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The case became emblematic of racial inequality, affecting more than half of the city’s black population.
It has been approved by a U.S. federal judge $ 626 million settlement For victims of the lead water crisis in Flint, Michigan, they suffered damage in a case filed by tens of thousands of residents. infected water.
Flint’s problems began in 2014 after the city changed its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to reduce costs. The corrosive water in the rivers caused the leaching of lead from the pipes, contaminating the drinking water and causing the onset of legionnaires ’disease.
“The agreement reached here is a significant achievement for a number of reasons, including a comprehensive minimum compensation program and a timeline that is consistent for all qualifying participants,” U.S. District Judge Judith Levy said in a 178-page ruling. on Wednesday.
The Flint water crisis was one of the worst public health crises in the country in recent memory.
The case became emblematic of racial inequality in the U.S., affecting more than half of the 100,000 residents in a black city.
The contamination led to several lawsuits alleging that the children of the parents showed a high risk of high blood lead levels, which could lead to developmental disorders. Lead can be toxic, and children are particularly vulnerable.
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was charged in January with deliberate resignation from lead drinking water poisoning in Flint.
Payments for the settlement approved on Wednesday will be made on the basis of a formula that allocates more money to younger claimants and those who can prove larger injuries.
Michigan’s attorney general has previously said the solution would be the largest in the state’s history.
“While Flint’s victory is significant, we have a way to prevent Americans from being systematically poisoned in their homes, schools, and workplaces,” Corey Stern, a plaintiffs ’attorney, said in a statement. court order.
The lead from the old pipes was broken and passed through the taps in Flint, Michigan. [Rebecca Cook/Reuters]the agreement was announced in August 2020 Attorney General Dana Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, both Democrats, were elected in 2018 while the lawsuit awaits.
Flint makes money available to all children affected by water, all adults who may show an injury, certain business owners, and anyone who has paid their water bills.
Flint pays $ 20 million for the settlement, while McLaren Health pays $ 5 million, and an engineering firm, Rowe Professional Services, pays $ 1.25 million.
Flint returned to a Detroit regional water agency in October 2015 after Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha publicly reported high levels of lead in children.
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