ENFORCEMENT EFFORT CONTINUES

On October 15, 2008, the Bureau of Dam Safety and Flood Control issued three Administrative Orders and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessments for failure to perform an inspection of a dam.   Since then, the Bureau has continued to identify deficient dam owners and have issued an additional six Administrative Orders and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessments.

This latest enforcement effort involves two municipal dam owners, one county dam owner and three private dam owners. The dams are high or significant hazard structures that the owners failed to inspect in accordance with the New Jersey Dam Safety Standards. The penalty was assessed per the Dam Safety Standards at $5,000 per missed inspection. The administrative order requires the dam owners to undertake the required inspection of the dam within a designated time frame.

The Bureau will continue to identify deficient dam owners and prepare Administrative Orders and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessments.   If you are a dam owner and are uncertain as to the date that your next inspection is due, please contact this office.

It is the Bureau’s hope that dam owners recognize their responsibility toward dam operation, inspection and maintenance and that minimum enforcement effort is required to achieve compliance from all dam owners. Penalties collected from the enforcement effort will be deposited in the Environmental Services Fund specifically designated for use by the Department for the removal of unsafe and abandoned dams.

If you have any questions regarding the Bureau’s enforcement effort, please contact John Kale at (609)984-0859 or at john.kale@dep.state.nj.us.