How would PPL Montana, emergency responders, news media and key state and federal agencies react to an unlikely, but possible, breach of a major hydroelectric dam? PPL Montana has developed emergency action plans for such a scenario at each of the company’s 11 dams, and recently conducted a “tabletop exercise” in Great Falls to review the plan for Black Eagle Dam.

The exercise involved the Great Falls City Fire Department, the Cascade County Sheriff’s Department, the Montana National Guard, the National Weather Service, dozens of other companies, and the federal, state and local agencies that would be called upon to protect the public in the event a dam failed. The exercise, conducted Feb. 28, provided an excellent opportunity for key stakeholders to discuss their roles if such an emergency were to occur and how to achieve maximum communication and coordination of their efforts.

The event was a precursor to a “functional” emergency action plan drill to be held in Great Falls May 3. The drill will place PPL Montana, emergency responders, agencies and other utilities in a mock-dam failure situation with participants acting out their roles and responsibilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which requires PPL Montana to conduct the annual emergency action plan exercises at its hydroelectric facilities, will observe and evaluate the event.