DHEC is applying for funding under the FFY 2024 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) Rehabilitation Grant Program. In order to reduce the risks posed by unsafe South Carolina High Hazard Potential dams, DHEC intends to offer subawards to eligible project sponsors for planning, design, and construction activities on select High Hazard Potential dams that meet eligibility requirements. Interested dam owners and sponsor applicants should review the FFY24 federal eligibility criteria below. Additional criteria may apply to state subawards. Eligible sponsors will submit one subaward application per dam. All subawards will be disbursed as reimbursements for eligible activities. 

Period of Performance

The Period of Performance refers to the period of time during which eligible activities within an approved Scope of Work may occur and be considered eligible for reimbursement under the FEMA HHPD Grant Program.  Subawards issued under the FY2024 HHPD Grant must comply with the announced Period of Performance and no work done outside of that period will be reimbursed.

Eligible Dams

For a dam to be eligible for funds from this grant program, the dam must:

• Meet the federal definition of “dam” found at 33 U.S. Code § 467 
• Be classified as a “High Hazard Potential” dam by the State’s Dam Safety Program
• Have been determined by the State to fail to meet minimum state dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public and have a condition assessment rating of POOR or UNSATISFACTORY as identified in the National Inventory of Dams (NID) no later than 9/15/2023. Dams with FAIR condition assessment and a Population at Risk (PAR) >1,000 may be eligible. 
• Have a State Dam Safety Program-approved Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place or a plan pending approval by the relevant state dam safety agency that is in conformance with state law
• Not be federally-owned or regulated and not have been originally constructed under the authority of the US Secretary of Agriculture
• Not be a federally licensed hydroelectric dam
• Have deficiencies that are not solely the result of deferred (or a lack of) maintenance

The initial list of FFY2024 dams that meet eligibility requirements is below but is subject to further FEMA review and final eligibility is subject to change.

Eligible Applicants

This program is exclusive to non-Federal government entities (e.g., State, County, and Municipal governments; special purpose districts) and non-profit organizations that are registered as 501(c)(3) non-profits with the Internal Revenue Service.  Private dam owners cannot apply directly, and any applications received from a private dam owner will be rejected; however, an eligible applicant can apply for an HHPD grant on any eligible dam, including dams that are privately owned. 

Eligible Projects

The HHPD Grant Program allows federal funds to be utilized on various activities aimed at planning, investigations, preliminary engineering, engineering design, and construction on projects that seek to reduce the overall risk posed by high hazard dams that fail to meet minimum dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public.  Example activities are eligible for funding:

Key Points to Understand Before Starting an Application

1. Subawards cannot provide funds in advance of work being performed. This is a reimbursement-only program -- only eligible costs that have been incurred, paid for, and properly documented will be reimbursed.
2. Subawards cannot pay for any pre-award activities (i.e., any costs incurred before a grant is awarded are not eligible for reimbursement).
3. Subawards cannot pay for work to correct deficiencies that represent deferred maintenance or a lack thereof (e.g., tree removal).
4. Subawards cannot pay for any activities associated with a breached dam.  Breached dams are already in a very low-risk condition, and thus do not align with this grant program’s overall goal of reducing the risk posed by dams that fail to meet minimum dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public.
5. Subawards cannot pay for final design engineering unless all preliminary engineering -- including a complete risk analysis and evaluation of rehabilitation alternatives -- has previously been completed. Please consult with SC DHEC before preparing a grant application that proposes final design engineering.
6. This HHPD grant requires the county in which the dam is located to update its County Hazard Mitigation Plan to incorporate “all dam risks”.  At the time of this Notice, only Anderson, Oconee, and Spartanburg counties have a Hazard Mitigation Plan that meets this requirement.  Therefore, close coordination with your County officials will be necessary.  A letter from County officials to FEMA requesting a 12-month extension to update the County Hazard Mitigation Plan is a requirement of a complete application. Failure to receive FEMA approval of the updated County Plan by the 12-month extension deadline will require all federal funds be repaid.
7. Subawards require a match of at least 35% in the form of non-federal funds and/or in-kind services.  The non-federal match must come from the applicant.
8. A privately-owned dam may be eligible, but the owner cannot apply directly.  A non-federal government (i.e., state, county, municipal) or a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization are the only entities eligible to apply. An eligible applicant may choose to sponsor a privately-owned dam solely at its own discretion and at its own risk.
9. Dam removals are considered “rehabilitation” under this program; therefore, the pre-construction activities associated with dam removal are eligible.  Furthermore, DHEC will give priority to any applications that propose dam removal.
10. All applicable federal standards and requirements must be satisfied for the awarded HHPD grant and any subawards. Failure to comply with federal grant requirements in the execution of a grant award may result in termination of the grant agreement and collection of some or all federal funds received. Interested applicants not familiar with federal grant requirements are strongly advised to carefully review the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions and Summary of Federal Compliance Requirements before applying.
11. A licensed Professional Engineer (PE) registered in South Carolina must assist in the preparation of your subaward grant application.  The costs associated with application development are not eligible for reimbursement. Furthermore, engineering services funded from a HHPD grant must be procured in compliance with all federal and state procurement requirements and the applicant’s own procurement policies.  Therefore, the engineer assisting with application preparation will not necessarily be the same engineer performing work funded through a grant award.

Questions?

E-mail response@dhec.sc.gov and the Dam Safety Program staff will provide assistance.