State files lawsuit over safety of 2 Taunton dams

BOSTON, Mass. -- Concerns over the structural integrity of two Taunton dams has sparked a lawsuit from Attorney General Martha Coakley's office, who said the dams' owner has failed to comply with various safety orders.

The complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior Court Thursday, seeks an injunction requiring the owner of the Morey's Bridge Dam and a temporary dam to fix the problems and to pay civil penalties. The two adjacent dams hold back the waters of Lake Sabbatia.

Jefferson Development, the registered owner of the Morey's Bridge Dam, and the company's principal, David L. Murphy, of Chestnut Hill, are named in the lawsuit. Messages left at Jefferson Development and for Murphy were not immediately returned Friday.

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