A bill reevaluating the criteria for dam safety was approved by a House of Delegates committee yesterday. An issue that made headlines locally last year when concerns were raised about Ivy Lake dam in Bedford County. The measure directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to develop an updated storm-based methodology for assessing dam safety; which could result in less severe standards and lower repair costs for dam owners. According to an impact report, the existing criterion was based on weather studies from more than 30 years ago. The bill now goes before the General Assembly; the new analysis must be ready for review by December 2015.
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