Committee hears $375,000 pilot to develop emergency plans for two high‑hazard dams
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Summary
Legislative Council staff described a pilot to create emergency operations plans for two state‑owned high‑hazard dams and proposed a $375,000 general‑fund appropriation (Vermont Emergency Management $250,000; DEC $125,000) to prepare EOP templates and a report due July 1, 2028.
Legislative Council staff on Feb. 27 briefed the House Appropriations Committee on a dam‑safety bill that would fund a pilot to create emergency operations plans (EOPs) for municipalities in inundation zones of two state‑owned high‑hazard dams.
Michael Grady of the Legislative Council described the regulatory landscape and the pilot's goals. "There are 74 high hazard dams in the state," Grady said, noting that a high‑hazard classification means a dam failure would likely cause loss of life. He told members that dam owners must complete an emergency action plan (EAP) identifying likely inundation areas and that municipalities in those zones must develop EOPs identifying evacuation routes, shelters and critical response roles.
The pilot would select two state‑owned dams to produce municipal EOPs: one with a population‑at‑risk of about 1,000 or more and another with a smaller population‑at‑risk (between roughly 100 and 1,000). Grady said the division of emergency management, in coordination with DEC, could hire contractors or regional planning commissions to complete the EOPs, consult stakeholders, and prepare a report to the General Assembly by July 1, 2028 that includes the EOPs, early‑warning recommendations, cost summaries and recommendations for scaling statewide.
On funding, Grady said Vermont Emergency Management estimates $250,000 for the pilot and DEC requested $125,000 for its role, a combined request of $375,000 from the general fund. A Joint Fiscal Office presenter described this as a relatively small, one‑time appropriation and noted options for where that money could be placed.
Members asked whether municipalities or the state should be responsible for producing EOPs for the full set of 74 high‑hazard dams, how liability would be allocated in a failure, and whether the pilot's templates could affect insurance or FEMA assessments. Grady said the pilot would address costs, prioritization, geotagging options and whether the state might complete EOPs for higher‑risk dams by a target year such as 2035.
No amendments were offered and the committee did not vote on the measure that day. Members expressed broad support for proceeding to develop better municipal emergency planning but asked staff to return with more detailed cost and implementation options.