Would suck...

Emergency plan prepares for Wateree Dam break

Officials nail down specifics in case it fails after natural disaster or terrorist attack

By MARJORIE RIDDLE - mriddle@thestate.com

Kershaw County is updating an emergency preparedness plan that it will use if the Wateree Dam breaks.

The new plan, to be completed in two to three months, will provide detailed job descriptions for each official, update shelter locations and evacuation routes and prepare for the worst-case scenario — a total failure of the dam.

The Wateree Dam impounds the 13,864-acre Lake Wateree. Duke Energy owns the dam and uses it to produce power.

The new plan will be much more specific on each individual’s role in protecting the public, said Mary Kathryn Green, Duke Energy spokeswoman.

“Each person involved in response has a job description and protocol to follow to make sure we’re covering everything we need to cover.”

Officials insist the dam is safe. But they say they want to have a more detailed plan in case of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

Duke Energy, Kershaw County, the State Emergency Management Division, the S.C. Department of Transportation and the S.C. Highway Patrol are working together to update the emergency plan.

The county still is determining how many people would be affected and how much flooding would occur if the dam failed.

Officials already know that many of the county’s main roads, including I-20 and U.S. 1, and most bridges would be out of use, said Gene Faulkenberry, county emergency preparedness director and fire marshal.

Duke Energy already has detailed plans in place in the “unlikely” event of a dam breach.

The plans, required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, are reviewed and updated annually. Duke Energy and local officials practice the plan at different facilities each year, Green said.

“We’re kind of like the Boy Scouts; you need to be prepared,” said Ernie Brockman, system hydro-engineer for Duke Energy. “If something happens, you don’t want to have to pull out the book and start reading. ... Practice makes sure you know your role.”

Green said a dam breach is improbable.

“These dams are safe, are inspected on a daily basis, on an annual basis by FERC and every five years by an independent engineer,” she said. “Catastrophic acts of nature would be the only likely cause of a dam failure.”

Security plans are in place for all Duke Energy facilities in the event of a malicious attack, she added.

Those plans were re-evaluated and enhanced after Sept. 11, said Duke Energy’s Brockman.

A similar update to the dam failure emergency plan occurred for Lake Murray in 2002.

Lake Murray was done first because it affects a lot more people, said Ron Osborne, director for the State Emergency Management Division.

“Our No. 1 goal is to make sure everyone is safe and that we can prevent the loss of life and, to the highest extent possible, their property as well” in the event of a failure, he said.

Reach Riddle at (803) 771-8435.