The state’s stepped-up timeline follows pressure from local water activists who argue state and local government officials have been too slow to respond to lead-tainted water that has plagued the city for years.
Dangerously high lead levels have appeared in water tests in this low-income, majority Black community since 2018. Residents and activists say they fear the problem dates back longer, with Flint’s crisis as a backdrop.
It seemed like a good deal: The city offered free replacement of lead water lines to residents. But mistrust of the government, particularly in immigrant communities, and unclear messaging has made the operation a hard sell.
Lawyers want a sizable cut of the proposed $641 million deal, noting the risks they took and millions of dollars of expenses in litigating the class action. The debate highlights continued conflict over what justice looks like for battered Flint residents.
According to the preliminary report, thousands more signed up since March 29, seeking a part of an historic settlement that exceeds $600 million in reimbursement for lead-poisoned city drinking water.
Under a Snyder-era reform following the Flint water crisis, Michigan utilities must begin switching out lead service lines this month, part of a 20-year project. But some already are seeking extensions and some cash-strapped cities are reluctant to have vulnerable ratepayers shoulder the burden.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who helped uncover the Flint water crisis, said Michigan’s lead service line replacement program is a major stride toward reducing lead exposure. But Michigan residents need not wait to start protecting themselves from lead-tainted water.
The federal appropriations bill for the 2021 fiscal year, signed into law this week, included $26.5 million to test for lead in schools and child care centers, a nod to the legacy of the Flint water crisis, which lifted the issue of lead in drinking water into the national spotlight.
Years after a cost-cutting move resulted in lead-poisoned drinking water in Flint, residents said they are furious that the governor who placed their city under emergency control won’t face more serious charges.
Seven years after a fateful water switch, the former governor faces two misdemeanors, while others including former health director Nick Lyon were charged with several felonies.
Prosecutors are expected to bring new charges Thursday against a host of public officials in the poisoning of Flint. Residents welcome the charges, but attorneys call the case a ‘debacle’ and ‘trial by ambush.’
Water advocates say they plan to push state and federal lawmakers for more funding to address PFAS, lead line replacement, and other water issues. But the COVID-19 crisis could make budget dollars scarce.
Three new defendants have signed onto a preliminary settlement tied to the Flint water crisis and a judge is reviewing the agreement, bringing residents one step closer to financial compensation for the manmade catastrophe.
Gov. Whitmer has proposed a $500 million fund to modernize Michigan’s drinking water infrastructure and sewer systems, but that won’t cover all the necessary work. We need to restore the partnership among local, state and federal agencies that work on water infrastructure issues.
Experts said the strategy, which largely draws upon existing funding sources to tackle PFAS contamination, lead pipe replacement, sewer overflows and other water challenges, is a good step but fixing Michigan’s water infrastructure will require more investment.
Half a decade after LeAnne Walters helped expose the Flint water crisis, the mother of four says she and her children still suffer from rashes because of the stew of toxins they ingested through their tap. A $600 million settlement with the state “is a form of justice, but by no means does this fix what has happened,” she told Bridge.
Michigan’s highest court ruled that residents can proceed with a case seeking financial damages from the state and emergency managers for their role in the Flint water crisis.
Six years is the statute of limitations for most felonies in Michigan. That has many residents worried the stalled criminal case related to the water contamination is going nowhere. Michigan officials promise they will bring charges.
