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#Post#: 2408--------------------------------------------------
ERIE CANAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS NOT DONE FOR 100 YEARS!
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: March 24, 2023, 3:28 am
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Yes it's true!
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#Post#: 2409--------------------------------------------------
Re: Erie Canal Safety Inspections Not Done for 100 Years, What
Went Wrong?
DIR By: Doug K
Date: March 24, 2023, 7:25 am
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If you take the time to read the State Comptroller Report you
will find information that is astounding. Some of what the
report outlines actually borders on "willful neglect" of the NYS
Canal System by the Thruway Authority. Despite requests, from
the NYS Canal Corporation, the NYS Thruway Authority failed to
properly fund, support, or identify public risk issues along the
entire Canal System.
Here are a few highlights:
Thruway Authority has a History of Neglected Safety Issues
According to the minutes from the June 6, 2014 meeting between
the Thruway Authority and Corporation Boards, only about 55
percent of the Canal System’s critical structures were in good
condition in recent years due to resource constraints. The
minutes further reveal the 2014-15 goal was to maintain this
percentage.
Board members agreed it was imperative that the structures
remain in good condition to maintain the Canal System’s
reliability and continued safe operation. Given this goal, it is
important that structures have regular Inspections to identify
and prioritize the Canal System’s greatest repair needs.
Canal Corporation Unable to Properly & Consistently Prioritize
Safety Issues
Although the Corporation has worked toward implementing a
risk-based system for prioritizing Inspections and repairs since
2011, we found its methodologies were flawed and thus could not
be relied on to accurately prioritize repair projects.
Furthermore, in numerous instances, we found the Corporation’s
process for determining Inspection and maintenance priorities
lacked clarity.
Thruway Authority & Canal Corporation Maintenance Tracking Tools
Are Unreliable
The Corporation has developed several tools to prioritize its
capital and maintenance repair needs. However, we determined
that, in many cases, these tools do not use data that is
accurate or current and are thus unreliable (e.g., tools that
are based on outdated inspection results). In addition, the
tools are not the primary basis for maintenance priority
decisions, with the Corporation giving greater weight instead to
worker knowledge and professional judgment. Furthermore, since
the reasons for decisions aren’t generally documented, a lack of
clarity exists regarding the basis for these decisions.
The Canal Corporation Does Not Properly Document Maintenance or
Capital Improvements
Because many decisions related to maintenance and capital
priorities are not documented, it is not apparent that the
Corporation gives greatest priority to structures most in need
of repair. Given that only half of the Canal structures are in
good condition based on the Corporation’s own assessment, and
considering its limited resources, the Corporation must
prioritize improving its asset management and capital program
management systems.
Our review of Corporation inspection and repair data reveals
that numerous deficiencies have not been addressed.
This State Comptroller Canal Report is now 9 years old, and
still has not been completely addressed. This report has now
resulted in a change of ownership for the NYS Canal Corporation,
being handed over to NYPA. It has also taken its toll on
management within both agencies, having some key resources move
out of canal operations, or NYPA support.
And under the New York Power Authority, the Canal Corporation is
finally getting the funding to perform many of these missed
inspections, along with their newly developed plan for Canal
Repairs, the Embankment Integrity Program.
Too little, too late? Time will tell if the NYS Canal System can
still operate SAFELY, in the deteriorating state described in
this report. Currently, with over 300 seeps & leaks along its
335 miles of waterway, that will be a challenge.
And it's even a bigger challenge with an active Facebook group
on social media trying to subvert all of their maintenance work
on earthen dams.
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