Law provides $17M for dam removal

A bill signed into law by the governor on Jan. 10 will provide $17 million to municipalities to repair or remove unsafe dams and coastal infrastructure and enhance reporting and enforcement authority.

The legislation calls for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to draft regulations and criteria for the distribution of the funding, which is expected to be available within the year.

Approximately 3,000 dams in Massachusetts, most of which are in poor condition, pose a threat to public safety and can dramatically affect aquatic health by blocking fish passage, slowing stream flow, raising the temperature of the water, and holding back contaminants, according to the Division of Ecological Restoration.

State officials estimate that 85 percent of the state’s dams no longer serve their original purpose. Removing unsafe and obsolete dams rids their owners of liability, insurance and maintenance costs, while reducing risks to public safety from flooding and enabling freshwater wildlife and plants to thrive.

At the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting in 2012, members unanimously supported a resolution that, among other things, called on the state to enact a dam removal and repair bill.

In addition to the MMA, the Massachusetts Dam Safety Alliance included the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, the Boston Society for Civil Engineers, the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, Mass Audubon, the Massachusetts Organization of Scientists and Engineers, the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, and the Massachusetts Water Works Association.