ASDSO's Peer Review Program

Peer Review Overview

The philosophy behind ASDSO’s Peer Review Program is that a review by a diverse and independent group of experienced dam safety professionals can help improve the management and execution of a dam safety program.

Peer Review Photo.jpg ASDSO Peer Review Informational Flyer

The objective of an ASDSO Peer Review is to provide professional guidance to improve the performance and management of dam safety programs. A Peer Review evaluates the mission, objectives, policies and procedures of a dam safety agency or company/organization. The program is evaluated relative to the organization’s own governing regulations, and other guidelines such as the Model State Dam Safety Program (FEMA 316), the FERC dam safety program guidelines for licensees, or the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety (FEMA 2004), as well as commonly accepted standards of practice.

The Peer Review is performed by a team of engineers and dam safety professionals who provide a professional opinion of the status of the program being evaluated. The Peer Review Team reviews program policies and procedures, conducts on-site interviews, and provides a written report that documents its findings and recommendations. The Team does not perform follow-up or impose sanctions for not following recommendations. Implementation of recommendations is at the discretion of the organization’s decision-makers, its state legislature, Congress, or other enabling body. Peer Review teams do not inspect dams during reviews and are therefore not involved in evaluating any program’s inventory of dams.

ASDSO’s Qualifications

Since 1990, ASDSO has completed peer reviews in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Since 1996, ASDSO has performed reviews for federal dam safety agencies including the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Department of Interior and its six bureaus. ASDSO has performed peer reviews for private companies such as Ontario Power Generation, BC Hydro, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light. More recently, ASDSO has completed Owners Dam Safety Program (ODSP) audits for several FERC-regulated licensees including the California Dept. of Water Resources and Grant County PUD.

Qualifications of Reviewers

Reviewers are appointed by the ASDSO Peer Review Committee. The Committee and reviewers are engineers, project managers and other professionals with signiﬁcant experience in the design, construction, and operation of dams and in dam safety program management. In addition, they must have made significant contributions to the profession through involvement with technical and professional societies, licensing boards, and/or other professional activities. Finally, they must have a keen interest in improving dam safety. A reviewer is required to have a minimum of 25 years of dam safety experience, and all reviewers receive training in the ASDSO Peer Review process.

The Benefit of a Peer Review

By doing a peer review the dam organization gets an independent review that identifies opportunities for improving:

Authorities (laws, policies, guidelines, decision making up the chain)
Staffing/training
Technical practices
Reporting & communicating with management
Risk management
Program performance review processes
Out year planning
Interaction with dam owners or regulators

How to Obtain a Review

To get a cost quote or to schedule a peer review, contact Lori Spragens at ASDSO. 859.550.2788 or lspragens@damsafety.org.

Committee Members and Panel of Reviewers

Committee

John Cima, P.E., (Committee Chair) Senior Consultant, Schnabel Engineering/Previously: Chief Dam Safety Engineer with Dominion Energy, Power Generation Group

Mark Baker, P.E., Consultant, DamCrest Consulting, LLC/Previously: Dam & Levee Safety Officer with National Park Service

William Bingham, P.E., Consultant/Previously: Partner, National Practice Leader for Dam Engineering with Gannett Fleming, Inc.

Dennis Dickey, P.E., Senior Engineer, Dams and Hydraulics Section, Gannett Fleming, Inc./Previously: Division Chief with PA Department of Environmental Protection, Dam Safety Division

Anthony Fernandes, P.E., D.WRE, Consultant, ALF Consulting LLC/Previously: Manager, Water Resources Engineering with Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc.

Kenneth Smith, P.E., Assistant Director, Indiana DNR Division of Water

Panel of Reviewers:

Loren Andersen, RAC Engineering; Utah State University

Terrence (Terry) Arnold, P.E., Principal Dam & Hydropower, Engineer, AECOM

Jason Campbell, P.E., Dam Safety Manager, Vistra Energy/Previously: Dynegy Inc.; Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources - Senior Permit Engineer

Bob Dalton, P.E., Engineer, Vasconcelles Engineering Corporation/Previously: Illinois Office of Water Resources

Dean Durkee, Ph.D., P.E., Gannett Fleming

John France, P.E., D.GE, D.WRE, Consultant, JWF Consulting LLC/Previously: Dams and Hydropower Technology Practice Network National Leader with AECOM

Meg Galloway, Asc. Of State Floodplain Managers/Previously State Dam Safety Engineer, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

David Gutierrez, P.E., G.E., Vice President and Dams Practice Leader, GEI Consultants/Previously: Chief with CA Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams

Brad Iarossi, P.E., Dam Safety Officer, US Fish and Wildlife Service/Previously: Chief with MD Department of the Environment, Dam Safety Program

Doug Johnson, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission/Previously with Washington State Department of Ecology (non-ODPS audit reviews only)

George Kelley, P.E., SECB, F.ASCE, Senior Engineer, Water Resources Design, Freese and Nichols, Inc./Previously: Senior Program Manager, Dam Safety Risk Program with Tennessee Valley Authority; Civil Engineer with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Program Manager with US Army Corps of Engineers

Matthew Lindon, P.E., Consultant, Loughlin Water Associates/Previously: Assistant State Engineer with State of Utah

Daniel Mahoney, Consultant/Previously: Director at Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Division of Dam Safety and Inspections

John Moyle, P.E., Director, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Engineering and Construction, Division of Dam Safety and Flood Control

Anthony Nokovich, P.E., Engineering Practice Lead, Pennsylvania American Water

Mark Ogden, P.E., Project Manager, Association of State Dam Safety Officials/Previously: OH Department of Natural Resources, Dam Safety

James Pawloski, Consultant, James T. Pawloski, PE, LLC/Previously: Dam Safety Engineer with MI Department of Environmental Quality

Rich Sanchez, GEI Consultants/Previously with the California Department of Water Resources

Boris Slogar, P.E., MPM, Chief Engineer, Muskingum Watershed Conservation District/Previously with Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Manoshree Sundaram, P.E., Vice President, Project Manager – Power and Dams, Stantec/Previously: Geotechnical Engineer with MWH; Civil Engineer with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Stephen Verigin, P.E., G.E., Senior Vice President, GEI Consultants/Previously: Chief with CA Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams