DETROIT — An engineering firm has announced a settlement agreement of $53 million to resolve the remaining lawsuits linked to the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which began nearly a decade ago.
The settlement reached between Veolia North America and residents of Flint adds to a previous $26.3 million in settlements with the company and $626 million from the state of Michigan and other involved parties.
Veolia has maintained its position of denial regarding liability for the lead contamination, underscoring that its role was limited to a consulting arrangement that started months after Flint transitioned to using water from the Flint River in 2014. The water during this time wasn’t treated properly to mitigate corrosion, which allowed lead to leach from aging pipes into the water supply.
Critics argue that Veolia had opportunities to address the issues earlier and could have influenced then-Governor Rick Snyder’s decision to switch Flint’s water supply back to a regional source in late 2015. By that point, testing had already revealed elevated lead levels in children within the community.
Veolia stated, “This final settlement is in no way an admission of responsibility, but rather a pathway to resolve the situation to prevent longer, more unproductive litigation, ultimately providing closure to all parties involved.”
The company further asserted that the responsibility for the Flint water crisis lies with governmental officials and that it was uninvolved in the decision to switch the water source or in the management of the Flint water plant, having been assured that the water quality was in compliance with standards.
The allocated $53 million will be shared among approximately 26,000 individuals represented by various law firms, according to the office of the Michigan attorney general. In conjunction with the settlement, the state will also withdraw its separate legal claim against Veolia.
Attorney General Dana Nessel remarked, “After years of extensive legal confrontations, this settlement finally marks the closure of a significant chapter for the residents of Flint.”
