Maloney Announces $1,250,000 Grant for High-Hazard Dam Repairs in New York

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received a $1,250,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) program. This grant program was established through a 2016 dam safety bill authored by Rep. Maloney.

“Families and businesses in the Hudson Valley shouldn’t have to worry about a dam failure harming their communities. I’m proud to announce this grant – which is a product of a bill I authored and passed in 2016 – will bring dam infrastructure repairs to failing dams here in the Hudson Valley, create jobs, and make New York’s waterways safer,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

This grant program was made possible through Rep. Maloney’s bill, the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act, which was included in the Water Infrastructure Investment for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016. His bill established a federal investment program to allow states and local governments to seek funding for the rehabilitation of high-hazard publicly owned dams.

New York’s 18th Congressional District is home to 229 dams. New York State has the 8th most high hazard dams in the country totaling 403, with nearly 100 of those dams in the Hudson Valley. The average age of America’s 90,000+ dams is 56 years old, but in New York State, the average age is 69 years old. By 2025, 70% of dams in the United States will be over 50 years old, and will have an increased probability of dam failure.

More information about the grant program can be found here.

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Submitted by Yorktown, NY

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