Flint residents who were affected by contaminated water are one step closer to getting their share of the $641.25 million settlement, but there are still some details to be worked out. An approval order was issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, effective January 27th, 2021.
The settlement is effectively a class action process through which Flint residents can file claims. A final ruling is pending upon completion of a fairness hearing scheduled for July. While getting the actual restitution is still many months away, the steps are finally in place to resolve the crisis, which started in 2014.
Flint residents will have sixty days to file the claim and then 120 days after filing to submit the necessary paperwork.
The State of Michigan is paying $600 million in the settlement, while the City of Flint, which was under emergency management at the time of the crisis, is paying $20 million through its insurer. McLaren Regional Medical Center, the epicenter of the Legionnaires outbreak, is paying $20 million, and Rowe Professional Services, a contractor involved in the switch to drawing water from the Flint River, is paying $1.25 million.
A link to the full ruling:
Order Granting Motion for Preliminary Approval – Flint (michigan.gov)
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
