News Release No. 506

GOVERNOR CALLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF MISSOURI'S DAM SAFETY LAW

Volume 33-506

Contact: Connie Patterson

(For immediate release)

573-751-1010

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 16, 2005 -- Gov. Matt Blunt today directed the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to immediately take a comprehensive look at Missouri's dam safety law and how it compares to regulations in other states.

"More than five years ago, a task force of dam owners and various agency representatives looked at Missouri's dam safety law to see if it needed to be strengthened or revised," Gov. Blunt said. "The work of the task force was never completed because it was not considered enough of a priority to pursue. I'm changing that today. I want Missouri citizens to feel confident that we are doing everything we can to protect them and their families from failure of these dams."

The Department of Natural Resources regulates and inspects 653 dams in Missouri, making sure they meet engineering standards and do not pose a threat for people living downstream. "It's a priority for the State of Missouri to keep up with the state-required inspections of dams and addresses any major problem it finds immediately," said Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers. "Missouri dams regulated by the state are in compliance. We absolutely take our mission of protecting the health and welfare of Missouri citizens very seriously and do everything we can to protect the people in these areas. We will begin moving forward on the Governor's direction immediately."

In addition to the state inspections, the Department of Natural Resources encourages landowners to visually inspect their dams on a regular basis. "Dams in Missouri have improved considerably over the last 30 years," according to Mike Wells, deputy department director and chief of water resources. "Dam owners take this very seriously and have worked hard to make improvements to protect human health and the environment."

If a dam owner finds a major problem with his dam, such as cracks, unexpected changes in water levels or slopes, he should contact the department immediately at 573-368-2175 or 800-361-4827. The department will work with the dam owner to address the concerns. "If we find a dam in imminent danger of failure, we'll take immediate action and stay on site to help the landowner fix the problem," Wells said.

The department also performs follow-up inspections on dams where any deficiencies are found in the initial inspection. Inspections and pre-installation construction reviews are provided by the State of Missouri at no cost for all regulated dam owners.

Most non-agricultural dams over 35 feet high are regulated by the state. One exception are hydroelectric dams, which are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Taum Sauk reservoir, whose breach Wednesday released 1.3 billion gallons of water and caused significant damage to Johnson Shut-Ins State Park, is regulated by FERC.

The Department of Natural Resources inspects dams throughout Missouri based on the dam's potential to take human life in the case of a breach. Those most likely to take lives are classified as a Class I Hazard and are inspected every two years. There are 205 Class I dams in Missouri.

Class II Hazard dams are inspected every three years, and Class III dams, which pose minimal or no threat of loss of life in case of failure, are inspected every five years. There are 245 regulated Class II dams and 203 Class III dams in the state.

"It's important for people to understand that the hazard rating is not meant to imply the likelihood of failure, but the likelihood of the loss of life in case of failure," Childers said. "Our focus, rightly so, is those dams that have potential to do the most damage if breached."

For more information on the department's Dam and Reservoir Safety Program, visit the Web site at: www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/damsft/damsfthp.htm.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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