DETROIT, MI (AP)— A judge in Michigan has approved a $626 million settlement for Flint residents and others who were exposed to lead-contaminated water.
The state is providing $600 million of the settlement.
The state was accused of repeatedly overlooking the risks of switching Flint’s water source in 2014. Flint managers appointed by then-Governor Rick Snyder allowed the city to use the Flint River without treating the water to reduce corrosion. As a result, lead in old pipes broke off and flowed through taps.
Flint switched back to a Detroit regional water agency in fall 2015.