[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6361426,"mediaKeyId","2170667-4b5b8b708081886f2417d1cb980ef583","parentId",2170667,"title","DEC dam safety chief outlines staffing, post‑flood repairs and $80–90 million Waterbury spillway project","audioSeconds",668,"startMs",2644000,"endMs",3312000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170667-4b5b8b708081886f2417d1cb980ef583&start=2644&end=3312","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170667-4b5b8b708081886f2417d1cb980ef583/thumbnail_2644000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6361426/Vermont/DEC-dam-safety-chief-outlines-staffing-postflood-repairs-and-8090-million-Waterbury-spillway-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361426-ce1cc3e16b706e4f3fe26154e81d5d2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774938264&Signature=CmMBXdkYutMbZaVP4nuzoAOeYQmixHH0ffcnVElRI3L5PI9ycaB2h3Z1xFjDUeztr1U~XmKNl-SnNcg1a6HGTnXIRE~uDvp5JmpeBsQTr5JZrTyfCBMNCyv-CLOsxpEktoOBbFIIY9qzdPfIcTwL5jF0VVFmz0dWxFbvXJNJGUf3c9leceml8m8S3Cf07TdRZnJoAps1uZu4obPcUbEPTNYltI~Y-zJMGRPcE-3DcPaOVPg1r8KFP5lrjIch~Xa8SDipAO3oEgZ3u-k112r73EwxZnkMfxDG9Rf812WUCBH3CLPiamzpcHkP0eQKA7yrf47kQs0oRpfPeqT9Z9AOVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","VT Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy","date","2025-01-30T14:02:33Z","article","Ben Green, section chief of the Dam Safety Program in the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, briefed the Natural Resources & Energy committee on the state’s dam inventory, recent storm damage, staffing increases and several large projects, including a planned reconstruction of the Waterbury Dam spillway.

The briefing is significant because more frequent high water events have increased demands on dam infrastructure and emergency planning; the committee discussed resources, inventories and regulatory work needed to reduce public safety and infrastructure risk.

Green said DEC regulates non‑hydropower, non‑federal dams in Vermont and currently staffs five people in the dam safety unit; the agency has four new positions authorized under recent legislation that will bring staffing to nine once filled. He described the program’s responsibilities as dam regulation and ownership and said Vermont was the first state to enact a dam safety law (following the 1936 New England failures cited during his history overview).

Green provided counts used in DEC’s inventory: about 49 high‑hazard, 134 significant‑hazard, 248 low‑hazard and 561 minimal‑hazard dams under DEC regulation (about 992 total); the Public Utility Commission regulates roughly 21 hydropower dams built before 1935, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates about 82 hydroelectric facilities, and about 26 dams are federally owned. He said DEC maintains a public, web‑based dam inventory and has posted inspection reports, emergency action plans and photographs where available.

Storms in 2023 and 2024 intensified DEC activity. Green said the agency inspected roughly 30 dams in a north‑country zone after a July 2024 storm that dropped heavy rainfall in that area; some dams overtopped and some experienced erosion, though the agency recorded no complete failures. He cited Nois Pond Dam (a DEC‑owned facility) as an example that overtopped and suffered embankment erosion; DEC made temporary repairs and had a comprehensive assessment and final design under way.

On staffing and funding, Green said Act 121 and other post‑flood legislation authorized additional positions and new obligations, including public posting of inspection reports and participation in an emergency operations committee. He told the committee DEC has posted inspection reports to the public inventory and is establishing an emergency operations committee to help smaller municipalities coordinate responses for dam incidents.

A major capital project identified is a comprehensive Waterbury Dam spillway reconstruction estimated at $80–90 million, to be carried out with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Green said the project will require a prolonged drawdown of 30–60 feet for a multi‑year period, replacement and repair of flood gates and spillway concrete, and construction of a vehicle bridge to replace an industrial bridge. The Corps published an environmental assessment, and DEC plans design work to start later in 2025.

Green said DEC is developing rules to implement a new $4 million revolving loan fund to support emergency and nonemergency dam repairs and removal, with proposed risk‑based prioritization so projects that reduce the greatest public safety risk receive priority. He said the fund can be used for construction, permitting and design work and may support removals where removal is the most effective risk‑reduction option.

Committee members asked about insurance availability for private dam owners, the interaction of development downstream with hazard classification, and whether FEMA or federal grant windows might help with urgent repairs. Green said private owners often have difficulty obtaining insurance, that hazard‑potential classifications are based on downstream consequences (not on dam condition) and that DEC conducts risk assessments and ranking to prioritize limited funds.

Ending: The committee discussed next steps for rulemaking and the loan fund; Green said DEC will continue technical work, complete ongoing engineering assessments and pursue funding opportunities for high‑priority repairs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Natural Resources and Energy-2025-01-30-9:00AM","oneSentenceSummary","Ben Green, section chief of Vermont's dam safety program, updated the Natural Resources & Energy committee on staffing increases, recent storm impacts, public inventory publishing, an emergency action plan effort and a major reconstruction plan for Waterbury Dam.","taxTitle","Natural Resources & Energy, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",48480,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6361431,"Vermont DEC outlines how extended producer responsibility programs work and limits of state role",1456,60000,1516000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170667-4b5b8b708081886f2417d1cb980ef583&start=60&end=1516","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170667-4b5b8b708081886f2417d1cb980ef583/thumbnail_60000.jpg","/articles/6361431/Vermont/Vermont-DEC-outlines-how-extended-producer-responsibility-programs-work-and-limits-of-state-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361431-e0375e9da07dccebbe193ecf44dfeec4/orig.mp4?Expires=1774938264&Signature=nHHcsX2MIWHXajotDz5RIK5~GZQ9nvnBdl8ec--FnHjvSlTxcLW1jp1WYxxndZ1vUTxtEzSiRrG1~yN~qwl5MjNt72OCqSZq0cFf8gaZn1dSaZ5MTIlQdzLeBe3aoQuWQMDGDrG0zsP~RxfgfRmKmsmseKAWcxmfFDEfgV6Dqf2Du2BScX48EdRn6l0NSYm7yNLsp4018gVVCo-32TUihQeV9ScI9lYW4uRqQB7wzacKwvOxDrfQvRXZS9ow0cP3JFQraVbMzNIfX4220GnpQJeGH-a3mmNwT~HTqfLBnuE0Ybm~AeP1r~4kNqjkpydQX-7zfYv~-zjJajmCMRifWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matt Chapman, director of the Waste Management and Prevention Division at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, told the Natural Resources & Energy committee on Thursday that extended producer responsibility, or EPR, programs shift end‑of‑life financial and operational responsibility for hard‑to‑manage products “onto the person who made it in the first place.” Chapman briefed lawmakers on existing state programs and how they are run.

The discussion matters because EPR programs reduce municipal disposal burdens for products such as electronics, paint and batteries and can change who pays for disposal and how manufacturers participate. The committee heard details about program design choices that affect convenience, cost and enforcement.

Chapman said Vermont currently has five active EPR programs covering electronics, mercury thermostats, paint, mercury‑containing light bulbs and batteries. He described three broad program models: manufacturer‑run stewardship organizations (often established as nonprofits), a state‑administered model used for electronic waste, and advanced consumer fee models (a fee paid at the time of purchase, used for paint). On the stewardship model, Chapman said manufacturers “create a collection network, fund that collection network, [and] manage the transportation” of materials after collection.

On thermostats, Chapman said the state has run a thermostat stewardship program since about 2010 that pays a $5 bounty to collectors when they turn in mercury thermostats for recycling. He said collections typically occur at municipal transfer stations and at some retail outlets. On mercury‑containing lamps, which the state began covering in 2012, Chapman noted those items are hazardous waste and require special handling; manufacturers administer that collection system and municipalities and retailers serve as drop‑off points.

Electronic waste was described as a different model: manufacturers did not agree to a unified stewardship program before the law was enacted, Chapman said, so the state contracts and administers collection, transport and recycling and bills manufacturers based on national sales. He said manufacturers may file an “opt‑out plan” to operate independently but must meet the same service level; that option has been used only rarely.

Paint is run through a nonprofit called PaintCare and is financed by a fee charged at purchase; Chapman described paint as “EPR adjacent” because consumers do not receive a refund when they return leftover paint but disposal is free at the point of return. He said PaintCare covers the cost of collection and management for leftover paint and that some latex paint is recycled and resold in limited circumstances.

The battery program began with alkaline battery coverage in 2015 and was recently expanded to require manufacturers of rechargeable consumer batteries to participate. Chapman said the program covers primary (single‑use) batteries and small rechargeable batteries commonly found in consumer devices; automotive and large industrial batteries are not included under the current law.

Committee members asked how the state enforces manufacturer participation. Chapman said DEC has traditional enforcement authority and a practical “hammer”: the agency can bar retailers that do not participate from selling regulated products in Vermont. He said performance standards are set for each program and that municipalities and solid‑waste management entities remain important local partners for collection and outreach.

On costs, Chapman said EPRs move the direct cost of managing waste streams from municipal property taxpayers to product manufacturers and that the marketplace means costs are often spread regionally or nationally rather than borne uniquely by Vermonters. He told the committee that manufacturers are incentivized by EPR to redesign products to be less toxic and easier to manage at end of life.

Chapman concluded by urging caution about starting large new EPR programs — especially for packaging or printed materials — while the agency is still implementing recently enacted programs. He said DEC staff will provide the committee with proposed technical corrections to the household hazardous waste stewardship law and are available to brief lawmakers on program details.

Ending: Committee members thanked Chapman and discussed follow‑up; Chapman said he would provide an updated set of statutory changes to the committee chair and that DEC staff are available to assist with stakeholder outreach and technical work as the legislature considers adjustments or new programs.","Department of Environmental Conservation officials briefed the Natural Resources & Energy committee on existing extended producer responsibility programs in Vermont, describing program types, enforcement tools and recent expansions such as rechargeable battery coverage.","actionData","errors"]

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DEC dam safety chief outlines staffing, post‑flood repairs and $80–90 million Waterbury spillway project

Vermont DEC outlines how extended producer responsibility programs work and limits of state role