dam safety

Consumers Energy has received a second extension of the deadline for Michigan regulators to issue a final decision on its proposed hydroelectric dam sale to an out-of-state private equity firm.

Lawmakers in the Republican-led chamber took the opportunity to pass some final legislative priorities as well as possible longshots in the Democratic-controlled state Senate.

Federal records show lingering risks at Michigan's Labarge Dam, where a failure could be deadly. The dam's embankment leaks, the spillway is too small, and the gates are deteriorating.

Legislation that's passed the state Senate would require more dam inspections and emergency planning, and let the state remove dams in danger of failing.

Federal energy regulators have ordered immediate inspections of the Cheboygan Dam powerhouse and other Michigan dams at risk of failure after recent historic flooding.

State regulators have been cleared of liability in a 2020 mid-Michigan dam failure that flooded communities, destroyed more than 100 homes and drained popular lakes.

Officials have known about the dangers of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam for years, but failed to compel private owners to make repairs. Taxpayers are now funding emergency work.

Water levels behind the Cheboygan dam had been creeping up for days. With a hydro power plant that's part of the dam complex operational again, more water can flow through, relieving pressure on the dam.

As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the water levels at Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex reached 6.48 inches below the top — 0.36 inches higher than the previous measurement.

Roughly 2,000 mid-Michigan property owners are suing the state over a dam failure in 2020 that unleashed a flood and caused about $175 million in damages.