Sec. 301. National dam assessment
335 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/s/2356/is/section-301·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The National dam assessment will assimilate data to provide for stakeholders to determine whether a dam may be an appropriate candidate to remove, upgrade, enhance environmental performance, or retrofit for hydropower production. The assessment is intended for data gathering and analysis tools and will not make recommendations on individual dams. The United States Geological Survey and the Department of Energy (Lead agencies) shall jointly conduct an assessment of the nation’s dam infrastructure, including government and privately owned powered and non-powered dams.
In conducting its assessment, the Lead agencies shall consult with other Federal and State government agencies, including the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, State dam safety officials, and other stakeholders. The purpose of the assessment is to integrate existing data to help stakeholders identify— dams that continue to serve vital roles and may be priorities for upgrades, environmental performance enhancements, or retrofits to add or replace generation at powered and non-powered facilities; and dams that may have been abandoned, have reached the end of their useful life, or otherwise may be candidates for removal and river restoration.
The Lead agencies shall, in consultation with the other Federal and State agencies, the Dam Removal Council established under section 304, as well as other stakeholders, develop a set of data and other factors relevant to dam upgrades, retrofit and removal, including but not limited to age, height, water flow, hazard classifications, condition assessment, environmental improvement opportunities, climate change risks, known functions and other factors determined by the Lead agencies to meet the goals of the assessment.
At the time of submission of the report to Congress, the Lead agencies shall make the assessment publicly available in a written and an electronically searchable format. The Lead agencies shall, to the extent possible, compile pre-existing information from Federal and State government sources and avoid duplicating existing assessments of any particular dam, facility, or project.