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   DIR Return to: Just the Dam Facts! - Embankment Reference Material 
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       #Post#: 424--------------------------------------------------
       Why Erie Canal Embankments are being cleared - US Dam Safety
       Laws Report
   DIR By: Doug K
       Date: April 1, 2019, 4:17 pm
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       Just like the Subject Line states... there is a Law in place
       that requires New York Power Authority to comply with National
       Dam Standards as a PUBLIC power generation agency. And that law
       also states that all US Dams are to be cataloged, comply to
       known dam standards, and be inspected regularly to insure public
       safety. So part of this whole Erie Canal Embankment Program is
       about uncovering the dams for these very reasons
       Many if not all Erie Canal Embankment Dams have missed on all
       counts of cataloging, compliance and proper inspection for
       years...but that is all changing as we see playing out in the
       Rochester & surrounding areas west to Lockport.
       There was a law passed in 2006 called the National Dam Safety
       Program Act... Public Law 109-460... here's the Govt Page on it:
  HTML https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ460/PLAW-109publ460.pdf
       This Dam Safety Law is the basis for the Erie Canal Embankment
       Dam work you see going on today..it's about compliance with the
       safety initiatives of this law. The New York Canal Corporation
       is obligated, through New York Power Authority, to insure all of
       it's Flood Prevention Structures along the Erie Canal are
       managed in the manner expected by this Public Law... they do not
       have the option of "non-compliance" that some may think.
       In 2014 the NY State Comptroller notified the NYS Thruway
       Authority, that the Erie Canal was not in compliance and needed
       repair... and today we see the results of that 2014 Study &
       Report.
       If fixing the Erie Canal Embankments is not about safety to some
       folks in Rochester, then it eventually will come down to
       following the Law. There is NO choice here.. you either agree
       it's the right thing to do for safety, or it's the right thing
       to do BECAUSE it's the LAW.
       Here's a copy of the original 2006 Dam Safety Act Law with
       approved Amendments from 2006 & 2014. Page 3 & 4 talk about what
       are the minimum requirements for a structure to be called a
       Dam... take a look.
  HTML https://damsafety.org/sites/default/files/National%20Dam%20Safety%20Program%20Background-2014.pdf
       But the best documents to understand the way the ENTIRE Dam
       Safety Program works in America are here to download and read:
  HTML https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/16240
       We recommend reading the Overview Report from 2008 - 2011 which
       has a website link where you can view the PDF file. This is the
       first NDSA Report after the Dam Safety Law was passed, it has a
       very nice summary of how National Dam Safety all plays together
       with other Federal laws and guidelines.
  HTML https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1402876995238-1c041ca9a4489ea27152c515ed72e38f/DamSafetyintheUnitedStates.pdf
       I have put a copy of the 2008-11 US Dam Safety Report for
       download on the ECNA Google Share Folder:
  HTML https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eWbEBShg9YAnJBWONFBjDx-gyaRubHzY
       If you want to read another Summary about National Dam Safety
       Program, here's another from 2015 that is a good read as well
       for a summary of the Dam Safety issues in our country.
  HTML https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XDaKGzqrtIb5ZOCSiTC4FqYJXRhSpQ8M
       Are you a "citizen scientist"...  lol. Want to find out more
       about Dam safety?
       This is the place to start. Use the drop down menus to refine
       your search -->
  HTML https://damsafety.org/references/search
       ECNA Moderator
       [attachimg=1]
       #Post#: 518--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Why Erie Canal Embankments are being cleared - US Dam Safety
       Laws Report
   DIR By: Doug K
       Date: April 16, 2019, 9:49 am
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       But sadly some will say this: There is no Safety Issue and the
       "law" is wrong, it doesn't work for the Erie Canal... we need a
       special new law.
       Somehow these earthen embankment dams (along the magic waters of
       the Erie Canal) are special dams. They don't age, trees don't
       pipe water out, and if a tree limb breaks, it magically misses
       anyone walking along the top of the dam. Animals cannot burrow
       into these dams, and tree blow downs can't happen, and this dam
       doesn't leak either, those are all natural bodies of water
       sitting below them.
       Even the dam owners who said their embankments were unsafe are
       wrong to these people... so I appreciate your comment but some
       people get confused about the truth, especially when it comes to
       Trees... and Dams.
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