Will Justice Truly Flow Like Clean Water? Engineering Firm Agrees To Hush-Hush Deal In Flint Water Crisis

The settlement was announced on Thursday, with LAN stating in a court filing that a confidential deal had been reached with the residents in federal court.

However, both parties require additional time to finalize the details of the settlement.

In addition to the federal court settlement, LAN has also reached an agreement in a separate lawsuit filed by Michigan's attorney general in state court.

The lawsuits named LAN and another contractor, Veolia North America, alleging that they failed to take sufficient action to address the highly corrosive water in Flint or to advocate for a return to a regional water supplier.

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During the crisis, Flint, which was under the control of state-appointed managers, switched its water source to the Flint River in 2014-2015.

However, the water was not treated in the same manner as the water previously supplied by a Detroit-area provider, resulting in lead leaching into the city's pipe system.

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LAN has consistently defended its work while under contract with Flint and denied any responsibility for the water crisis. However, the company did settle a lawsuit with four families in December 2020, following a jury's inability to reach a verdict.

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While LAN has not disclosed the terms of the new settlement, the company's attorney, Wayne Mason, expressed satisfaction with reaching an agreement.

Mason stated, "We believe this will finally bring closure for the state, plaintiffs, and LAN. LAN maintains it was never responsible for any of the issues related to the Flint matter, and further litigation would not be productive for any party."

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Corey Stern, an attorney representing Flint residents, also refrained from commenting on the settlement amount agreed upon by LAN.

Stern explained that the goal is to incorporate this settlement into a larger $626 million settlement between the families and the state of Michigan, ensuring that individuals are compensated in a timely and efficient manner.

The state of Michigan was sued due to the failure of environmental regulators and other officials to address Flint's water problems during the lead crisis. Flint eventually returned to a regional water supplier in the fall of 2015.