DETROIT — Flint residents who have filed claims in the $626.5 million partial Flint water crisis settlement with the state of Michigan and other entities are expected to start receiving status updates about their claims starting later this month and continuing through the spring.
Deborah Greenspan, a court-appointed special master who is overseeing the claims process, provided the update in a recent court filing, saying that status notices will be sent out to claimants periodically starting at the end of April and May. The new timeline comes after delays in the process were announced at the beginning of this year.
"The notices will be issued periodically, which means that claimants will receive notices at different times," Greenspan explained in the filing. "... If the claim is found to be deficient, the notice will explain the problem and will also provide guidance on what the claimant can do to cure the problem."
The notice will inform residents whether they have been approved for their selected payment category or whether they need to make modifications. Greenspan said residents can check for continuing updates on the process at https://www.officialflintwatersettlement.com.
In a press release last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel confirmed the claims process was moving forward following delays with the administration process.
"Our priority is to see the victims of the Flint water crisis receive their compensation as soon as is possible," Nessel said. "While we are not involved in the settlement payouts, our department is encouraged to see the process move forward."
Nessel's office noted that the payments cannot start going out until the review process is completed and the remaining appeal on the settlement has been resolved. An appeal filed on behalf of three Flint residents who have objected to the attorney fees and other aspects of the settlement agreement remains pending in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court rejected the appeal in March, but attorneys have asked for a full court review of the decision.
More than 45,000 people submitted claims before the June 2022 deadline.
The claims process is being administered by Archer Systems, a private company appointed by the court and received a multi-million contract for the work. Administrators had initially estimated the payments would start going out in March.
In January, Greenspan sought court approval to hire an additional firm to assist with the hamstrung process. Greenspan has attributed the delays to the extensive amount of paperwork filed with claims and data intake.
The $626 million award includes $600 million from the state, $20 million award from the city, $5 million from McLaren Regional Medical Center and $1.25 million from private engineering company Rowe Professional Services Co. The settlement agreement was initially announced in August 2020.
U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy in the Eastern District of Michigan gave final approval for the settlement in November 2021. Last month, Genesee County Circuit Court Chief Judge David J. Newblatt granted final judgment for the cases that were part of the settlement and pending in the local court.
Flint residents still have several multimillion-dollar lawsuits pending related to the water crisis, which began nearly a decade ago after a botched water supply switch sent corrosive water through the city's pipes for nearly 18 months, exposing the city's 100,000 residents to toxic levels of lead and other contaminants. The remaining lawsuits are against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and two private engineering corporations, Veolia North America and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam.
