New York Officials expanding lawsuit against International Joint Commission
ALBANY, N.Y. (WENY) -- New York is expanding its lawsuit against the commission that manages lake and river systems along the U.S-Canada border.
Governor Cuomo announced last month that the state would be filing a lawsuit against the International Joint Commission (IJC) for its alleged mismanagement of Lake Ontario water levels.
Now, Cuomo and New York Attorney General Tish James say the the IJC failed to implement flood protocol for the Moses-Saunders Power Dam as required.
The governor says this is what caused such substantial flooding damage in 2017 and earlier this year.
"The IJC's mismanagement of Lake Ontario water levels wreaked havoc on vulnerable shoreline communities and the resulting damages carries a stiff price that shouldn't be shouldered by the State of New York or by the very property owners the Commission was supposed to protect," Cuomo said. "The IJC has been wholly unresponsive to our complaints and have taken no action to make the situation better, and this expanded lawsuit will allow us to better recoup the costs of the damage and to hold the Commission accountable."
The Office of the Attorney General and Governor Cuomo's Office are seeking compensatory damages in excess of $50 million.