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A Comparative Review Of Environmental Policies And Laws Involving Hazardous Private Dams: 'Appropriate' Practice Models For Safe Catchments, John D. Pisaniello

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Generally, the world’s largest dams have been erected and managed
by governments, while individual owners have been responsible for private
dams. Both kinds of dams have experienced technical failures that
have resulted in tragic losses of life as well as disastrous damage to property
and environment, and this has generated serious concerns regarding
dams’ safety worldwide. In Australia, despite the fact that attention has
been focused on the physical and technical integrity of medium- to largescale
dams, the smaller private dams have been virtually ignored with
regard to their serious potential and actual problems. Specifically, private
dams pose threats to …