Veolia secures $53M Flint water crisis settlement

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a $53 million civil settlement with Veolia North America, resolving allegations that the engineering company contributed to the Flint Water Crisis by failing to identify corrosion control treatment issues. This settlement will be distributed among approximately 26,000 individuals directly impacted by the crisis, which began in 2014 when Flint switched its water source. Veolia, which has denied responsibility for the contamination, stated that the settlement was the best resolution to avoid lengthy litigation. In exchange for the settlement, the State of Michigan will dismiss its separate lawsuit against Veolia. This agreement adds to the over $600 million previously settled in related litigation, bringing the total to roughly $704 million attributed to the Flint Water Crisis. Nessel emphasized that while financial compensation cannot fully repair the damage, it will provide significant resources for affected residents, particularly children.