Washington, D.C. -- Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) today joined Senator Inouye (D-HI) in introducing legislation to improve the safety of our nation's dams by establishing a federal program to assist states in rehabilitating publicly owned dams that pose a risk to public safety. The Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act is the Senate companion to H.R. 1105, which was introduced by Representative Sue Kelly (R-NY) on March 3, 2005, and co-sponsored by Representatives Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and Ed Case (D-HI).

"Storms which struck my home state of Hawaii in recent weeks remind us that the devastation wrought by the collapse of a dam is often severe and tragic," stated Akaka. "All too often, these catastrophic collapses come with little or no warning, leaving those in the path of flooding with little opportunity to avoid danger.

"Dam safety is an often neglected aspect of our homeland security," according to Akaka. "While we plan for the possibility that terrorists may attack our infrastructure, we often fail to fully recognize that such infrastructure is subject to the forces of nature and, therefore, prone to the effects of age and wear. Just as we must guard against attacks on our critical infrastructure, we must also be attentive to its maintenance."

Specifically, the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act will:

• Require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a program providing grant assistance to states for the repair of dams that pose a public safety risk;

• Require the FEMA Director to determine appropriate procedures for awarding grants and allocating funds;

• Establish a risk-based priority system to identify dams in need of repair; and

• Establish a cost sharing arrangement between the federal government and states.

Senator Akaka also said that he plans to introduce legislation that improves upon the National Dam Safety Program to provide states with the necessary assistance to maintain both public and private dams.

Senator Akaka is a senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees FEMA.