COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A group of South Carolina lawmakers delayed voting on a bill putting stricter regulations on dam and reservoir owners. The bill was proposed after dam failures caused massive flooding nearly three years ago.
Many of the more than 40 dams which failed in the unprecedented October 2015 floods where up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) of rain fell were state owned and Republican House Speaker Jay Lucas himself introduced the bill in late 2016 after Hurricane Matthew caused about 25 more dams to fail and another round of flooding.
The bill , passed by the House in February 2017, would have the Department of Health and Environmental Control regulate any dam deemed a danger to life, building or infrastructure, and it would put the responsibility for dam maintenance in the hands of owners.
Sen. Danny Verdin of Laurens said he wanted the subcommittee he leads to review the bill further. That could leave little chance for the bill to pass because the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn May 10 and the bill would have to start all over again in 2019.
“I’m concerned with us not passing it this year,” said Democratic Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden. “I don’t want somebody to spend 40,000 on a dam and then we fix the rules.”
But people against the bill said dam owners should not have to foot the bill for maintaining their dams if they haven’t damaged or harmed the surrounding community. Others called the new regulations intrusive.
“I want to make sure South Carolina farmers don’t have a negative effect of whatever we do with this bill,” said Jason Rodgers, vice president of operations for Titan Farms.
Rodgers said his company oversees 30 ponds to help irrigate crops, adding “if I have to bring my ponds up to code, who will be paying for it?”
Sen. Chip Campsen proposed an amendment that wouldn’t require as much regulation for dams which if breached would flow into a swamp or river.
“That’s the kind of overreach I saw coming,” said the Republican from the Isle of Palms. “They shouldn’t have to get an engineer plan or have DHEC come on their property telling them they have to spend $100,000 to fix their dams.”
No vote was taken on Campsen’s proposal.
Something needs to be done to protect people from another flood while lawmakers get their act together, Sheheen said.
“DHEC is constrained by the law that exists and the budget,” Sheheen said. “We need to give them the tools to work with.”
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