Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Stamas | SenatorJimStamas.com
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Stamas | SenatorJimStamas.com
It did not take long for the lawsuits to trickle in after last month’s devastating flooding in mid-Michigan.
Three lawsuits -- all filed in federal court -- claim the Edenville and Sanford dams played a role in the region’s massive flood emergency, which damaged numerous residences, vehicles and roads.
Detroit’s Local 4 reported that the Buckfire & Buckfire Law Firm brought two class-action suits against the dam owners, joining another complaint targeting Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Altogether, the batch of filings chastise the state and the dam owners, including Boyce Hydro and manager Lee Mueller, for failing to ensure the dams were not prone to failure. The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of not complying with federal guidelines.
One of the members of the legal counsel for the complainants, Michael Pitt, said the state does not own the Edenville Dam, but bears the responsibility of maintaining the safety and structural integrity of all the state’s public-use dams.
“Michigan law provides a unique avenue for residents to sue the state in its Court of Claims for damages or destruction to their property,” the attorney told the Detroit Free Press.
“This option is not available for lawsuits filed in the federal court.”
The damage of the historic flooding was so overwhelming that it left one of the region’s native sons, State Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland), brokenhearted. Stamas said on the MiSenateGOP that he was also sympathetic and grateful.
“My prayers go out to the thousands impacted by this tragedy. And my appreciation goes out to the many first responders guiding people to safety and shelter. Without question, their actions have saved lives,” the lawmaker told the website.
Stamas added that he is coordinating with officials at all levels of government to get central Michigan the help it needs.
“I will do whatever is necessary to ensure our communities have what they need to respond to this emergency and recover from this disaster,” he said on MiSenateGOP.
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