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Vermont officials outline delays to dam safety technical rules, point to staffing and funding gaps
Summary
Agency of Natural Resources officials told the Natural Resources & Energy committee that technical dam-safety rules required by Act 161 are delayed because of limited staff capacity, ongoing flood response, and the need for stakeholder engagement; a $4 million revolving loan fund exists but full operating rules are still months away.
Secretary Sabrina Moore told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on April 3 that technical dam-safety rules tied to Act 161 are running behind schedule as staff wrestle with recent flood response and limited hiring capacity. "Act 161 was passed in 2018, and it really was intended to address gaps in what at that time, were the dam safety regulations," Moore said.
Moore said the department is balancing several priorities, including inspections after flooding in 2023 and 2024, multiple dam failures and emergency repairs, and large rehabilitation projects such as the Waterbury Reservoir job, which she estimated could cost between "$70 and $90,000,000" and could proceed to construction as soon as 2027. Moore said ANR also expects a Dam and Dike Study for Green River Reservoir to be finished later this year.
The Flood Safety Act…
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