June 2014

PE REPORT
Dam Safety Leaders Push for Alabama Review Program

Dam safety experts in Alabama have embarked on a campaign to establish a regulatory program requiring a licensed professional engineer to oversee inspections and repairs of dams in the state.

Alabama is the only state in the nation without a dam safety review program, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. State governments regulate approximately 77% of dams in the US, however, many state dam safety programs lack the necessary resources to adequately monitor and regulate their dam inventories says the ASDSO. Since 1998, the number of high-hazard-potential dams has increased from 9,281 to more than 11,300 in 2012. The organization estimates that $53.69 billion was needed to rehabilitate non-federal dams in 2012.

Legislation (H.B. 610) to implement a safety program was introduced this year in the Alabama legislature, but failed to gain traction, says Mark Ogden, P.E., who serves as an ASDSO project manager. The bill would have establish a program within the Office of Water Resources of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for the construction, alteration, repair, operation, abandonment, and removal of dams, particularly those where there are concerns over the loss of human life, economic loss, property damage, disruption of public utilities, and environmental impact. The bill also establish a low interest rehabilitation loan program and requires owners of high risk dams to develop and test an action plan in the event of an emergency.

The legislation requires that the program be administered by a licensed professional engineer with a background in civil engineering and at least 10 years of relevant experience in areas such as investigation, design, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, repair, alteration, maintenance, operation, breach, removal, or abandonment of dams. This individual must also understand the potential causes and consequences of dam failures and participate in training and continuing education focused on the practice of dam safety engineering.

All plans and specifications for construction, repair, abandonment, or removal of dams and supervision of construction has to be the charge of an engineer, assisted by qualified engineering geologists and other specialist if deemed necessary.

ASDSO is working with the state chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers to encourage legislators to reintroduce the bill. Ogden says the organizations are looking to gather support for the legislation from Alabama professional engineers and other organizations concerned about providing resources to improve dam safety and increase protections for the public.