Regular maintenance, reinforcements and retrofitting can extend a dam’s safe operation well past 100 years and bring a structure up to current standards, Perera and Shannon say. But many dams don’t receive routine repairs and are not aging gracefully. Just making the recommended fixes to most U.S. dams would cost an estimated $157.5 billion dollars, according to a 2023 report from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
So much of today’s news feels like we’re frogs in a pot of boiling water.
It’s because infrastructure spending, especially repairs or preventative maintenance, isn’t a vote getter. It’s not flashy, so it doesn’t get the focus it should.
By the time our representatives have funded their pet projects, and their donors projects, they aren’t going to award a large chunk that’s needed for these repairs.
That is… until there is a catastrophe close to home. Unfortunately that’s when we’ll likely see action. But it’ll be myopic, and focus only on one specific thing, leaving another unattended.
So much of today’s news feels like we’re frogs in a pot of boiling water.
It’s because infrastructure spending, especially repairs or preventative maintenance, isn’t a vote getter. It’s not flashy, so it doesn’t get the focus it should.
By the time our representatives have funded their pet projects, and their donors projects, they aren’t going to award a large chunk that’s needed for these repairs.
That is… until there is a catastrophe close to home. Unfortunately that’s when we’ll likely see action. But it’ll be myopic, and focus only on one specific thing, leaving another unattended.
Another flaw of “representative” TV personality politics
And how much would all of them breaking cost?
At least $157.6 billion.
deleted by creator