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Association of State Dam Safety Officials - December 2016
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Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2017 to Our Members and Partners!
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WIIN2016 Passes - On Its Way to the President's Desk for Signature
In the early morning hours of Saturday, December 10, Congress passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Included within this legislation is a provision to create a national dam rehabilitation program, which will provide $445 million over 10 years to jump-start dam rehab programs across the nation. An unprecedented new initiative, the program will be administered through FEMA as part of the National Dam Safety Program and will be coordinated through the State Dam Safety Programs.
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate EPW Committee, released a statement praising the Senate: "Once again Congress has voted with broad bipartisan support for another major infrastructure bill. We appreciate our colleagues in the Senate for working collaboratively and around the clock to get this bill passed."
On the House side, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) said, "Without question, this infrastructure legislation is a win for America."
The House passed the bill 360-61 and the Senate pass it 78-21.
The ASDSO leadership wishes to thank Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) for his introduction of the dam rehabilitation provision. We also want to encourage all members to thank their Congressional delegates for passing this important legislation.
Read the dam rehab excerpt.
Learn more about WIIN2016.
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Dam Safety 2017 Call for Abstracts
ASDSO invites all persons interested in the safety of dams and levees to submit abstracts of papers to be considered for presentation at the ASDSO 2017 National Conference. Engineers, geologists, hydrologists, dam owners, state, local or federal officials, industry representatives and others working in the field of dam and levee safety are invited to share their experiences. Submit your abstract today through the ASDSO Portal. Deadline: February 1, 2017.
- Suggested Topics
- Tips on Writing an Effective Abstract
- Paper Deadlines
- Volunteer to be a Session Moderator
Ninth Annual Student Paper Competition: ASDSO invites students to enter the Student Paper Competition, open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees at U.S. universities or colleges. Topics may include traditional areas of dam and levee design engineering, case studies, and emerging and innovative technologies. Senior capstone projects are also encouraged. ASDSO recommends that undergraduate papers and posters be co-authored or sponsored by faculty. See details. |
2016 Donor Drive Support ASDSO and Our Mission
As we kick off the 2016 ASDSO Donor Drive we ask all members to consider giving back to the dam safety community through a donation to ASDSO. Donations impact the future of dam safety by providing a shot of resources to ASDSO's ability to carry out projects. Without your past donations, there would be no undergraduate scholarship funds, fewer public outreach materials, and reduced ability to provide education to dam owners. Let's keep those programs going and start new ones, such as efforts to reduce incidents in and around dams, especially low-head dams, and an emphasis on better communication about ASDSO to a broader audience.
You can donate through the ASDSO Portal or by calling 859.550.2788. ASDSO is a 501(c)(3) educational, charitable organization.
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More Ways to Contribute
Listed below are several additional opportunities to contribute to the dam safety community. Please respond according to your interests; your input will be much appreciated!
1. Promote Safety of Dams and Safety at Dams During National Engineers Week.
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| | Watch "Over, Under, Gone." |
National Engineers Week will be observed February 19-25, 2017. As part of this annual observance, ASDSO will again take part in Engineering Day at the University of Kentucky. We urge all readers to participate in Engineers Week and offer the following suggestions and tools:
- Set up speaking engagements through your local schools and civic groups. Presentations and activities suitable for all ages and audiences are available through ASDSO's Speakers Bureau and Kids' Pages and the DiscoverEngineering website.
- Over, Under, Gone - the Killer in Our Rivers, a new documentary by the Indiana Silver Jackets, is freely available for viewing here. ASDSO strongly urges readers to watch this compelling documentary and promote it through word of mouth, social media, and public showings.
2. Submit Safety at Dams Incident Notifications.
ASDSO's new Public Safety Around Dams Committee is working on a wide range of public safety issues at dams and need your help tracking incidents related to public safety at dams (of any size and type) - such as drownings, rescues, boating accidents, confined space incidents, unauthorized recreation activities, etc. - and request that notices of such incidents be sent to [email protected]. The Committee will use this data to analyze trends, prioritize needs, generate statistics, and serve as an educational resource for researchers and practitioners.
3. Contribute Information on "Year-7" Dam Failures and Incidents.
ASDSO's Dam Failure and Incidents Committee is compiling information on the following "year-7" decade dam failures and incidents. If you have information to share on these events, please contact Dusty Myers, [email protected]. 2007 Sugar Creek L-44, Oklahoma
2007 Ulley Dam, Great Britain
1997 Centennial Narrows Dam, Arizona
1997 Kerckhoff Dam, California
1977 Kelly Barnes Dam, Georgia
| 1977 Laurel and Sandy Run dams, Pennsylvania
1967 Clints River Fly Ash Dam, Virginia
1957 Crab Orchard Creek Dam, Virginia
1917 Tigra Dam Failure, India
1917 Mammoth Dam Failure, Utah
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4. Respond to the National Information Sharing Survey.
The FEMA National Dam Safety Program, Information Sharing Task Group is collecting the following information and requests ASDSO members' input. Please direct responses and inquiries to Alesia Za Gara, Outreach Process Partners - [email protected]. 1. Description of how your organization currently handles risk communications to outside entities.
2. Good examples of risk communications, aside from the typical inundation map.
3. Contact information for others who might have a good example or give a different point of view on this issue.
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For more ASDSO Training News, watch for ASDSO's Training & Education Newsletter, sent on the 15th of each month.
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Applications Available for ASDSO 2017-2018 Undergraduate Scholarships
ASDSO will award up to $10,000 in scholarships for the 2017/2018 school year. Recipients must be U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at the senior level during the 2017/2018 school year in an accredited civil engineering program, or in a related field as determined by ASDSO, and must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in hydraulics, hydrology, geotechnical disciplines, or in another discipline related to the design, construction, and operation of dams.
Undergraduate students planning to graduate in May/December 2018 will be eligible for the 2017 scholarship. The application deadline is March 31, 2017. Applications and further details are available here.
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Critical Infrastructure Threat Information Sharing Framework
The DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection has released the Critical Infrastructure Threat Information Sharing Framework: A Reference Guide for the Critical Infrastructure Community. The Framework is a resource for critical infrastructure owners and operators, as well as other private sector, Federal, and State, local, tribal and territorial government partners that share threat information. The purpose of the Framework is to describe current processes used to facilitate the flow of threat information between and among all entities involved in the critical infrastructure security and resilience mission, and provide an overview of the key threat information-sharing entities which facilitate this process. The intention is to help critical infrastructure owners and operators and other entities better understand where and how to participate in receiving and sharing threat information with information-sharing hubs.
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Now in the ASDSO Bookstore
 Key takeaways from this webinar include: - Historical background of dam removal in the United States.
- The steps involved in dam decommissioning.
- Differences between decommissioning a run-of-the dam and a storage dam.
- Criteria for sizing a dam breach opening.
- Reservoir sediment management approaches for dam decommissioning.
A compendium of technical papers presented at the 2016 ASDSO Annual Conference held September 11-15 in Philadelphia, PA. Contents.
Member Price: $54.00
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This month we have learned of the recent or impending retirements of the following ASDSO members. Congratulations and best wishes to all!
Bill Allerton is retiring January 3, 2017 from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he has served as Director, Division Dam Safety and Inspections, Office of Energy Projects since 2012. As administrator of the FERC dam safety program, Mr. Allerton has had oversight of a multi-disciplined staff of dam safety engineers responsible for the planning, design, construction and operation of the more than 2500 non-federal hydropower dams in the U.S. His extensive experience as a dam safety engineer includes previous positions as a Branch Chief and Deputy Director within the Division of Dam Safety and Inspections. He has served as a voting member of the International Niagara Board of Control and as FERC representative serving on the National Dam Safety Review Board and the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety. He has served as an advisor to ASDSO's Dam Failures and Incidents Committee and as a trainer for ASDSO's Dam Owner Education program. He is a member of ASDSO, the U.S. Society on Dams, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Bill Bingham retired on December 2 from Gannett Fleming, where he had served as Vice President/Director, Office of Federal Practice and National Practice Leader for Dams. In this position, he was responsible for guidance and oversight of the firm's services to federal agencies and for developing, coordinating, and overseeing services for governmental water resource agencies nationwide, as well as identifying and developing new technologies. During his 50-year career, he was involved on hundreds of dam construction and rehabilitation projects, dam safety inspections, and dam feasibility investigations and reports; and authored more than 20 technical papers and articles. His extraordinary contributions to ASDSO include serving on the Advisory and Peer Review committees, which he chaired, and on the current Strategic Planning Committee. He received ASDSO's 1991 National Award of Merit and 1994 President's Award, and was named an ASDSO Honorary Member in 2015. "Engineering News Record" named him as one of the top 25 newsmakers in the construction industry for 1996, and the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers selected him as their 2000 Engineer of the Year. Bill served on the National Dam Safety Review Board from 1998 to 2001, and is a Past-President (2001-2003) of the U.S. Society on Dams. He writes:
ASDSO truly is comprised of "the best dam people on earth" and you all are among the most remarkable group of professionals doing good for the nation. I shall miss all my friends, clients and coworkers who have supported me for so many years. My wish for each one of you is to enjoy your career as much as I have. I hope to stay active in ASDSO and hope to see many of you at the conferences in the years ahead.
Steve Bushman, Dam Safety Engineer for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, is retiring on December 23 after 27 years with the State of Vermont, including more than thirteen years in the Vermont Dam Safety program. Steve writes, "I appreciate all that ASDSO does to keep the nation's dams safe."
David Gutierrez is retiring from the California Division of Safety of Dams, where he has served as Chief since 2004. He has more than 36 years of civil engineering experience, specializing in dam and levee safety. He served as ASDSO's president in 2009-2010 and on the Board of Directors from 2005-2011. His many contributions to ASDSO include serving on the Annual Conference Program, Peer Review, Levee Safety, and Legislative Activities committees. As co-chair of the Legislative Activities Committee, he visited congressional and Office of Management and Budget staff in Washington DC to stress the importance of continued full funding of the National Dam Safety Program and the need for national dam rehabilitation funding and levee safety legislation. He has also served on the Dams Sector Security and Risk Mitigation for Critical Infrastructure Committee and on the National Dam Safety Review Board.
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The following individuals joined ASDSO in December:
Michael Bailey, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Craig Baxter, Golder Associates Inc., Denver, CO
Rick Echols, Bella Vista Village POA, Bella Vista, AR
Mike Ervin, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Aimer Garcia, New Jersey Water Supply Authority, Clinton, NJ
Ruth Haberman, Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District, Round Rock, TX
Steve Harvey, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Geo Hirst, Lake Las Vegas Marina, L.L.C., Henderson, NV
Kevin Holtsberry, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Luca Iuorio, Iuav, Milano, Italy
Sarah Malone, City of Lakeland, Lakeland, FL
Melissa Menerey, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Brock Miskimen, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Ray Petering, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Keith Riley, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs, CO
Eric Shafer, OH Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
Peter Shaffner, Shaffner Consulting, LLC, Evergreen, CO
Mark Skelton, City of Abbeville, Abbeville, SC
Chris Tschirhart, Upper Brushy Creek WCID, Round Rock, TX
Nicole Young, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver, CO
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Visit the ASDSO Career Center to learn about the positions listed below, view student resumes, and post career and internship opportunities.
Dam Safety and Wells Section Manager
Washington Department of Ecology
Lacey, WA
Post Date: Friday, December 16, 2016
Close Date: Monday, December 26, 2016
Senior Dam Safety Engineering Specialist - 505562
Tennessee Valley Authority
Knoxville or Chattanooga, TN
Post Date: Monday, December 12, 2016
Close Date: Thursday, January 12, 2017
Geotechnics Civil Engineer, C - 505563
Tennessee Valley Authority
Chattanooga, TN
Post Date: Monday, December 12, 2016
Close Date: Thursday, January 12, 2017
Safety of Dams/Roads Program Manager
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Ronan, MT
Post Date: Monday, December 12, 2016
Close Date: Thursday, January 12, 2017
Senior Structural Engineer
HDR
Folsom, CA
Post Date: Friday, December 9, 2016
Close Date: Monday, January 9, 2017
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
Shannon & Wilson, Inc.
Saint Louis, MO
Post Date: Friday, December 2, 2016
Close Date: Monday, January 2, 2017
Sr. Project Engineer
Brazos River Authority
Waco, TX
Post Date: Thursday, December 1, 2016
Close Date: Sunday, January 1, 2017
Water Resources Engineer #1655
Ayres Associates
Eau Claire, WI
Post Date: Thursday, December 1, 2016
Close Date: Sunday, January 1, 2017
Dam Safety Engineer (Engineer 6DCL)
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Baton Rouge, LA
Post Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Close Date: Thursday, December 22, 2016
GS 12/13 Civil Engineer, Multiple Positions
FERC/OEP/Division of Dam Safety and Inspections
New York, NY; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, Il; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA
Post Date: Monday, November 28, 2016
Close Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Intern-Student Trainee (Civil Engineer)
DOL - MSHA, Mine Waste and Geotechnical Engineering Division
Pittsburgh, PA
Post Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Close Date: Thursday, December 22, 2016
Attention Employers
View the latest resume posted on ASDSO's website:
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Partner News and Events
Interim Risk Reduction Measures and Rehabilitation, National Dam Safety Program Technical Seminar No. 24, will take place February 22-23, 2017 at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This free seminar is intended for dam safety professionals, bringing together inspectors, designers, consultants, owners, contractors and regulators for two days of presentations and discussions. Application deadline: January 6, 2017. E0431 Understanding the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) will be held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland on May 8-11, 2017. This course enables emergency management personnel and response and recovery personnel from all political jurisdictions to more effectively understand, activate, implement, and use the EMAC system.
38th Annual Short Course - Grouting Fundamentals and Current Practice will be held May 15-19, 2017 at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 1979 the Grouting Fundamentals and Current Practice course has covered pressure grouting as a method to improve geotechnical characteristics of soils and rock masses, with special focus on mechanisms, theories, and practical applications of grouting to ground densification and strengthening, permeability reduction, and groundwater cutoffs.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 28th Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams International Technical Seminar and Study Tour will be held June 5-14, 2017. The technical session will take place in Denver, Colorado, at the Denver Federal Center, June 5-8 and will consist primarily of classroom presentations and discussions. The post session study tour begins June 9, with a tour of Rocky Mountain National Park, followed by a visit to Park City, Utah and site visits to Starvation, Upper Stillwater, Jordanelle, Echo and East Canyon dams. The seminar with conclude June 13-14 with a VIP tour of Hoover Dam and a close-out luncheon.
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This newsletter is written and distributed by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, 239 S. Limestone St., Lexington, KY 40508. Contact ASDSO by phone (859.550.2788; toll-free: 855.228.9732), fax (859.550.2795), or email ( [email protected]). ASDSO 2016-2017 Board of Directors: Dusty Myers (President) - MS; Jon Garton (President-Elect) - IA; Roger Adams (Treasurer) - PA; Hal Van Aller (Secretary) - MD; Jim Pawloski (Past President) - MI; Trevor Timberlake - AR; Bill McCormick - CO; Ann Kuzyk - CT; Tom Woosley - GA; Ken Smith - IN; Charles Thompson - NM; Alon Dominitz - NY; Brad Cole - NC; Yohanes Sugeng - OK; Nathan Graves - WY. Advisory Committee Representative: Paul Schweiger - Gannett Fleming
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