ASDSO Resolution : Support for Establishment of a National Levee Safety Program

Association of State Dam Safety Officials Board of Directors and State Representatives Resolution Number 1-2006
WHEREAS, levee failures following Hurricane Katrina caused loss of life and property damage, and
WHEREAS, levees and dams share many aspects of design, construction, inspection, maintenance, hazard potential, emergency action planning, and security, and
WHEREAS, both levee safety and dam safety programs are critical to public safety and protection of the environment; and
WHEREAS, due to the potential damage posed by levees nationwide, the U. S. Congress is considering legislation (H. R. 4650) to conduct an inventory and assessment of levees, and to establish a national levee safety program administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and
WHEREAS, this national program establishes an incentive program for states to administer levee regulatory programs, and
WHEREAS, if state dam safety programs are tasked with the additional responsibility for levee safety, many states will require additional resources to administer effective levee and dam safety programs,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Directors and the State Representatives of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, meeting on June 7, 2006, that the Association of State Dam Safety Officials supports passage of H. R. 4650 and the establishment of a National Levee Safety Program, which will enhance the efforts of the states to improve the conditions of levees that protect lives and property. This support is given provided that the proposed program contains levee safety focused funding provisions, is not an unfunded mandate from the federal government, and does not propose redirecting the existing limited federal and state resources dedicated to the safety of dams. Additionally, the support is given provided that the system used to classify the hazard potential of a levee is similar to the current system used to classify the hazard potential of a dam.

Kenneth E. Smith, President
June 2, 2006