[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H1162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         UPDATE ON OROVILLE DAM

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, well, it has been national news, the 
situation going on in northern California, where the Oroville Dam is. 
Obviously, there has been some damage and destruction to the main 
concrete spillway, as well as the situation with the lake rising and 
finally going for the first time in 48 years over the emergency 
spillway.
  The dam itself, the earthen structure, 770 feet tall is solid. The 
emergency spillway is being evaluated, but so far it looks stable 
itself. It is the issue of the soil in front of it that needs to be 
stabilized during these days where there is dry weather, where it can 
be stabilized with rock and concrete.
  So what we need to know is: Why did this happen?
  This would be what we do later on. First, we need to take care of the 
emergency situation, the State resources and Federal resources pulling 
together to make sure people are safe and that the dam remains sound 
and that we don't lose the structure.
  It looks good. I think things are stable for right now. We also need 
prayer for no more rain for a while, or at least not overwhelming 
amounts of rain. So it looks good.
  We just need patience also from the people that are in the flood 
plain that have been evacuated to listen to their emergency personnel 
and follow with that so that they are kept safe during this time of the 
emergency.
  So I think good efforts are underway, and we will investigate later 
on what went wrong.

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