The report says that since the National Dam Safety Programme Act of 1996, the number of dam safety inspections has increased, more dam owners have prepared Emergency Action Plans, and state safety personnel have become better trained and equipped for effective programme management. Dam failure flood inundation maps for areas below dams has been improved and low interest loans have become available for dam repairs.
The report closes with a call for improved security at dams, in the light of recent terrorist threats. ASDSO recommends that, as states shoulder the responsibility for regulating the safety of approximately 95% of dams in the US, states should allocate funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s First Responder Initiative Grant Programme for security improvements.
