Several industry groups, worried about deficient state and local dams, want Congress to authorize $350 million over four years to rehabilitate those structures. The organizations have lined up behind a House bill that would provide funds and set up a Federal Emergency Management Agency program to oversee the grants.
The bill, H.R. 1105, introduced March 3 by Rep. Sue Kelly (R-N.Y.), is backed by the Dam Safety Coalition, which includes the American Society of Civil Engineers, Association of State Dam Safety Officials and others. ASDSO says there are more than 3,500 unsafe dams and it will take about $10 billion to repair the most critical ones.