In February 2015, Veolia signed a $40,000 contract with Flint. According to the company, the assessment was only focused on bacteria and chlorine compounds called trihalomethanes. The reporting Tuesday raises questions about what that timeline might have looked like had Veolia, one of the largest utility companies in the world, publicly raised concerns about lead earlier. It also points out that while senior employees were privately raising such concerns, "Veolia was exploring other lucrative contracts with the city."