FERC fines company for Mich. dam collapse, other safety violations

摘要

A federal agency yesterday 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 the 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 north of Detroit. The village of Sanford and part Midland were flooded, damaging roads and destroying numerous homes.