Stuart and Tonya Junker loved their quiet neighborhood near South Dakota’s Black Hills — until the earth began collapsing around them, leaving them wondering if their home could tumble into a gaping hole.
They blame the state for selling land that became the Hideaway Hills subdivision despite knowing it was perched above an old mine. Since the sinkholes began opening up, they and about 150 of their neighbors sued the state for $45 million to cover the value of their homes and legal costs.
“Let’s just say it’s really changed our lives a lot,” Tonya Junker said. “The worry, the not sleeping, the ‘what if’ something happens. It’s all of it, all of the above.”
This is horrifying. The government (state or federal) has an ethical obligation to get these people into safe housing immediately.
If it was me living there, the level of stress I would feel knowing that my house and family could be swallowed up at any point would ruin my life. Damn.
I hope that everyone in that community can get out asap and be expediently and fairly compensated.