Reclamation Managing Water in the West: Palisades Dam Security Enhancement Project. Draft Environmental Assessment, Bonneviell County, Idaho.

摘要

This draft environmental assessment (EA) evaluates the Palisades Dam Security Enhancement Project proposed by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). Reclamation proposes to correct security vulnerabilities associated with the Palisades Dam, located 7 miles southeast of Irwin, Idaho. This document has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Part 1500). In response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, Reclamation completed in-depth security assessments of its facilities and a full-scale evaluation of potential vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks at certain facilities. The Federal Safety, Security, and Law Enforcement Office identified vulnerabilities at a number of Reclamation dams, including Palisades Dam. The studies determined that motor vehicles traveling across the crest of Palisades Dam are a security risk and that public safety vulnerabilities associated with an explosion could compromise the structural integrity of the dam and the safety of persons living downstream. An accidental rollover on top of the dam involving a fuel or fertilizer truck could also pose serious risks. The security enhancement project is divided into two phases. Phase I, completed in 2009, addressed short-term security concerns by installing fixed swing-beam security gates on the dam crest that can be deployed in response to an elevated security event or a direct threat against the dam. Reclamation completed NEPA compliance for Phase I in 2009. Phase II, the focus of this EA, addresses a permanent solution to reduce the vulnerability of the dam.