Michigan Agrees To Pay $600 Million To Victims Of Flint Water Crisis
According to the latest updates on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, the state has agreed to a preliminary settlement paying $600 million to victims. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the agreement on Thursday and the state’s governor said it was reached last week.
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The news site reports that nearly 80 percent of the settlement, which state officials said is likely the largest in Michigan history, would go to children who were younger than 18 when they were first exposed to Flint River water, which contained elevated levels of lead and bacteria in 2014. The city switched back to its original water source in 2015. Although the state claims Flint’s water quality has met federal standards for three years straight, many residents don’t trust the officials and don’t trust the water, CBS notes.
People in Flint have protested for years over the unsafe drinking water. However, even with this latest news of a settlement, many people believe that no amount of money will heal the suffering of those impacted by the city’s health crisis.
Meanwhile, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley says he hopes the settlement provides some sense of victory for the families:
“It allows Flint residents to move forward in a positive way, getting out of the mindset of being victims, but more as victors,” Neeley said. “And that’s where we need to move as a community.”
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