“FERC” and Duke confer on safety of dams

The need to maintain the safety of dams and prevent failure is being stressed by a federal agency to Duke Energy, the owner of dams in Oconee County.  A letter last month to Duke officials from “FERC”—the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Atlanta office, states, “As an owner of a high hazard dam, FERC requires that you develop and maintain an ODSP (Owner’s Dam Safety Program), complete an internal review of your ODSP each year, and have an external audit of your ODSP every five years.”  In South Carolina, the Dams and Reservoirs Safety Act is the basis for the safety standards that are in place to help reduce the risk of dams or reservoirs failing and potentially injuring people or destroying property or the environment.  There are more than 2,300 dams across the state.