Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA

Media Release

CONTACT: Patty Gambarini, PVPC Environmental Planning Specialist (413) 781-6045


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2009

PVPC Investigating Need for Regional Services for Dams

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working to develop a program for dams that will offer specific services to municipalities throughout the region and help them comply with state regulations.

To determine what services would be of most use to municipalities at specific dams, PVPC distributed a survey last month to city and town officials, and is now following up with telephone calls. The survey asks respondents for updates on the status of each dam within their municipalities, a list of which dams of are most concern to them from a public safety standpoint, and what services would be of most use. 

With information from the survey, PVPC will develop a priority list of dams and develop a package of services for which regional requests for proposals will be developed. Services that could be regionalized include Phase 1 dam safety inspections, ownership research in cases where dam ownership is not clear, and site reconnaissance surveys and public outreach to determine possible future options for dams that are in poor repair and that present a threat to public safety. 

State regulations currently being enforced significantly increase the responsibilities of dam owners to register, inspect, and maintain dams in good operating condition. These requirements have brought with them increased financial burdens that are especially difficult when dams no longer provide a useful function, such as water supply or power generation.