NOT OUR FAULT

Flint Water Lawsuit Against Engineering Company Settled for $53 Million

Despite the settlement, Veolia North America refuses to take responsibility for any part of the water crisis.

An engineering company linked to the Flint, Michigan, lead water contamination crisis nearly a decade ago has agreed to pay $53 million in damages, settling the lawsuit on Friday, AP News reported. Veolia North America’s recent agreement with Flint residents adds to the $26.3 million already settled with the company, along with $626 million from the state of Michigan and other parties. The $53 million settlement will be distributed to about 26,000 individuals represented by law firms, according to the Michigan attorney general’s office. In exchange, the state will drop its separate lawsuit against Veolia. Despite the settlement, the company refuses to admit any responsibility for the lead found in the water, claiming that it merely consulted after the city was already pulling water from the Flint River in 2014. “This final settlement is in no way an admission of responsibility, but the best resolution to avoid decades of costly, unproductive, and time-consuming litigation, and to bring closure for all parties involved,” Veolia said. The water was left untreated to prevent corrosion, causing lead to leach from aging pipes. However, critics believe Veolia could have done more before the switch was made.