Major features of the bill include: Establishment of a program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund dam rehabilitation and repairs; enactment of a public fund to award grants for assistance to repair unsafe dams that are publicly-owned (state and local dams); authorization of appropriation levels that will help rehabilitate publicly owned non-federal deficient dams.

Background – Dams in Need of Repair
ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gives the condition of our nation’s dams a grade of D, equal to the overall infrastructure grade. State dam safety programs have identified more than 4,095 unsafe dams, which have deficiencies that leave them more susceptible to failure, especially during large flood events or earthquakes. The number of unsafe dams will continue to increase until a funding source is created to repair them.

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that $50 billion is needed to rehabilitate all dams across the nation. Over the next 10 years $12 billion is needed to address the most critical dams, both public and private, that pose a direct risk to human life should they fail. Needed repairs to publicly owned dams are estimated at $8.7 billion.

ASCE has worked with members of Congress to draft legislation that would begin to address these problems. The Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act as proposed would provide up to $200 million over five years to address deficiencies in the nation’s publicly owned non-federal dams. ?EUR??,,????'??? Courtesy of American Society of Civil Engineers