Veolia, the world’s largest private water corporation, has announced a $53 million settlement with Flint residents and the state of Michigan in lawsuits related to its role in the ongoing Flint water crisis.
Veolia, which was hired to study Flint’s water system, told residents their water was safe despite privately acknowledging the potential for lead contamination – all while chasing a contract to privatize the city’s water system.
Veolia controls water and wastewater systems in cities across the U.S, yet few are aware of its abuses in Flint, Pittsburgh, and elsewhere. Its track record should be a topic of concern for residents and public officials nationwide as they consider infrastructure contract bids or renewals.
Below are statements on the settlement from our partners at Flint Rising and our water campaign director.
From Nayyirah Shariff, executive director of Flint Rising:
“Veolia is a massive corporation with virtually endless resources to keep fighting lawsuits. Flint residents are folks who are working, raising their families, and dealing with the long-term impacts of the water crisis. The fact that our community members could force Veolia to settle is a testament to their determination and the strength of their case. However, this settlement cannot undo Veolia’s abuses in Flint. We know Veolia will try to keep sweeping its abuses under the rug. But Flint has a history of standing up to giant corporations and winning despite great odds, and we’re determined to do it again.”
From Neil Gupta, water campaign director at Corporate Accountability:
“Veolia’s actions in Flint remind us of the very simple fact that corporations care more about their profits than about our families and communities. Unchecked corporate greed affects nearly all aspects of our lives, but when it comes to our most basic necessity – water – the result can be catastrophic. $53 million doesn’t begin to cover the harm done to thousands of Flint residents, nor does it hold Veolia legally accountable for putting their profits over people’s lives. Veolia will keep trying to make money off other communities so it’s essential that people across the country and around the world know about the corporation’s track record. With billionaire CEOs at the highest levels of government, it’s more important than ever that we safeguard our most precious resource, and keep our communities’ water under community control.“
