LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says a proposed $600 million deal between the state of Michigan and Flint residents harmed by lead-tainted water is a step toward making amends. Officials announced the settlement Thursday, which must be approved by a federal judge. It would establish a fund from which residents of the impoverished, majority-Black city could seek compensation. Nearly 80% will go to children, whose nervous systems are especially vulnerable to lead. Flint’s water was contaminated after the city switched its water source to the Flint River to save money in 2014, while under control of a state financial manager. State officials advised against measures that could have prevented the contamination. The disaster made Flint a nationwide symbol of governmental mismanagement.
