Virginia Department of Emergency Management Coordinators Briefing

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Virginia Department of Emergency
ManagementCoordinators Briefing

• Changes in State Dam Safety Regulations

Mark Slauter, CFM Virginia Department of
Emergency Management
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Primary Changes

• Hazard classification scheme changed
• All permitted dams must prepare inundation maps
• All permitted dams must have either an emergency
  action plan or preparedness plan
• Exercises
• Impacts to local staff

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Example of a Dam Failure

• Teton Dam near Driggs Idaho

• Several seepages identified on June 3, 1976.
• Observed wetness on right abutment on June 4
• Major leak noticed around 730 am on morning of
  June 5

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Image of dam between 1030 and 1100 am June 5, 1976
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Image of dam shortly after failure at about noon
on June 5, 1976
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Hazard Designations

• Old categorization scheme of I, II, III IV
  hazard risk high to low
• New classification is High (I), Significant (II)
  and Low (III IV).

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Dam Owner Responsibilities

• Development, maintenance, and exercise of the EAP
• Technical sections (such as inches of rainfall or
  depth of flow triggering levels of response
  downstream break inundation mapping) will require
  the services of a registered professional
  engineer.

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Owner Responsibilities (Cont.)

• Develop EAP in coordination with other groups
  (community, emergency management).
• EAP must comply with state dam safety program
  requirements.
• EAP must contain all components previously
  listed, be in writing, agreed to by all parties.

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State EAP Form
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Exercises
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Regulations for Exercises

• Altered the frequency for table top exercises
  from once every 3 years to once every permit
  cycle (6 years).
• Annual drills and table top exercises for
  multiple impounding structures may be performed
  in combination if the involved parties are the
  same.
• A drill shall be conducted annually for each high
  or significant hazard impounding structure.

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Regulations for Exercises

• Owners shall certify to the department annually
  that a drill, a table-top exercise, or both has
  been completed and provide any revisions or
  updates to the EAP or a statement that no
  revisions or updates are needed.
• Eliminated the requirement that a critique of the
  drill and table top exercise be provided to the
  Department.

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Local Impacts

• More than 660 dams
• About 50 classified as high / significant
  (includes federally permitted sites)
• 90 Counties / Cities have a permitted dam
• 78 high /significant (average of 4 each)
• Lowest number 1
• Highest number 23
• Locality affected by dams upstream

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Contact Information

• Mark Slauter
• VDEM
• mark.slauter_at_vdem.virginia.gov
• 804-674-2405

Jim Robinson DCR Jim.robinson_at_dcr.virginia.gov 804
-786-2886
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EOP Dam Safety Annex

• Dam Owners
• Develop and Maintain EAP for dams
• Local Government
• Develop compatible procedures to warn and
  evacuate the public in the event of dam failure.
• Dam Safety Annex should include all dams within
  the jurisdiction

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EOP Dam Safety Annex

• Local Responsibilities
• Develop compatible procedures to warn and
  evacuate the public in the event of dam failure
• Notify public of possible dam failure
• Order immediate evacuation of residents in
  expected inundation areas
• Sound warning through use of sirens, horns, and
  vehicles with loudspeakers, Emergency Alert
  System, telephone calls, and door-to-door
  notification to evacuate individuals immediately
  out of the area or to high ground in area for
  later rescue
• Debris Removal
• All agencies tasked in this plan implement
  recovery procedures
• Review emergency procedures used and revise, if
  necessary, to insure lessons learned are applied
  in future disasters and
• Determine what mitigation measures, if any,
  should be initiated

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EOP Dam Safety Annex

• Dam Safety Annex should
• Include action items
• Be specific to the jurisdiction
• Include list of impoundments with appropriate
  contact information
• Act as a quick reference