California Dam Running on Temporary Licenses

ABC News ^ | 2/13

[nickcarraway]

A California dam threatened by a damaged emergency spillway has operated under temporary licenses for a decade.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says a 50-year license for Oroville Dam, the nation's tallest, expired in January 2007. Mary O'Driscoll told The Associated Press that the facility has been operating under an existing license that's renewed each year.

The California Department of Water Resources, which operates the dam, applied for a new 50-year license in 2005.

O'Driscoll said the federal agency finally received all the necessary permits and other documents needed to decide on the new license last December.

Nearly 200,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes out of fear that a damaged spillway could collapse.

[SubMareener]

California! Please succeed!!! All they need now is a good earthquake!!

[unixfox]

Can you imagine what would happen to a business or individual if their “license” expired.

I hate these MF’S.

[Steely Tom]

I bet the whereabouts of the money that was supposed to have been set aside for maintenance, inspection, and operation of this dam would be quite an interesting story to tell. I also imagine it's a story we will never hear.

Also, how is it that the water level on a state-owned dam can be rising over a period of months, a little bit every day, and then suddenly it becomes a huge crisis that results in an emergency response that overstresses the dam and threatens to destroy the entire structure? How is that possible?

Again, I strongly suspect we will never know. "The system failed" will be the final verdict. Not one overpaid California official will lose anything over this.

In fact, if things go along their normal trajectory, the people who dropped the ball will be rewarded with larger staffs, more perks, and bonus payments for performance.

And Californians will vote for more of the same.

[ronnie raygun]

California fail! These are the idiots who want to succeed. They squandered thier money on illegals and social programs while they people paying these bills will now loose ther homes because of rat politicians and rat policies that dont give a sh## about those going to work just those who suck the teet

[Wuli]

50% two giant sets of bureaucrats, one in California and one in Washington D.C., and 50% regulation overkill in the “legal requirements” in merely applying for the license renewal.

If it took 11 years just to get the application completed, how long will it take, given additional federal-state bureaucratic back-and-forth, to get the permit approved??

[ptsal]

Move to Colusa...west of I-5

Visit Jerry Brown’s new getaway.

[Flick Lives]

10 years to get a new license and nobody noticed there was a 100 foot hole in the spillway.

[libstripper]

Oh, praise the CA bureaucrats, who’ve forced 200,000 people to evacuate their homes, leaving free pickings for every looter in the state with a car. Of course, things are even easier for the looters because the citizens have been deprived of the most effective weapons for fighting the looters.

[DIRTYSECRET]

What’s sad is the area is the red part of Calif. Trump should demand the resignations of all Calif. state officials as a condition of assistance. Put Mr. Thiel in the Governors mansion.

[WayneLusvardi]

More fake news. The FERC license only pertains to the hydropower plant component of the facility, not the water operations.

[Sivad]

Thank you, I will succeed. Meanwhile, you can pound sand
for your sick and hateful words that don’t distinguish
between left and right.

[snowtigger]

I hope you succeed, all Californios are not Moonbeams. I hate to be the language police, but, The word succeed means to accomplish what you started. The word so many look for without success is SECEDE. It means to separate oneself from the whole. Secession, while it appears to be available to the separate states, was stricken down in the War of Northern Aggression in the 1860’s. Good luck in your quest.

[mac_truck]

Put Mr. Thiel in the Governors mansion.

This event could be just the catalyst needed for that to happen.

[grey_whiskers]

If it took 11 years just to get the application completed, how long will it take, given additional federal-state bureaucratic back-and-forth, to get the permit approved??

When the Dam washes away from the addition 4" of rain later this week, Trump ought to sue the living sh*t out of CA for tearing down the dam, endangering wildlife, etc. etc. without a permit.

Make 'em live up to their own set of rules.

[grey_whiskers]

That's OK! Apparently it's only going to be a temporary dam!

[Sivad]

Thank you for your support. For the record I know the
difference between ‘succeed’ and ‘secede’. My intention
was pure sarcasm aimed at someone who apparently wishes
harm to all Californians.

[walkingdead]

There is no shortage of people who believe California is San Francisco from Yreka to San Diego.

[Sivad]

The town of Colusa is east, not west of I-5.
The County of Colusa lies both east and west of I-5.
I know this because my dad spent his high school
years in the town of Colusa before joining the
paratroops in WWII. Also, I was born there. My
cousins own a ranch in the foothills west of 5
near where Moonbeam has his place. Colusa Co
is a GOP stronghold.

For the record my mother’s ancestors homesteaded
property at Pt. Sal in Santa Barbara County.

[Sivad]

Unfortunately, you are correct. The strange thing
is my admittedly cursory review of the last election
shows that only Texas and Florida cast more votes
for Trump than did Californians.