"The Corps’ National Inventory of Dams lists more than 92,000 structures across the U.S., most of which are privately owned," Lieb notes. "The safety of the nation’s dams has garnered increased public scrutiny in recent years, in part because of high-profile failures that forced the evacuation of thousands of residents in Michigan and California."
Lieb notes AP's recent census of more than 2,200 dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition that are classified as high-hazard, meaning failure "likely would unleash a flood killing at least one person," he writes. "That figure was up substantially from a similar AP analysis three years earlier."
The average U.S. dam is 61 years old, and many pose more risk than when they were build because of downstream development. Also, "A changing climate with intense rainstorms has strained some dams beyond their original designs," Lieb reports. "Maintenance also has been deferred, often because dam owners lack the money to pay for it. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates it could cost nearly $76 billion to rehabilitate the almost 89,000 dams owned by individuals, companies, community associations, states, local governments and other entities besides the U.S. government.
The new federal loan program, which makes more than $7 billion in guarantees available, “puts a pretty good dent in the existing need,” Aaron Snyder, interim director of the Corps’ Water Infrastructure Financing Program, told Lieb, who notes, "Most states don’t have grant or loan programs specifically targeted for repairing dams." Congress authorized the Corps program in 2014 but didn't fund it until December 2020, Lieb reports: "It got a big funding boost from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden last November."
The average U.S. dam is 61 years old, and many pose more risk than when they were build because of downstream development. Also, "A changing climate with intense rainstorms has strained some dams beyond their original designs," Lieb reports. "Maintenance also has been deferred, often because dam owners lack the money to pay for it. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates it could cost nearly $76 billion to rehabilitate the almost 89,000 dams owned by individuals, companies, community associations, states, local governments and other entities besides the U.S. government.
The new federal loan program, which makes more than $7 billion in guarantees available, “puts a pretty good dent in the existing need,” Aaron Snyder, interim director of the Corps’ Water Infrastructure Financing Program, told Lieb, who notes, "Most states don’t have grant or loan programs specifically targeted for repairing dams." Congress authorized the Corps program in 2014 but didn't fund it until December 2020, Lieb reports: "It got a big funding boost from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden last November."
No comments:
Post a Comment