[JURIST] In a settlement agreement [text, PDF] announced on Monday, the state of Michigan has agreed to allot $87 million to replace lead water pipes in the city of Flint. Among other things, the settlement provides that residents of Flint can receive lead testing of their water four times per year, are entitled to bottled water deliveries, and that water distribution centers would be established offering free bottled water. The settlement concludes a year-long lawsuit, but other litigation is still ongoing.

This is yet another development in efforts to remedy the water crisis in Flint. Earlier this year in January, more than 1,700 residents filed [JURIST report] a class action lawsuit against the US, claiming that the Environmental Protection Agency had failed to respond to damage claims arising from the Flint water crisis. These claims are some of the myriad of legal actions taken in response to the Flint water crisis. In December Michigan’s Attorney General announced [JURIST report] that felony charges were filed against four former state officials connected with the Flint water crisis, with maximum prison sentences of 46 years available to the prosecutors. That same month a federal court affirmed [JURIST report] a lower court decision requiring the state of Michigan to provide bottled water to Flint residents. Last September the US Senate approved legislation to provide $100 million in emergency funding to repair pipes in cities suffering from lead contamination.