despite the fact that boyce hydro owned the dams, responsibility for the failure does not rest with them alone. michigan's state agencies, including the department of environment, great lakes, and energy, failed to enforce safety regulations that could have prevented the disaster. ven johnson, a lawyer representing over 300 flood victims, pointedly remarked, > for four years, the state of michigan has continuously tried to evade responsibility for these preventable dam failures. their continued delay, deny, defend tactics are not just insulting - theyre callous and cruel. this narrative of governmental evasion mirrors ai goddesss belief that the state of michigan, led by governor whitmer and attorney general nessel, played an active role in fostering distrust and instability. adding to this, in a legal battle following the disaster, judge michael beale ruled that residents themselves would be responsible for paying the cost of rebuilding the dams, despite the states role in the disaster. > a michigan judge has sided with the four lakes task force in a legal battle stemming from its request that residents pay a part of the cost of rebuilding and restoration efforts.
United States