Former Edenville Dam owner ordered to pay $119M for dam failure
By Emily Keinath
Click here for updates on this story
MICHIGAN (WNEM) — The man who owned and operated the Edenville Dam that failed in 2020 has been ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan to pay a monetary judgement of more than $119 million.
Attorney General Dana Nessel made the announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
Nessel said in 2010, Lee Mueller, the owner of Boyce Hydro, which at the time operated the Edenville Dam, knew its east embankment might fail if Wixom Lake rose too high, which is exactly what happened 10 years later.
“The dam’s ownership completely disregarded imminent threats to the safety and integrity of the dam, and as the state clearly demonstrated before the court, Lee Meuller and his business were responsible for the disaster that struck Edenville and other area communities,” Nessel said. “This nearly $120 million judgement is important, both as a measure of accountability to the community Mueller devastated and as a deterrent to other owners of critical infrastructure.”
The court ruled in February that Mueller was responsible for the dam failure and then in October, ruled Boyce Hydro was also responsible.
“The failures of the Edenville and Sanford Dams caused impacts that were devastating, but avoidable,” said Phil Roos, the director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). “The courts have rightly declared that owners of critical infrastructure must not put their own interests ahead of the safety of Michiganders, our environment, or our natural resources. EGLE remains committed to supporting the community through permitting replacement structures as it rebuilds.”
The judgement was filed on behalf of EGLE and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and concludes the state’s civil enforcement action against Mueller and Boyce Hydro, the Attorney General’s office said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
