LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- They missed the deadline.
The city of New Albany and Mayor Jeff Gahan were supposed to submit restoration plans for the Silver Creek Dam to the Corps of Engineers Wednesday.
The letter to the Corps of Engineers from New Albany didn't include plans on how they intend to restore the Silver Creek Dam.
Crews place rocks and gravel near the Providence Mill Dam on Silver Creek in New Albany, Indiana, on Aug. 6, 2024. (WDRB photo)
The corps told WDRB two weeks ago they had a team ready to look over those plans as soon as they were submitted.
The New Albany city Attorney Shane Gibson is the first person from the city to answer any questions WDRB had concerning the Silver Creek Dam. WDRB asked him about the contents of the letter sent to Corps of Engineers and he declined to elaborate.
"I'm not going into details on what they shipped to them," Gibson said.
On Memorial Day, 14-year-old AJ Edwards drowned in Silver Creek after falling from the dam. His grandmother, Judy Clark called for action in June.
"You don't know what I have been through," Clark said on June 3. "You have no clue."
Eight weeks later, the mayor took action in what he called emergency maintenance. He ordered several tons of rocks dumped next to the dam and has not released how much was spent.
Both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers said the mayor acted without permits. Kevin Carl is a heavy equipment operator who lives in New Albany
"Him jumpin ahead down here and puttin all the rock in and stuff without a permit I think he should be 100% liable," he said.
A cease and desist order stopped the project, and the city was given 30 days to develop a plan to restore the area. A statement sent to WDRB from the Corps of Engineers said "The Corps is currently reviewing the response and determining the next steps to resolve this violation."
The Corps of Engineers has ordered New Albany to remove the stone and that will only add to however much the city has already spent.
Related Stories:
- New Albany's mayor takes to social media to defend emergency work at Silver Creek Dam
- Federal government issues warning to New Albany mayor for 'emergency maintenance' at Silver Creek Dam
- Indiana DNR orders city of New Albany to stop emergency repair work at Silver Creek dam
- New Albany mayor proposes safety improvements at Silver Creek dam where teen drowned on Memorial Day
- Family of 14-year-old who drowned in Silver Creek joins renewed calls for removal of dam
- 14-year-old boy's Memorial Day death reignites controversy over future of Silver Creek dam
- 14-year-old boy found dead after swimming in Silver Creek, New Albany police say
- City of New Albany files lawsuit to stop removal of dam on Silver Creek
- New Albany to object to dam removal for southern Indiana parks project
- After burying son who drowned in Silver Creek, family wants action from New Albany leaders over dam
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