Michigan Company Fined $15M for Safety Violations at Hydro Projects April 19, 2021
A federal agency has assessed a $15 million civil penalty against a company for safety violations at three Michigan hydroelectric projects, including a dam that collapsed last year and contributed to flooding that forced evacuation of about 10,000 people.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission took the action against Boyce Hydro Power LLC, which filed for bankruptcy protection amid numerous lawsuits after its Edenville and Sanford dams failed in May 2020 during steady rain.
The failure drained man-made Wixom Lake on the Tittabawassee River, which then overwhelmed the Sanford dam about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of Detroit. The village of Sanford and part Midland were flooded, damaging roads and destroying numerous homes.
$15M penalty assessed for Michigan hydro project violations
Carlos Osorio/AP
People photograph the floodwaters of the Tittabawassee River that encroached on downtown Midland, Mich., Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Floodwaters have overtaken dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from communities in central Michigan. Families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home Tuesday evening, the second time in less than 24 hours. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
By: Associated Press
and last updated 2021-04-16 07:54:27-04
MIDLAND, Mich. â A federal agency Thursday assessed a $15 million civil penalty against a company for safety violations at three Michigan hydroelectric projects, including a dam that collapsed last year and contributed to flooding that forced evacuation of about 10,000 people.
Feds fine dam owners $15M for safety violations after 2020 mid-Michigan flooding
11,000 residents displaced in May 2020 after mid-Michigan dams breached
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A portion of Jones Road in Billings, Mich., is completely gone Thursday, May 21, 2020, after it was decimated by flooding caused by dam failures. (Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News via AP)
Hydroelectric dam owner Boyce Hydro Power, LLC has been fined millions for safety violations after dam failures caused catastrophic floods near Midland.
On Thursday, April 15, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced a $15 million penalty against Boyce Hydro Power for violating “numerous FERC staff orders and license provisions addressing safety of project facilities and surrounding communities.”
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$15M fine levied on former Edenville Dam owner after Midland flood
Updated Apr 15, 2021;
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WASHINGTON, DC Federal regulators have imposed a $15 million fine against the former owner of a mid-Michigan dam that unleashed a 500-year flood last year, saying the company failed to perform important safety work after the disaster.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced Thursday, April 15, that it would assess the penalty against Boyce Hydro, a bankrupt company co-owned by Lee Mueller of Nevada that formerly operated the Edenville Dam.
The Gladwin County dam failed last May, causing a downstream failure of the Sanford Dam and subsequent flooding in the village of Sanford, city of Midland and beyond.