NATION IN BRIEF : ILLINOIS : Judge Dismisses Chicago Flood Suit

A federal judge in Chicago dismissed a lawsuit that blamed the city for last year’s underground flooding that caused more than $1 billion in damage. The city claims Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. is responsible for the April 13 flood because of work it did in 1991 replacing wooden pilings in the Chicago River to protect a bridge. But Great Lakes sued the city last October, saying it would not have done the work had the city told it about a 50-mile-long tunnel system under the downtown area. The company’s suit argued that federal admiralty laws should apply, which would limit its liability, because work was performed from river barges. But U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras ruled that admiralty law did not apply because the pilings were placed on land. Great Lakes’ attorneys said they would appeal.