Virginia § 10.1-608 Unsafe dams presenting imminent danger

Virginia Statutes

§ 10.1-608 — Unsafe dams presenting imminent danger

Virginia § 10.1-608

JurisdictionVirginia

Title 10.1Conservation

Subtitle IActivities Administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation

Ch. 6Flood Protection and Dam Safety

Art. 2Dam Safety Act

This text of Virginia § 10.1-608 (Unsafe dams presenting imminent danger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Va. Code Ann. § 10.1-608 (2026).

Text

When the Director determines that an unsafe dam constitutes an imminent danger to life or property, he shall immediately notify the Department of Emergency Management and the local emergency management coordinator for the locality where the dam is located and confer with the owner. The owner of a dam found to constitute an imminent danger to life or property shall take immediate corrective action. If the owner 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 hearing, to remove the imminent danger. Upon receiving authority from the Governor to take such immediate appropriate action, the Department shall notify the locality in which the dam is located. If such local

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When the Director determines that an unsafe dam constitutes an imminent danger to life or property, he shall immediately notify the Department of Emergency Management and the local emergency management coordinator for the locality where the dam is located and confer with the owner. The owner of a dam found to constitute an imminent danger to life or property shall take immediate corrective action. If the owner 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 hearing, to remove the imminent danger. Upon receiving authority from the Governor to take such immediate appropriate action, the Department 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 Department, the Director may issue an administrative order to the locality defining the actions the locality is authorized to undertake on behalf of the Department and the terms and conditions applicable to the delegated actions. The Attorney General may bring an action against the owner of the impounding structure for the Commonwealth's expenses in removing the imminent danger. There shall be a lien upon the owner's real estate for the Commonwealth's expenses in removing the imminent danger. The owner may avoid the Commonwealth's costs, and recover any damages, upon proving that the dam was known to be safe at the time such action was taken, and that the owner had provided or offered to immediately provide such proof to the Director before the action complained of was taken. Nothing herein shall in any way limit any authority existing under the Emergency Services and Disaster Law (§ 44-146.13 et seq.).