Whitmer: $600M Flint water deal a step toward making amends

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A proposed $600 million deal between the state of Michigan and residents of the impoverished, majority-Black city of Flint who were harmed by lead-tainted water is a step toward making amends for a disaster that upended life in the city, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday.

“What happened in Flint should have never happened, and financial compensation with this settlement is just one of the many ways we can continue to show our support for the city of Flint and its families," Whitmer said, adding that she was “deeply sorry for the uncertainty and troubles” the crisis had caused.

The disaster made Flint a nationwide symbol of governmental mismanagement. More than two years of negotiations between the state and attorneys representing thousands of city residents produced an agreement to create a fund from which victims will be able to seek payments.

“Flint residents have endured more than most, and to draw out the legal back-and-forth even longer would have achieved nothing but continued hardship,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said.

The proposed deal announced Thursday would need to be approved by U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, who is overseeing lawsuits against the state.

Nearly 80% will go to claimants who were minor children during the period covered by the deal, with the largest share — 64.5% — devoted to children who were ages 6 and under when first exposed to the contaminated water.

If approved, the settlement would push state spending on the Flint water crisis over $1 billion. Michigan already has pumped more than $400 million into replacing water pipes, purchasing filters and bottled water, children’s health care and other assistance.

Lead is a powerful toxin that can harm people at any age but is especially dangerous to...