Work Session: Flooding Catastrophes Could be Avoided With Bill Change

April 17, 2007

Augusta—The Natural Resources Committee, Wednesday, will hold a work session on a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Libby Mitchell, D-Kennebec County, which would give the Maine Emergency Management Agency the authority to determine water levels based on flood risk. This would mean that during the times of the year when there is flood danger – usually in the spring – MEMA could make the decision to release water from flood dams based on the flood risk downstream.

Residents of Central Maine along the Kennebec River recently recognized the 20th anniversary of the 1987 flood, which devastated towns all along the Kennebec River, including the city of Augusta.

Currently, flood control is not a consideration for the Bureau of Environmental protection’s decisions on maintaining the water level behind dams.

Who: Senate Majority Libby Mitchell

What: Work Session: LD 1219, An Act To Control Flooding

When: Wednesday, April 18th @ 9:00 a.m.

Where: Natural Resources Committee

More info about the bill available online at: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280023922

Listen the hearing online at: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/audio/naturalrescmte.html