LANSING, Mich. — High water levels at dams across Michigan in recent years have left homeowners facing financial costs, stress or both, prompting lawmakers to push for tougher dam safety rules.
The Lake Lansing Dam in Haslett is one of many drainage systems across the state meant to help keep communities safe from floods.
Claudia Kerbaway, president of the Lake Lansing Property Owners Association, said dam failures can bring serious consequences.
“If the dams fail, terrible things happen,” Kerbaway said. “There can be flooding, there can be property damage, there can be loss of life.”
According to the Ingham County Controller Greg Todd, the Lake Lansing Dam is set to get repairs by the end of the year.
Legislation proposed by Rep. Bill Schuette (R) in the House and Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) in the Senate would increase the frequency of inspections and expand safety requirements for dams across Michigan.
Eaton County Deputy Drain Commissioner Marcus Service, whose agency owns the Myers-Henderson Emergency Drain in Eaton County, said stricter regulations would raise costs.
“There’s more inspections, there’s gonna be more costs, and in a lot of these drainage districts, the residents pay for that,” Service said.
In a statement, Sen. McMorrow pointed to the costs of not addressing the issue, saying the failure of the Edenville Dam in 2020 cost taxpayers $200 million in damages and displaced thousands of people.
The statement said, in part, “Not acting in light of aging infrastructure increases the likelihood that residents face the catastrophic costs of a disaster and this legislation is a preventative measure to save residents from those costs, heartache, and displacement.”
At the Lake Lansing Dam, lake property owners are partly responsible for repair costs. Kerbaway said she supports dam safety, but wants residents and the public involved in decisions.
“I think that the dam safety is important, but the funding needs to be reasonable and residents and the general public need to be involved in making the decisions of what needs to be done,” she said.
The bill has been approved in committee and now heads to the Senate.
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