It was five years ago Monday that there was catastrophic flooding in mid-Michigan after a dam collapse.

Many lost their homes and businesses after the Edenville Dam failed, flooding the city of Midland. An attorney for residents, Ven Johnson, says they have been forgotten about and are now forced to pay for rebuilding of the dams.

“Yeah, state of Michigan, we know you’re doing,” Johnson said. “You’ve engaged in this defend, delay, deny process for five years, and we know it’s not over. But we know that every single day, we are not going to forget what we’ve been through. We are not going to forget what the end game is, and that’s to prevent this from happening to anybody else ever again.”

Lee Mueller, the former owner of the company that operated the dam, was found liable for nearly $120 million.

Instead of helping victims recover financially, Johnson says the state has repeatedly stalled a mass tort lawsuit aimed at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Department of Natural Resources. A trial is set for next year.