INFORMATION MANAGEMENT WORKGROUP MEETING
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
1445- 1505
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dick Polley, FEMA
AGENDA
 PRESENTATION – Bluestone Dam Project – Mike Dorsey, WVDEP and Dick
Polley, FEMA
MEETING NOTES
Mr. Dick Polley, FEMA welcomed all workgroup members and other regional response team
(RRT) members that were present.
PRESENTATION – Bluestone Dam Project – Part 1 – Mike Dorsey, WVDEP
This presentation is provided in its entirety on the RRT Region III website at:
http://www.rrt3.nrt.org. For additional information or if you have any other questions on the
services they provide, please contact Mike Dorsey (Mike.H.Dorsey@wv.gov; 304-926-0499
X1278).
Mr. Dorsey provided an overview of the history and components of the Bluestone Dam in
Hinton, WV. The dam was built as a concrete gravity dam in the late 1940’s and its purpose is to
control flooding in the New and Kanawha River Valleys. The dam is not anchored to the bedrock
so there is the fear that a catastrophic flooding event could shift the dam and allow a failure. This
area is the home for large scale chemical industry organizations. A dam break would impact
southeastern West Virginia (including the state capitol) and would reach as far as Kentucky and
Ohio.
He reviewed the 20-25 year remediation program that is being enacted to mitigate this potential
spill situation through strengthening, anchoring, etc. Contact Lisa Morgan, the project manager
of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Huntington District at Lisa.r.morgan@usace.army.mil or
304-399-5545 for more information on this project.
PRESENTATION – Bluestone Dam Project – Part 2 – Initiative – Dick Polley, FEMA
This presentation is provided in its entirety on the RRT Region III website at:
http://www.rrt3.nrt.org. For additional information or if you have any other questions on the
services they provide, please contact Dick Polly (Richard.Polley@dhs.gov; 215-931-5557).
Mr. Polley summarized the history of the Bluestone Dam Planning Initiative and Executive
Committee and subcommittees (5 major subcommittees with state and federal leads with other
necessary agencies). USACE/NOAA are working with the State of WV and other agencies to
conduct an exercise relative to potential flooding. Looking at this problem at all levels (federal,
Information Management Workgroup
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
May 18, 2011
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state, and local partners). Monitoring, notification, evacuation, mass care, and hazardous
materials are the focus subcommittees.
He reviewed many of the challenges and concerns relative to the impact to infrastructure,
personnel, and the area. An event here would have a multi-state impact (approximately 150 miles
from dam). For more information on the US Army Corps of Engineer’s Bluestone Dam Safety
Assurance Project, go to http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/current/bluestonedsa/.
The meeting was adjourned at 1505