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Ex-Official Gets Probation, Must Apologize To Flint Residents For Role In Legionnaires' Outbeak

FLINT (CBS DETROIT/AP) - A former Michigan health official has been sentenced to a year's probation and must apologize to Flint-area residents for failing to tell the public about an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease during the city's water crisis.

Corrine Miller struck a deal last summer and pleaded no contest to willful neglect of duty.

Judge Jennifer Manley on Monday also told Miller to write a public letter of apology and perform 300 hours of community service. Miller's attorney says the letter could hurt her in civil lawsuits.

Special prosecutor Todd Flood says Miller's cooperation in the Flint water investigation has been "substantial." She was state director of disease control.

Governor Sticks By Plan To End Flint Water Bill Credits

Flint's water emergency began when lead from old underground lines leached into the water supply because corrosion-reducing phosphates were not added due to an incorrect reading of federal regulations by state regulators. Elevated levels of lead, a neurotoxin, were detected in children, and 12 people died in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that experts suspect was linked to the improperly treated water.

Despite racking up almost $6 million in legal fees paid by Michigan taxpayers Snyder appears confident he won't be among state officials charged in the Flint water probe.

Some experts blame Flint's water for an outbreak of nearly 100 Legionnaires' cases in the Flint area in 2014 and 2015.

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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