Washington, D.C. - The United States Senate today approved the Water Resources Development Act, cosponsored by Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI). The legislation includes provisions from the Dam Safety Act of 2006, which Senator Akaka introduced following the Ka Loko Dam breach on Kauai that killed seven people last March.

Senator Akaka said, "This tragic event serves as an important reminder of the responsibility held by the state and local governments and the leadership role of the federal government in supplementing state resources and developing national guidelines for dam safety."

During the past two years, there have been at least 29 dam failures in the U.S. causing more than $200 million in property damage.

"This legislation will advance dam safety in the United States and prevent loss of life and property damage from dam failures at both the federal and state programmatic levels. Specifically, the reauthorization of the National Dam Safety Program Act will provide much needed assistance to state dam safety programs that regulate 95 percent of the 80,000 dams in the U.S.," stated Senator Akaka.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2006 authorizes $25 million for small dam removals and dam rehabilitation projects. It also authorizes $12.7 million for the National Dam Safety Program for FY 2007-2011 allocated as follows:

$8 million per year split among the states, based on the relative number of dams per state, for dam program improvements;

$1 million per year to carry out the National Dam Inventory;

$2 million per year in research funds to identify more effective techniques to assess, construct, and monitor dams;

$700,000 per year in training assistance to state engineers; and

$1 million per year for Federal Emergency Management Agency staff.