AUGUSTA - Gov. Janet Mills recently signed into law a bill introduced by Rep. Art Bell, D-Yarmouth, that will review the safety of Maine's dams.
As amended, LD 1488 will require the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to conduct a peer-reviewed study of the states dams by September 30, 2023, including an assessment of the hazard potential and classification of each dam, the potential risk of dam failure to downstream communities and public resources, dam resiliency and the efficacy of the state's dam safety efforts. In the supplemental budget, the Legislature provided $20,000 in funding toward the initiative.
"Protecting our dams is of the utmost importance," said Bell. "We need to be proactive in anticipating potential failures in our dams that could affect the people of Maine and our natural resources and wildlife."
The legislation will go into effect August 8, 2022.
Bell is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives and represents District 47, which includes Chebeague Island, Long Island and Yarmouth. He serves on the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Bell], c. 812-1111