§ 105.63. Emergency procedures.
(a) The permittee or owner of a dam, water obstruction or encroachment shall immediately notify the Department and responsible authorities in adjacent and downstream communities, including emergency management authorities, of a condition which may threaten the safety of the facility and take necessary actions to protect life and property, including action required under an emergency plan or Department order issued under the act.
(b) The permittee or owner of a dam or reservoir shall immediately notify the Department and responsible emergency management authorities in adjacent and downstream communities of conditions which may indicate a potential dam hazard emergency in accordance with § 105.135 (relating to dam hazard emergencies) including one or more of the following conditions:
(1) The lake or pond level is at or near the top of the dam and water is flowing, or about to flow, over the top of the dam.
(2) The overflow pipe or spillway is damaged, or clogged with debris or ice, which is resulting in a rapid rise in the lake or pond level.
(3) The primary or emergency spillway is experiencing heavy flows which are causing severe erosion to the spillway or the dam embankment.
(4) Any structural movement or failure of the concrete (masonry) spillway or the spillway abutment walls.
(5) Any sloughing or sliding of the dam embankment’s upstream or downstream slope. Also, earth slides in the spillway channel, either upstream or downstream of the dam’s crest, which could impede the flow in the spillway.
(6) Subsidence, sinkholes or cracks found in any part of the dam embankment or abutting slopes.
(7) Any new discharge of water is observed through the dam embankment or abutting slopes, adjacent to any conduit outlets, or under the dam, which appears as a boil along the downstream toe. If a discharge occurs and the water is cloudy or muddy in color, then a very serious problem exists.
(8) Other conditions, which the owner’s engineer knows are a concern for the dam’s safety.
(c) In case of emergency, telephone calls should be directed to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)—911, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency at (717) 651-2001 or 800-424-7312 and the Department’s emergency number at (717) 787-4343 or (800) 541-2050.
Authority The provisions of this § 105.63 amended under the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act (32 P.S. § § 693.1–693.27); The Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. § § 691.1—691.1001); section 7 of the act of June 14, 1923 (P.L. 704, No. 294) (32 P.S. § 597); sections 514, 1901-A, 1908-A, 1917-A and 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § § 194, 510-1, 510-8, 510-17 and 510-20); and the Flood Plain Management Act (32 P.S. § § 679.101—679.601).
Source The provisions of this § 105.63 adopted September 10, 1971, effective September 11, 1971, 1 Pa.B. 1804; reserved August 11, 1978, effective August 28, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 2229; amended September 26, 1980, effective September 27, 1980, 10 Pa.B. 3843; amended October 11, 1991, effective October 12, 1991, 21 Pa.B. 4911; amended January 7, 2011, effective January 8, 2011, 41 Pa.B. 219. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (207710) and (250791).
Cross References This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 105.135 (relating to dam hazard emergencies).
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