AL
Alabama Senate Bill SB39

Alabama 2024 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB39 Compare Versions

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55 By Senator Chambliss
66 RFD: State Governmental Affairs
77 First Read: 06-Feb-24
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1414 First Read: 06-Feb-24
1515 A BILL
1616 TO BE ENTITLED
1717 AN ACT
1818 Relating to dam safety; to amend Sections 2, 3, and 5
1919 of Act 2023-414, 2023 Regular Session, now appearing as
2020 Sections 33-7-71, 33-7-72, and 33-7-74, Code of Alabama 1975,
2121 to provide safety procedures for state-owned dams and
2222 reservoirs whose owners have elected to be subject to these
2323 procedures.
2424 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
2525 Section 1. Sections 2, 3, and 5 of Act 2024-414, 2023
2626 Regular Session, now appearing as Sections 33-7-71, 33-7-72,
2727 and 33-7-74, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as
2828 follows:
2929 "§33-7-71
3030 For the purposes of this article, the following terms
3131 have the following meanings:
3232 (1) ABANDON or ABANDONMENT. To render a dam
3333 non-impounding by dewatering and filling the reservoir created
3434 by the dam with solid materials, by diverting the natural
3535 drainway around the site, or by removing a portion of a the
3636 dam to allow drainage to occur the same, or nearly the same,
3737 as before the construction of the dam.
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6767 as before the construction of the dam.
6868 (2) ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES. Negative impacts that may
6969 occur upstream, downstream, or at locations remote from the
7070 dam. The primary concerns are loss of human life, disruption
7171 of public infrastructure, environmental impact, and economic
7272 loss, including property damage.
7373 (3) ALTERATIONS or REPAIRS. Alterations or repairs to
7474 an existing dam and appurtenant structures works that affect
7575 the safety of the dam or reservoir.
7676 (4) APPURTENANT WORKS. The structures or machinery
7777 incident or annexed to a dam whose purpose is to operate,
7878 assist, and maintain a dam. The term includes spillways,
7979 either in the dam or separate therefrom, the reservoir and its
8080 rim, low level outlet works, and water conduits, including
8181 tunnels, pipelines, or penstocks, either through the dam or
8282 its abutments.
8383 (5) BREACH. Partial removal of a dam, creating a
8484 channel through the dam to the original stream bottom
8585 elevation.
8686 (6) DAM.
8787 a. An artificial barrier, including appurtenant works,
8888 with the ability to impound water, wastewater, or liquid-borne
8989 materials and to which either of the following apply:
9090 1. Is 25 feet or more in height from the natural bed of
9191 the stream or watercourse measured at the downstream toe of
9292 the barrier, or from the lowest elevation of the outside limit
9393 of the barrier, if it is not across a stream channel or
9494 watercourse, to the maximum water storage elevation.
9595 2. Has an impounding capacity at maximum water storage
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125125 2. Has an impounding capacity at maximum water storage
126126 elevation of 50 acre feet or more.
127127 b. The term includes a fill or structure for highway or
128128 railroad use or for any other purpose which impounds water.
129129 c. This definition does not apply to any barrier not in
130130 excess of six feet in height regardless of storage capacity or
131131 which has a storage capacity at maximum water storage
132132 elevation not greater than 15 acre feet regardless of height,
133133 unless the barrier, due to its location or other physical
134134 characteristics, is classified as a high hazard potential dam.
135135 d. This definition does not apply to any dam subject to
136136 the jurisdiction of any other state or federal agency.
137137 e. The term does not include any obstruction in a canal
138138 used to raise or lower water.
139139 f. This term does not include privately owned dams,
140140 regardless of the hazard designation, unless the owner has
141141 voluntarily elected to participate in the program in
142142 accordance with this article.
143143 (7) DAYS. In establishing deadlines, means all calendar
144144 days, including Sundays and holidays.
145145 (8) EMERGENCY. Includes all All conditions leading to
146146 or causing a breach, overtopping, or any other condition of a
147147 dam and its appurtenant structures works that may be construed
148148 as unsafe or threatening to life or property.
149149 (9) EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN. A plan that identifies the
150150 area that would likely be inundated by the failure of a dam
151151 and the actions that should be taken in the event of a failure
152152 or threatening condition at the dam.
153153 (10) ENGINEER. An engineer who has a background in
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183183 (10) ENGINEER. An engineer who has a background in
184184 civil engineering and who satisfies all of the following :
185185 a. Is a licensed professional engineer.
186186 b. Is competent in areas related to dam investigation,
187187 design, construction, and operation for the type of dam being
188188 investigated, designed, constructed, or operated.
189189 c. Has relevant experience in areas such as
190190 investigation, design, construction, reconstruction,
191191 enlargement, repair, alteration, maintenance, operation,
192192 breach, removal, or abandonment of dams.
193193 d. Understands adverse dam incidents, failures, and the
194194 potential causes and consequences of failures.
195195 e. Continues with necessary training and continuing
196196 education to keep abreast of the state of the practice in dam
197197 safety engineering.
198198 (11) ENLARGEMENT. Any change in or addition to an
199199 existing dam or reservoir that raises or may raise the water
200200 storage elevation of the water impounded by the dam.
201201 (12) HAZARD POTENTIAL. The possible incremental adverse
202202 incremental consequences that result from the release of water
203203 or stored contents due to failure of the dam or misoperation
204204 of the dam or appurtenances appurtenant works . The hazard
205205 potential classification of a dam does not reflect in any way
206206 on the current condition of the dam and its appurtenant
207207 structures works, including safety, structural integrity, or
208208 flood routing capacity.
209209 (13) HIGH HAZARD POTENTIAL DAM. A dam assigned the high
210210 hazard potential classification where the dam's failure or
211211 misoperation will likely cause loss of human life.
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241241 misoperation will likely cause loss of human life.
242242 (14) LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. The local
243243 emergency management organization that has jurisdiction over
244244 the area in which a dam or reservoir is located.
245245 (15) LOW HAZARD POTENTIAL DAM. A dam assigned the low
246246 hazard potential classification where failure or misoperation
247247 results in no probable loss of human life and low economic or
248248 environmental losses with those economic losses that do occur
249249 being principally limited to the owner's property.
250250 (16) PARTICIPATING OWNER. Any of the following that
251251 elect to be included in this definition by written affidavit
252252 delivered to the local emergency management agency:
253253 a. Any municipal or quasi-municipal corporation.
254254 b. Any county or quasi-county corporation.
255255 c. Any public utility.
256256 d. Any district as defined by Section 11-99A-2.
257257 e. Any person.
258258 f. The duly authorized agent, lessee, or trustee of any
259259 entity described in paragraphs a. through e.
260260 g. Receivers or trustees appointed by any court for any
261261 entity described in paragraphs a. through e.
262262 h. This state and any department, board, commission,
263263 institution, or agency thereof that voluntarily elects to be
264264 subject to this article.
265265 (17) PERSON. Any individual, bankruptcy trustee, firm,
266266 association, organization, partnership, business trust,
267267 corporation, limited liability corporation, limited liability
268268 partnership, or company.
269269 (18) PROBABLE. More likely than not to occur;
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299299 (18) PROBABLE. More likely than not to occur;
300300 reasonably expected; realistic.
301301 (19) RECONSTRUCTION. Removal and replacement of an
302302 existing dam or a portion thereof.
303303 (20) REMOVAL. Complete elimination of the dam
304304 embankment or structure to restore the approximate original
305305 topographic contours of the valley.
306306 (21) RESERVOIR. Any area that contains or will contain
307307 impounded water, wastewater, or liquid-borne materials by
308308 virtue of its having been impounded by a dam. This term does
309309 not include privately owned reservoirs, regardless of the
310310 hazard designation, unless the owner has elected to
311311 participate in the program in accordance with this article.
312312 (22) SIGNIFICANT HAZARD POTENTIAL DAM. A dam assigned
313313 the significant hazard potential classification where failure
314314 or misoperation results in no probable loss of human life but
315315 can result in major economic loss, environmental damage,
316316 disruption of lifeline facilities, or other issues impacting
317317 public safety and welfare.
318318 (23) STATE-OWNED DAM OR RESERVOIR. Any dam or reservoir
319319 that is owned by this state or a department, board,
320320 commission, institution, or agency thereof.
321321 (23)(24) WATER STORAGE ELEVATION. The maximum elevation
322322 of water surface which can be obtained by the dam or
323323 reservoir."
324324 "§33-7-72
325325 (a) A participating owner shall ensure plans and
326326 specifications for initial construction, reconstruction,
327327 enlargement, alteration, repair, operation, breach,
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357357 enlargement, alteration, repair, operation, breach,
358358 abandonment, or removal of dams and reservoirs, and the
359359 supervision of the construction of dams and reservoirs shall
360360 be in the charge of an engineer and assisted by qualified
361361 geologists and other specialists as necessary.
362362 (b) A participating owner of any dam or reservoir shall
363363 ensure the dam or reservoir is inspected a minimum of once
364364 every two four years by an engineer. The engineer shall
365365 certify to the local emergency management agency that the
366366 inspection has been completed and deliver a record of the
367367 inspection to the owner.
368368 (c) A participating owner shall notify the local
369369 emergency management agency in writing of the construction or
370370 the enlargement of any dam or reservoir. Plans and
371371 specifications shall be signed and sealed by the design
372372 engineer.
373373 (d) Upon the transfer of ownership of any dam or
374374 reservoir, the current participating owner shall notify the
375375 local emergency management agency. The subsequent owner may
376376 elect to continue participating in the inspection program but
377377 may also elect to cease participation with no penalty.
378378 (e) A participating owner of a state-owned dam or
379379 reservoir shall submit a written affidavit to the local
380380 emergency management agency for each state-owned dam or
381381 reservoir elected to be subject to this article.
382382 (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
383383 article, a state-owned dam or reservoir that is subject to
384384 this article shall be inspected a minimum of once every four
385385 years by an engineer, so long as sufficient funds have been
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415415 years by an engineer, so long as sufficient funds have been
416416 appropriated by the Legislature to, or sufficient relevant
417417 grant funds have been obtained by, the participating owner of
418418 the state-owned dam or reservoir. The engineer shall certify
419419 to the local emergency management agency that the inspection
420420 has been completed and deliver a record of the inspection to
421421 the owner."
422422 "§33-7-74
423423 (a) The local emergency management agency has neither
424424 inspection nor regulatory duty or responsibility.
425425 (b) Records pertaining to dams and reservoirs kept by
426426 and in the possession of the local emergency management agency
427427 shall not be public documents.
428428 (c) Nothing in this article shall be construed to
429429 relieve a participating owner or operator of a dam or
430430 reservoir of the legal duties, obligations, or liabilities , or
431431 to waive any immunity, incident to the ownership or operation
432432 of the dam or reservoir."
433433 Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
434434 1, 2024.
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455455 1, 2024.
456-________________________________________________
457-President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
458-________________________________________________
459-Speaker of the House of Representatives
460-SB39
461-Senate 08-Feb-24
462-I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
463-the Senate, as amended.
456+Senate
457+Read for the first time and referred
458+to the Senate committee on State
459+Governmental Affairs
460+................06-Feb-24
461+Read for the second time and placed
462+on the calendar:
463+ 1 amendment
464+................07-Feb-24
465+Read for the third time and passed
466+as amended
467+Yeas 32
468+Nays 0
469+Abstains 1
470+................08-Feb-24
464471 Patrick Harris,
465472 Secretary.
466-House of Representatives
467-Passed: 20-Feb-24
468-By: Senator Chambliss
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