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1 [1] (December 13, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govegpx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Dam Safety: Federal Programs and Authorities In recent years, several incidents have highlighted the public safety risks posed by the failure of dams and related facilities. In 2017, the near failure of the Oroville Dam spillway in California resulted in a precautionary evacuation of approximately 200,000 people and cost more than $1.1 billion in emergency response and repair. The 2019 failure of Spencer Dam in Nebraska resulted in the first dam-failure fatality in the nation since 2006; the 2020 failure of two hydropower dams in Michigan resulted in an estimated $175 million in damages. The 117th Congress has increased funding to support dam safety principally through Division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). Congress may consider additional oversight of agency implementation of dam safety activities and additional legislation to improve dam safety. This In Focus summarizes the U.S. dam inventory, dam rehabilitation and repair estimates, and federal dam safety activities and funding. For more detailed information and analysis, see CRS Report R45981, Dam Safety Overview and the Federal Role. National inventory of Dams The National Inventory of Dams (NID)-maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)-catalogs information from 50 states, Puerto Rico, and federal agencies on most of the nation's dams. The NID, updated in November 2021, lists more than 90,000 dams. The majority of NID-listed dams are owned by private entities, state and local governments, and public utilities. Federal government agencies (e.g., USACE, U.S. Forest Service) report owning approximately 3% (2,758) of dams in the NID, including some of the largest dams in the United States. Although states have regulatory authority for more than 73% of NID- listed dams, which includes overseeing dam safety, the federal government may play a role in dam safety for both federal and nonfederal dams. Of the dams in the NID, about 16% (15,080) are classified as high hazard potential (i.e., the loss of at least one life is likely if the dam fails). The overall number of dams classified as high hazard potential has increased in the past decade, mostly due to development around existing dams. Significant hazard potential dams in the NID could cause economic loss or environmental damage, and low hazard potential dams in the NID could pose limited risk and must meet a dam height or reservoir size threshold for inclusion. The updated NID includes flood inundation maps for failure scenarios at USACE dams, based on new USACE policy. Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Needs Dams were built to engineering and construction standards and regulations corresponding to the time of their construction. Over half of the dams with information on their age reported in the NID were built more than fifty Updated December 13, 2021 years ago. Some dams, including older dams, may not meet current dam safety standards and may require rehabilitation to do so. Other dams may be in need of repair. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimated that the total cost to rehabilitate dams in the NID would exceed $70 billion. Of this estimate, the cost to rehabilitate high hazard potential dams would be $3 billion for federal dams and $20 billion for nonfederal dams. What Is the Federal Role? The federal role in dam safety encompasses (1) support for state dam safety; (2) support for federal dam safety; (3) regulation of certain nonfederal dams; and (4) rehabilitation and repair of certain nonfederal dams. Support for State Dam Safety Every state (except Alabama) has established a regulatory program for dam safety, as has Puerto Rico. State dam safety programs typically include safety evaluations of existing dams, review of plans and specifications for dam construction and major repair work, periodic inspections of construction work on new and existing dams, reviews and approval of emergency action plans, and emergency preparedness activities with local officials and dam owners. The dam owners generally are responsible for the safety, rehabilitation, and repair of their dams; selected states provide a limited amount of assistance for these activities. The main source of federal support for state dam safety programs is the National Dam Safety Program (NDSP), operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Authorized in 1996 by the National Dam Safety Program Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. §§467f et seq.), NDSP activities include providing dam safety information and training, facilitating information exchange, and supporting state dam safety programs with grant assistance. In FY2021, Congress funded the NDSP at $9 million. FEMA distributed around $6 million of this funding as dam safety program grants to 49 states and Puerto Rico to support their dam safety activities. The IIJA provided $148 million for state dam safety program grant assistance and $67 million for other NDSP activities. Support for Federal Dam Safety The federal government has statutory responsibilities for the monitoring, upkeep, rehabilitation, and repair of federally owned dams. The major federal water resource management agencies-USACE and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)-own 42% (1,170) of federal dams, including many large dams: * USACE operates more than 700 dams, many with a primary purpose of flood risk reduction. USACE implements a dam safety program consisting of

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