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<br />the safety of its dams, and faces enormous potential liabili- <br />ties from dam failures. Dam safety has been given high <br />priority for several years by the president and the congress. <br />The attention of top management in the affected agencies is <br />needed to maintain this priority. <br /> <br />Although each dam owner has primary responsibility for <br />the safety of his dam, most states have recognized their <br />responsibility to their citizens to assure that dams are <br />constructed and maintained with due regard to public safety. <br />The states have that responsibility for about 70,000 dams. <br />Led by the state of California, most states have developed <br />programs to regulate dams in the interest of public safety, <br />but overall progress has been slow and there are great <br />differences in the effectiveness of the dam safety programs <br />among the states. This report includes a summary and <br />evaluation of state programs, based on the research of <br />Professor Bruce A. Tschantz of the University of Tennessee. <br /> <br />At present, the dam safety programs in 21 states are <br />considered by Professor Tschantz to be adequate in that they <br />have sufficient statutory authorities and funding. Four <br />states have marginal programs, 22 states have inadequate <br />programs, and three states have no programs, i.e. the states <br />have no legislation to provide for regulation of dams in the <br />public interest. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is <br />providing effective assistance to many states in developing <br />their technical capabilities for regulation of dams in the <br />interest of public safety. <br /> <br />Most state dam safety programs are greatly in need of <br />the following: <br /> <br />o Increased public and official support for regulation of <br />dams in the public interest~ <br /> <br />o Increased funding~ <br /> <br />o Increased staffing~ <br /> <br />o Sources of funding for repair of unsafe dams. <br /> <br />As the tens of thousands of dams built in the last <br />several decades become older, and as additional dams are <br />constructed to meet future needs, the need for effective <br />governmental action to protect the public from unsafe dams <br />will increase. Continuing attention to the dam safety <br />problem by leaders at all levels of government will be <br />needed. <br /> <br />Executive Summary - page 2 <br />