Lansing lawmakers work to overhaul Michigan dam safety laws after 2020 Edenville disaster
Michigan lawmakers work to overhaul dam safety laws
The infrastructure debate sped up after that massive dam failure in mid-Michigan a few years ago. But the new legislation comes as many other dams in our area could use a fixing up…according to experts.
(FOX 2) - Michigan lawmakers are a big step closer to overhauling what have been called the weakest dam safety laws in the nation.
Big picture view:
The infrastructure debate sped up after that massive dam failure in mid-Michigan a few years ago. But the new legislation comes as many other dams in our area could use a fixing up according to experts.
"Whatever helps out with the dam and runs smoothly, that will be great because it makes the water cleaner and all the animals and the river too. If they can not flood, that would be great too," said resident Sue Whiteman.
Whiteman and her husband, James, love their lives near Oxbow Lake in White Lake Township and hate to think of what could happen if something went wrong with the Oxbow dam.
"‘My son rides his bike, and he says, "Dad, the fences are falling apart." The barricade and the concrete is starting to deteriorate. You can see exposed aggregate and that’s bad," said James Whiteman.
They are like many taxpayers who welcome a bipartisan measure working its way through Lansing designed to strengthen flood control standards, increase the number of required inspections and force dam owners to show they have the money and the means to maintain their structures.
It was spurred on by the disastrous Edenville dam failure in mid-Michigan back in 2020.
What they're saying:
"It’s an awesome step," said former Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner Evan Pratt. Again, it picks up pretty much all the rest of the remaining issues."
Pratt chaired the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force assembled after that mid-Michigan disaster. The goal is to review state policy and suggest improvements for prevention.
"I think if you are a dam owner, you’re feeling like, gosh, I’ve got some more hoops to jump through," Pratt said. "I’ve got some additional forms to fill out, additional money to spend on some inspections, and that’s the price of owning a piece of infrastructure. Certain dams, if they break that’s going to be a problem downstream."
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The Source: FOX 2 used previous reporting for details in this story.