§510a Guidelines and Inspection of Project Facilities and Technical Assistance to Transferred Works Operating Entities

Summary

The Secretary must work with the groups that run transferred project works to write specific inspection rules for project facilities near cities that could threaten people or property. Those rules must be ready within 1 year after March 30, 2009. Using those rules, the Secretary must inspect those risky facilities within 3 years after March 30, 2009, picking sites based on how much danger or economic harm they might cause. The cost of those inspections is not paid back to the government. The Secretary must use the inspection information to give operators recommendations for better operation, maintenance, and fixes; set how often to inspect (no more than once every 6 years); and give hazard information to operators, local governments, or state agencies when asked. At an operator’s request, the Secretary can also help make operating procedures, emergency plans, inspection criteria, training, public outreach, or other safety documents. The Secretary may pay up to 50% of the cost of that help without repayment; the operator or other non-Federal source must cover the rest and can use in-kind contributions.