As you may have heard a dam burst in the state of Michigan a couple days ago after this half of the country was soaked in rain for days. But it turns out that the feds revoked the license for the dam in 2018 and the state of Michigan then mismanaged the dam’s lake, all to protect freshwater mussels.
Pradheep J. Shanker, a contributor to NRO, explains what happened:
Dear God, what a disaster with the dam break in Michigan. The Feds did the right thing…and then, the state fell apart. https://t.co/H32oXzVMNu via @detroitnews
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
He begins in 2018 when the feds revoked the license for the dam:
So in Sept 2018, the Feds revoked the license.
Which reverted regulatory oversight to the State of Michigan. https://t.co/db86rVri6u
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
It was approved to raise the level of the lake for summer despite an already large amount of water in the lake:
"Despite record-high water levels across Michigan, and with years in a row of heavy spring rains, EGLE on April 9 approved Wixom Lake, the reservoir created by the Edenville Dam, to raise its water levels by 8 feet, from its unusually large winter level to its "summer level."
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
"The elevation increase was completed May 3, and celebrated by nearby residents eager to put their boat hoists and docks in the water, Wixom Lake Association records show.""
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
The company in charge of the lake wanted to reduce the levels of the lake this year for fear the dam might break in a substantial storm, and Michigan’s AG took them to court:
Oh, but it gets far, far dumber.
The company in charge, Boyce Hydro, had mismanaged it for years.
But they wanted to REDUCE the height of the water in the lake earlier this year.
And the STATE TOOK THEM TO COURT. https://t.co/H32oXzVMNu
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
The state had been worried about killing freshwater mussels for the last two years, so that when it went to court several weeks ago, that was their argument, that lowering water level was killing mussels:
"Over the next two years, state regulators appear to have focused increasingly on what they said was the company's unauthorized drawdown of winter water levels of Wixom Lake, which they said created a danger to FRESHWATER MUSSELS. [EMPHASIS MINE]"
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
"That fight landed MI and Boyce Hydro in state and federal court over the last 3 weeks. Boyce sued on April 29, charging that it was being unfairly targeted for enforcement. The state later accused Boyce of illegally lowering Wixom's water levels, killing millions of mussels."
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
The state AG argued in court that the water level needed to be higher:
The AG argued the water NEEDED TO BE HIGHER: "Defendants wrongfully exerted dominion over the freshwater mussels and caused their death, which denies and is inconsistent with the State's rights to them," the Michigan Attorney General's Office wrote in its May 1 lawsuit."
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
"[AG] requesting that the lake bed be restored and further reductions of lake levels be prohibited.
Boyce argued that it lowered water levels in part to conform to federal protocols because of the known threat of a dam failure in a substantial storm."
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
In summary…
So, dam was mismanaged for years. Feds removed license. State 2018 took over regulation.
This year, Boyce was worried about too high water levels, and state of Michigan sued and forced them TO RAISE THE WATER LEVELS BECAUSE OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS.
You can't make this stuff up.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) May 21, 2020
It’s the same song and dance that we see in other parts of the country governed by liberals, like California, where they put the lives of fish and other freshwater creatures over the lives of people.
Also this is the same idiotic AG that just picked a fight with Trump over not wearing a mask during part of his visit yesterday to a Michigan Ford plant.