authorities had estimated that the severely cash-strapped city would save about $ 5 million in less than two years due to the change. 

The Flint River's water supply was supposed to go to a temporary source until the city could join a new supply system from Lake Huron.

But residents complained about the taste, smell and appearance of the liquid element, while officials maintained that it met safety standards. 

In the summer of 2015, researchers from Virginia Tech University reported that Flint water samples had abnormally high levels of lead. 

Soon after, a group of doctors announced that children in the area had high levels of lead in their blood and urged Flint to stop using river water. 

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Then-Governor Rick Snyder finally acknowledged the problem, accepted the resignation of his environmental chief, and pledged to help the city, which was refilled from Detroit's water system.

Residents had to use water for their own consumption as well as for household needs for more than a year. 

Researchers said in late 2016 that lead was no longer detectable in many homes.

The lawsuits against the state are being overseen by District Judge Judith Levy, who has the final say to approve the settlement. 

If it gets the green light in court, it would raise state spending to more than $ 1 billion and is likely the largest settlement in Michigan state government history, according to Nessel's office. 

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Michigan has already invested more than $ 400 million to replace water pipes, purchase filters and bottled water, take care of children's health and other assistance. 

Michael Pitt, a court-appointed acting co-lead attorney in the class action lawsuit, said the legal team supports the settlement agreement and hopes Levy will approve it.

"While it's not perfect overall, it's very good and it's a fair deal and we wholeheartedly believe it's best for the Flint community," he told reporters. 

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In addition, he stressed that the claims of affected residents would be reviewed "without discrimination, without favoritism" and with an "opt-out" measure, which means that residents do not have to be part of the compensation plan and can still seek other options. laws against the state if they choose.

Other terms and conditions of the deal still need to be resolved within a 45-day window, he added, at which point other plan details will be made public and claims can begin to be filed.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2020-08-20

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