BIA, Tribes, Reclamation Team Up On Dam Safety

VENTURA, California--Preparing for the worst case emergency at a dam--so that it can be effectively handled and to lessen its damage to communities that rely on these vital water storage structures--that was the theme of a BIA conference on dam safety.

The BIA/Tribal Emergency Action Plans and Exercises Conference was sponsored by the BIA Safety of Dams Program and organized by the Bureau of Reclamation's Technical Service Center in Denver, Colorado. About 40 representatives from seven BIA regions, the Central Office, and 12 tribes gathered here on Dec. 5-6, 2000, to discuss emergency action planning and exercising for dams.

Ross Mooney, the Safety of Dams officer from the BIA Central Office, welcomed the participants and emphasized the priority of emergency planning and exercising in the BIA Safety of Dams Program. Cliff Hall, Safety of Dams coordinator from the BIA Blackfeet Agency, set the stage for the conference by discussing the Lower Two Medicine Dam failure that occurred in 1964 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northern Montana.

An introductory presentation focused on the main requirements of Emergency Action Plans and the steps involved in developing them. The plans are required for all high- and significant-hazard dams under the BIA's jurisdiction. These formal documents are to be followed in the event of an unusual situation or emergency at a dam to minimize adverse impacts on the local population, structures, and environment, and to preserve the structural integrity of the dam.

The plans detail the responsibilities, authorities, and preplanned procedures for detecting and classifying the severity of unusual situations, communicating with appropriate authorities, and performing other response actions. They also contain inundation maps and additional information that will be used during an emergency.

After the introductory presentation, several speakers discussed various types of emergencies that could occur at dams and the methods and tools that may be useful in detecting them. These speakers were followed by presentations about classifying the severity of emergency situations, developing "triggering events," and various methods of displaying this information within an Emergency Action Plan.

The conference also discussed the importance of designating the responsibility and authority for decisionmaking, and the use of the Incident Command System. The topics then focused on notification of appropriate authorities, other actions to be taken, and ways of displaying this information in a plan. This part of the conference ended with presentations about inundation mapping and warning and evacuation planning.

The remainder of the conference concentrated on emergency exercises, or simulated emergency events. Exercises allow dam owners and operators together with local, state, tribal, federal, private, and volunteer agencies and jurisdictions to evaluate their emergency procedures, clarify roles and responsibilities, and improve coordination and communication before an actual emergency. Various types of exercises were discussed, along with an explanation of the basic steps in developing an emergency exercise. Several speakers discussed exercises they have completed for dams on Indian reservations.

The format of the conference integrated short training sessions with information exchange and actual experiences. The speakers shared example pages from their Emergency Action Plans, experiences with actual emergency events, and challenges and issues they encountered when developing plans and exercises. The conference solicited input and discussion from all participants and concluded with a simulated tabletop exercise in which participants used an Emergency Action Plan and assumed various roles and responsibilities.

The conference followed a similar conference held in February of 2000 that discussed design and installation of Early Warning System equipment. A third conference that will focus on Standing Operating Procedures is being planned for December of 2001. For more information about the BIA/Tribal Emergency Action Plans and Exercises Conference, contact Ross Mooney at 202-208-5480.