October 30, 2019
Montpelier, Vt. – On November 5, 2019, the State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Dam Safety Program, with the assistance of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, will host a free workshop at the Pavilion Auditorium in Montpelier, Vermont. The workshop is for anyone interested in learning more about dam safety topics including information on the new draft dam safety rules, dam operation, maintenance, Emergency Action Planning, owner responsibilities and liabilities, and examples of how dams fail and case studies.
“The new draft administrative dam safety rules will be presented and discussed. We hope to receive input and comments from the public during and following the conference as we move into formalizing these rules early next year,” said Ben Green, Dam Safety Engineer. “The Workshop will also feature a variety of dam safety presentations of interest to Vermonters.”
DEC’s Dam Safety Program regulates non-hydropower, non-federally owned/operated dams in the State. Program staff work with private dam owners to make sure dams are operating properly, regularly maintained, and when necessary, rehabilitated to meet dam safety standards. If dams no longer serve a useful purpose and are not properly maintained, they can pose an unnecessary safety risk as well as degrade water quality and wildlife habitat. In these cases, dam removal and river restoration can be the best and safest alternative.
For more information about November’s Dam Safety Workshop, visit DEC’s website or see the attached Dam Safety Workshop flyer. Online registration for the Dam Safety Workshop has closed, but day of registrations are more than welcome. The workshop will be free and will be held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on November 5, 2019 at the Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT.