The Massachusetts legislature has approved a US$17 million allocation that will pay for the repair or removal of unsafe, abandoned or useless dams, HydroWorld.com has learned.
The bill -- proposed by state Senator Mar R. Pacheco in May 2012 is designed to improve dam safety within Massachusetts, where nearly two-thirds of all dams qualify as "high hazard".
The bill is designed to improve dam safety and would require the state's Commissioner of Conservation and Recreation to complete a report a report on all of Massachusetts' dams. It will also require all high hazard dams to have an emergency action plan.
The legislation will establish a loan program for dam repair and removal, while allowing municipalities to issue bonds for dam dismantling.
It now awaits the approval of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
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