The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s latest episode of “DEC Does What?!” podcast discusses the department’s oversight of more than 6,000 regulated dams across New York State.
In this episode, hosts DEC Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner for Equity and Justice Adriana Espinoza and Region 4 Director Sean Mahar talk with Foster Valle, Environmental Program Specialist with DEC’s Division of Water, and Tim Koch, Stream Restoration Specialist with the New York Water Resources Institute at Cornell University and DEC.
They highlight their work navigating the regulatory aspects of dam removal and educating about the wide-ranging benefits of dam removal, including river and ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and public safety.
Listeners can learn the role DEC plays in regulatory oversight for removal projects, the work involved with weighing the pros and cons of removing dams, and available funding and resources available for dam owners interested in removing dams from their property, including through the historic Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
Koch and Valle also share how they came to work at DEC and their collaborative work reforming how dam removal projects are implemented in New York, the legal requirements to maintain dams to safe standards, the history of dam construction, and progress on dam removal efforts statewide.
All episodes of “DEC Does What?!” are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms.
This episode can be found here. All episodes of “DEC Does What?!” are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms.
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