WHEREAS British Columbia has many man-made dams on its rivers and streams throughout the province and this infrastructure creates man-made hazards that the general public needs to be informed of as well as of the potential risks and impacts they create; AND WHEREAS while the current Dam Safety Regulation BC Reg 1632011 requires dam permit holders to prepare and maintain emergency plans, there are no provisions to require dam permit holders to inform and educate the general public on the hazards, risks and impacts associated with the dams before or during an emergency event: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to enact changes to legislationregulation that would require dam permit holders to prepare all-encompassing emergency management plans that include requirements for dam permit holders to conduct public education, develop comprehensive public notification procedures and assist in the coordination of emergency response and recovery efforts to ensure the safety of the public.
Ministry of Forests, Lands Natural Resource Operations The provincial government remains committed to improving dam safety and is actively working with dam owners to ensure compliance with the Dam Safety Regulation. When dam audits and inspections identify deficiencies that compromise public safety, dam owners have the option of mitigating the risk or decommissioning the dam. Under the Dam Safety Regulation, all owners of significant, high, very high and extreme consequence dams are required to develop emergency preparedness plans defining the hazards posed by the dam, as well as required notifications. Dam owners routinely share their emergency plans with local authorities; however, the vast majority of dams are relatively small structures owned by individuals who lack the resources and expertise to prepare emergency plans for the surrounding region. Under the Emergency Program Act, local governments have the authority to provide emergency training and conduct emergency exercises with local residents. They also lead the initial response to emergencies and disasters in their communities. As required by law, they have prepared emergency plans and maintain an emergency management organization. This is to ensure the safety of citizens when a situation escalates beyond the first-responder level.