Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA

Media Release

CONTACT: Patty Gambarini, Senior Environmental Planner, (413) 781-6045


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2011

Title Research Completed by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission on Five Dams in Hampshire and Hampden Counties

Through a collective purchasing arrangement, title research has been completed to identify owners at five dams in Hampden and Hampshire counties. The title research conducted by a local attorney for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), funded under the state’s District Local Technical Assistance Program, has resulted in important cost savings for the Towns of Huntington, Monson, and Ware, one of which had reportedly been paying for the required Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety inspections at two dams.

Dam safety regulations currently being enforced by the Commonwealth significantly increase the responsibilities of dam owners to register, inspect, and to maintain dams to be in good operating condition. These requirements have resulted in significant financial burdens that are especially difficult where dams no longer provide a useful function, such as water supply or power generation.  Towns participating in the title research were especially interested in clarifying ownership where they had doubts about state records that indicated the town as owner. The Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety is currently in the process of reviewing the documentation from PVPC’s title research project.