Bill > S614

This bill revises dam safety requirements by modifying rules for Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for high-hazard and intermediate-hazard dams in North Carolina. The bill requires dam owners to submit a proposed EAP within 90 days of dam classification, including mandatory components such as descriptions of potential emergency conditions, response actions, notification procedures, and a downstream inundation map showing areas that would be affected by a dam failure. The bill introduces a key exemption for smaller dams, specifying that the downstream inundation map requirement does not apply to dams less than 15 feet high or with an impoundment capacity under 50 acre-feet, unless specific site factors warrant its inclusion. Dam owners must update their EAPs annually and submit them to the Department and Department of Public Safety for review. The bill also ensures that sensitive security information within the EAPs remains confidential and protected from public disclosure. Importantly, the bill becomes effective on July 1, 2025, and will apply to EAPs submitted or updated on or after that date, giving dam owners time to prepare and adapt to the new requirements.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S614