Bill aims to spend billions to fix nation’s aging dams

BOSTON (AP) — Lawmakers in Congress have introduced a bill that would pump tens of billions of dollars into fixing and upgrading the country’s dams. The bill, introduced by Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, proposed to spend nearly $26 billion to make the repairs that would enhance safety and increase the power generation capacity of the country’s dams. It also calls for removing any dams that have outlived their usefulness. The Associated Press in 2019 identified at least 1,688 high-hazard dams rated in poor or unsatisfactory condition as of the prior year in 44 states and Puerto Rico. The AP analysis noted that the actual number is almost certainly higher.