BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Maloney) for offering this motion to instruct and for his leadership on this most vital issue for the safety of the American people. I also want to commend the full committee chairman, Mr. Shuster, the ranking member of our subcommittee, Mr. Bishop, and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Gibbs, for their tremendous work on the underlying bill and for getting this to the point at which we are today.
Madam Speaker, I am in strong support of the motion to instruct. This motion directs the conferees to recede to the Senate provision that includes the Dam Safety Act of 2013, which reauthorizes the Dam Safety program at reasonable levels.
The Dam Safety program is about protecting lives. It is a critical program that provides much-needed education, training, and assistance to State dam safety officials. Dams protect our people, our homes, and our businesses from flooding. They provide essential drinking water, power to homes and businesses, critical irrigation for our Nation's food supply, and recreational opportunities for our citizens. West Virginians understand the importance of dams, the role they play in our daily lives, and the critical need to keep them safe.
In 1972, a dam failure occurred at Buffalo Creek, West Virginia, claiming 125 lives and injuring 1,000 more, destroying over 500 homes and causing more than $400 million in property damage. While this incident occurred more than 40 years ago, West Virginians still
remember the devastation caused by the dam failure and continue to mourn that loss of life. Out of this tragedy, Congress passed and created the National Inventory of Dams, which led to the National Dam Safety Program that this motion urges us to reauthorize today.
Today, West Virginia has more than 600 dams included in the Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams. Two-thirds of these dams are considered high-hazard dams, meaning that dam failure would result in loss of life and do serious damage to homes, businesses, public utilities, or highways. Moreover, 110 of these high-hazard dams do not have an emergency action plan, putting the lives of West Virginia citizens at greater risk. This motion to instruct will ensure that the program and investment are in place to help States and other dam owners inspect their dams and develop the emergency action plans that are necessary to ensure the continued safety of our citizens.
Across the country, almost one-third of the Nation's 87,000 dams pose a high or a significant hazard to life and property if failure occurs, and these dams consistently receive failing grades from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This year is no different. The 2013 Engineers report card gives our dams a ``D.'' Let me repeat that--a ``D.'' Madam Speaker, it is critical that Congress reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program and ensure the safety of our citizens.
I, again, commend the gentleman from New York, Sean Patrick Maloney, and I urge my colleagues to join him in supporting the motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 3080.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT