LANSING, MI — An Ingham County judge has ordered an excavation contractor to pay a $150,000 fine following years of alleged permit violations at pond building projects.

Scott Schlicht of Schlicht Excavating must start paying the state in October under an order from Ingham County Judge Wanda Stokes, who ruled last year that Schlicht violated Michigan law during multiple pond construction and dredging projects.

The ruling stems from a 2023 lawsuit filed by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, which accused Schlicht of failing to secure permits or violating their conditions at multiple residential construction projects in six counties between 2017 and 2021.

According to the state, Schlicht’s company frequently ignored requirements to control sedimentation with turbidity curtains or c

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