U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation on Tuesday that would provide grant assistance to improve the safety of non-federal dams across the country.
Capito and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced the High Hazard Potential Small Dam Safety Act to help rehabilitate and repair dams that have become public safety hazards.
“Investing in critical infrastructure like dams is paramount to public safety,” Capito said. “In West Virginia, we have 422 dams classified as high hazard potential. This bill will help facilitate the repair or removal of high hazard dams before an incident occurs, which could end up saving lives and future costs. I am glad to join with Sen. Reed to introduce this important bipartisan bill.”
There are currently no federal programs to help states repair or remove non-agricultural, non-hydroelectric, non-federal dams, which has left smaller dams vulnerable and states without resources to address those vulnerabilities.
“Dams are a crucial part of our infrastructure and dam safety is critical to public safety,” Reed said. “But many communities lack the funding and resources to keep local dams in safe condition. This bipartisan bill will help provide federal grant assistance to high hazard potential dams in need of rehabilitation. By assisting in the repair or removal of high hazard dams before they fail, the bill makes an investment in future cost savings, not to mention lives and property saved.”
Under the High Hazard Potential Small Dam Safety Act, FEMA’s existing National Dam Safety Program would be expanded to enable non-federal agencies to apply for matching grants to repair or remove small dams that have become hazardous.
States would have to opt into the non-mandatory program, and funding would be allocated based on a one-third equal distribution and two-thirds need-based formula with 65-35 percent cost share.