Dam Safety Statement on the Initiation of a Federal Inspection Program for Nonfederal Dams.

In my press conference this week, I announced that a safety inspection program for nonfederal dams would begin immediately to help prevent further tragedies like that at Toccoa Falls.

I have directed the Secretary of the Army to commence at once the inspection of more than 9,000 nonfederal dams that present a high potential for loss of life and property if they fail. The inspection program, to be administered by the Corps of Engineers, will take approximately 4 years. We will make $15 million available for the program during this fiscal year and hope to be able to inspect 1,800 nonfederal dams during that year. It is impossible to predict the total cost of the program precisely, but we tentatively estimate it to be $70 million.

I have directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to cooperate with the Secretary of the Army in developing technical criteria and guidelines for inspections and assisting the States. This dam inspection program cannot be a substitute for effective dam safety programs at the State level; it is intended to stimulate the States to action. The Federal Government will use this initiative to establish a partnership with the States in developing State programs. The Federal program will be limited to initial inspections only, will involve no assumption of Federal liability, and will be completed within 4 years.

Because the inspection program will not resolve specific dam safety problems and will not relieve the States or owners of these structures of their responsibilities for public safety, we will ask for Governors to agree, prior to these inspections, to take certain steps toward establishing an adequate State program for dam safety. States that agree to take these steps will be given priority for Federal inspections and technical assistance. We recognize that some States already have excellent dam safety programs.

I have also asked the Secretary of the Army, in cooperation with the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture and the Science Adviser to the President, to report back to me within 1 year on the status of the inspection effort, the development of State programs, and any needed additional actions to assure national dam safety.

In summary, the Federal Government will:

1. Begin immediately to work with all of the States to implement or improve dam safety programs;

2. Update the National Dam Inventory;

3. Fund and administer the inspection of all the approximately 9,000 nonfederal dams in the high hazard potential category by virtue of their location;

4. Fund and administer the inspection of intermediate hazard category dams on Federal property; and

5. Fund and administer the inspection of a limited number of other nonfederal dams determined, on a case-by-case basis, after consultation with State officials, to be in a condition presenting an immediate threat to public safety.

The States will be asked to cooperate fully, by:

1. Assuring implementation of an effective dam safety program;

2. Assisting in implementing the federally financed dam inspections, including participation in State personnel training, and performing actual dam inspections where criteria .are met; and

3. Assuring that they will use available means to take remedial actions when unsafe dams are found.