[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S444-S445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Schatz, and Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 1946. A bill to amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 
to modify the authorization of appropriations; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a bill to protect 
valuable water resource infrastructure across the West. I am pleased to 
be joined by Senators Schatz and Feinstein who share my concern for dam 
safety. The Bureau of Reclamation's Dam Safety Program is not a new 
program, but it is vital for farmers, local economies, and communities 
in 17 Western States. Because the Safety of Dams, SOD Program is 
running out of money, it is essential that Congress extend the program 
and allow projects to proceed by permanently authorizing the funding 
needed.
  The SOD Program has a straightforward mission: ``to ensure that 
Reclamation facilities do not present unreasonable risks to the public, 
public safety, property, and/or the environment.'' The challenge of 
meeting that mission is complicated by the strains of aging 
infrastructure and population growth within dam failure zones. 
Reclamation manages 476 dams and dikes, 370 of which are listed within 
the high or significant hazard class, meaning failure of the dam or 
dike would cause life loss or significant damages. Once Reclamation 
begins risk modifications to a dam, the local partners share 15 percent 
of the associated costs. Since the creation of the SOD Program, 
Congress has seen fit to raise the program's authorized ceiling four 
times--in 1984, 2000, and 2002. Twelve years later, it is time to keep 
this program going once more before we hit the ceiling.
  My bill would do away with the authorization ceiling and permanently 
authorize this important program. No longer would the ceiling be a 
hindrance on advancing dam safety. A project in my home State helps to 
illustrate the problem. Scoggins Dam is located in Washington County, 
OR. The dam forms the heart of the water system in the Tualatin Basin, 
providing drinking water to residents, irrigation for valuable 
croplands, and support for nearly a quarter million jobs. The risk to 
Scoggins Dam comes from its position within the Cascade subduction 
zone, where a typical earthquake has a magnitude of 8.7 to 9.2. As the 
first U.S. Senator to visit Fukushima after its

[[Page S445]]

devastating subduction zone earthquake and resulting tsunami, I saw 
firsthand the incredible damage a seismic event can have on a region 
and its infrastructure.
  The Bureau of Reclamation is already well into the process of risk 
assessment on Scoggins Dam, and the current SOD Program ceiling poses a 
significant obstacle to advancing the project to concrete risk-
mitigation actions. Reclamation has evaluated Scoggins Dam and 
predicted that an earthquake could cause spill wall failure and 
potential embankment failure due to deformation, overtopping, or 
erosion through cracks. Reclamation completed the correction action 
study for Scoggins in late 2012; however, no modifications can proceed 
until there is room in the SOD Program budget. The uncertainty around 
fixing this Federal facility is taking a toll on economic development 
at a time when pivotal Oregon companies like Intel and Nike are 
undertaking expansions in Washington County. Scoggins Dam joins a list 
of other dam projects on the near horizon that won't be able to proceed 
without this bill.
  Ensuring that dams continue to provide the benefits they do across 
the West in a safe manner is an important responsibility. I want to 
express my thanks to the Tualatin Basin Water Supply Partners for their 
diligent work to see that safety modifications are made for the 
public's benefit and to meet the region's long-run water needs. I look 
forward to working with Senator Schatz, Senator Feinstein, and other 
colleagues and the bill's other supporters to continue the work of the 
SOD Program.
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