Veolia Settles With Michigan Over Flint Water Crisis for $53M

Consulting engineering agency Veolia North America has agreed to a $53-million civil settlement associated to steer contamination within the water provide of town of Flint, Mich., the state Legal professional Basic’s workplace introduced February 21. 

Boston-based Veolia NA was employed as an engineering advisor after town of Flint switched water sources from Detroit-supplied Lake Huron water to that of the Flint River in 2014. Water distribution pipes started to corrode after the swap and lead and different contaminants have been leached into municipal consuming water. The lawsuit being settled was filed on behalf of 26,000 people who have been impacted by the lead-contaminated water.
Michigan Legal professional Basic Dana Nessel mentioned in a press release the state will dismiss its separate lawsuit towards the corporate. The Legal professional Basic’s assertion mentioned the $53 million will probably be distributed among the many plaintiffs, together with households the place each adults and youngsters have been uncovered to the lead-contaminated water. 

“Whereas no amount of cash can absolutely restore the injury prompted to the Flint neighborhood, these funds will present further assets to these instantly impacted, particularly Flint youngsters, by this preventable disaster,” Legal professional Basic Nessel mentioned within the assertion.

Veolia NA, in its assertion, mentioned the settlement was not an act of contrition and argued that public officers have been accountable for what occurred and referred to the one jury trial—held in federal courtroom in 2022—pitting Veolia and one other engineering advisor, Lockwood Andrews Newnam, towards legislation corporations representing Flint youngsters and their households.

“Veolia North America stands behind its good work in Flint. The one jury who needed to think about the info and listen to the reality didn’t discover any proof to say in any other case,” the assertion mentioned, referring to the almost six-month-long trial that resulted in a mistrial.

“For the previous eight years, we now have been defending our work and our popularity towards baseless assaults,” the assertion continued. “Because the info of the 2022 trial clearly display, the Flint water disaster was attributable to authorities officers. It’s a shame that just about a decade plus because the disaster was set in movement, nonetheless no one who was truly accountable has been held accountable. This closing settlement is on no account an admission of accountability, however one of the best decision to keep away from many years of expensive, unproductive and time-consuming litigation, and to carry closure for all events concerned.

After the mistrial, Veolia NA settled the legal case involved in the 2022 trial with the households for $25 million final October. Each Nessel and Veolia NA’s statements referred to this state settlement as the tip of litigation ensuing from the Flint water disaster.

“After years of drawn-out authorized battles, this settlement lastly closes a chapter for Flint residents,” added Nessel in her assertion.