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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77589</law_id><section_number>10.1-608</section_number><catch_line>Unsafe dams presenting imminent danger</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>10.1-605.3</reference><reference>10.1-607</reference><reference>10.1-607.1</reference><reference>10.1-613.5</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="10.1">Conservation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Activities Administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Flood Protection and Dam Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Dam Safety Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>When the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> determines that an unsafe dam constitutes an imminent danger to life or property, he shall immediately notify the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Emergency Management and the local emergency management coordinator for the locality where the dam is located and confer with the <span class="dictionary">owner</span>. The <span class="dictionary">owner</span> of a dam found to constitute an imminent danger to life or property shall take immediate corrective action. If the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> does not take appropriate and timely action to correct the danger found, the Governor shall have the authority to take immediate appropriate action, without the necessity for a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, to remove the imminent danger. Upon receiving authority from the Governor to take such immediate appropriate action, the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall notify the locality in which the dam is located. If such locality is able and agrees to take appropriate and timely action to minimize the imminent danger on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> an administrative <span class="dictionary">order</span> to the locality defining the actions the locality is authorized to undertake on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> and the terms and conditions applicable to the delegated actions. The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> may bring an action against the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> of the <span class="dictionary">impounding structure</span> for the Commonwealth&#x2019;s expenses in removing the imminent danger. There shall be a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> upon the <span class="dictionary">owner</span>&#x2019;s real estate for the Commonwealth&#x2019;s expenses in removing the imminent danger. The <span class="dictionary">owner</span> may avoid the Commonwealth&#x2019;s costs, and recover any <span class="dictionary">damages</span>, upon proving that the dam was known to be safe at the time such action was taken, and that the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> had provided or offered to immediately provide such proof to the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> before the action complained of was taken. Nothing herein shall in any way limit any authority existing under the Emergency Services and Disaster <span class="dictionary">Law</span> (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/44-146.13/">44-146.13</a> et seq.).</p></section></text><history>1982, c. 583, &#xA7; 62.1-115.5; 1986, c. 9; 1988, c. 891; 2025, cc. 228, 241.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
