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2010 SESSION


CHAPTER 249
An Act to amend and reenact § 10.1-605 of the Code of Virginia, relating to dam safety.
[S 276]
Approved April 8, 2010

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 10.1-605 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 10.1-605. Promulgation of regulations by the Board.

A. The Board shall promulgate regulations to ensure that impounding structures in the Commonwealth are properly and safely constructed, maintained and operated. Dam safety regulations promulgated by the State Water Control Board shall remain in full force until amended in accordance with applicable procedures.

B. The Board’s Impounding Structure Regulations shall not require any impounding structure in existence or under a construction permit prior to July 1, 2010, that is currently classified as high hazard, or is subsequently found to be high hazard through reclassification, to upgrade its spillway to pass a rainfall event greater than the maximum recorded within the Commonwealth, which shall be deemed to be 90 percent of the probable maximum precipitation.

Additionally, such an impounding structure shall be determined to be in compliance with the spillway requirements of the regulations provided that (i) the impounding structure will pass two-thirds of the reduced probable maximum precipitation requirement described in this subsection and (ii) the dam owner certifies annually that such impounding structure meets each of the following conditions:

1. The owner has a current emergency action plan that is approved by the Board and that is developed and updated in accordance with the regulations;

2. The owner has exercised the emergency action plan in accordance with the regulations and conducts a table-top exercise at least once every two years;

3. The Department has verification that both the local organization for emergency management and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management have on file current emergency action plans and updates for the impounding structure;

4. That conditions at the impounding structure are monitored on a daily basis and as dictated by the emergency action plan;

5. The impounding structure is inspected at least annually by a professional engineer and all observed deficiencies are addressed within 120 days of such inspection;

6. The owner has a dam break inundation zone map developed in accordance with the regulations that is acceptable to the Department;

7. The owner is insured in an amount that will substantially cover the costs of downstream property losses to others that may result from a dam failure; and

8. The owner shall post the dam's emergency action plan on his website, or upon the request of the owner, the Department or another state agency responsible for providing emergency management services to citizens agrees to post the plan on its website. If the Department or another state agency agrees to post the plan on its website, the owner shall provide the plan in a format suitable for posting.

A dam owner who meets the conditions of subdivisions 1 through 8, but has not provided record drawings to the Department for his impounding structure, shall submit a complete record report developed in accordance with the construction permit requirements of the Impounding Structure Regulations, excluding the required submittal of the record drawings.

2. That the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board may amend its Impounding Structure Regulations to conform with the provisions of this act through a regulatory process that is exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia.

3. That an emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.