EDENVILLE, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, a group of residents and business owners filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the operators of the Edenville, Sanford and Secord Dams and three Michigan state agencies for what is described as a cataclysmic set of decisions that led to the breach of the Sanford and Secord dams and the collapse of the Edenville dam, causing homes and businesses to be destroyed.
“More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate, including at least one nursing home and one retirement community.”
The suit, filed by FeganScott on behalf of the plaintiffs, claims dam owner Boyce Hydro, along with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes Energy and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, failed to operate, fix, or repair the dams in accordance with the established standard of care, resulting in catastrophic injury and damage to residents and their properties.
According to published accounts, the dams’ breach began on May 18 as flood water rose after recent rainfall, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. The lawsuit alleges that the operators and state departments are at fault for the dams’ failure, having ignored warnings from federal regulators and neglected blatant, high-risk issues.
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