CFR > Title 18 - Conservation of Power and Water Resources > CHAPTER I—FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY > SUBCHAPTER B—REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT (parts 4 to 50) > PART 12—SAFETY OF WATER POWER PROJECTS AND PROJECT WORKS > SUBPART A—General Provisions (§12.1 to §12.5) > 12.3—Definitions.

12.3—Definitions.

(a) General rule. For purposes of this part, terms defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 796, have the same meaning as they have under the Act.
(b) Definitions. The following definitions apply for the purposes of this part:
(1) Applicant means any person, state, or municipality that has applied for a license for an unlicensed, constructed project and any owner of an unlicensed, constructed project for which the Commission has determined that an application for license must be filed.
(2) Owner means any person, state, or municipality, or combination thereof, that has a real property interests in a water power project sufficient to operate and maintain the project works.
(3) Authorized Commission representative means the Director of the Office of Energy Projects Licensing, the Director of the Division of Inspections, the Regional Engineer, or any other member of the Commission staff whom the Commission may specifically designate.
(4) Condition affecting the safety of a project or project works means any condition, event, or action at the project which might compromise the safety, stability, or integrity of any project work or the ability of any project work to function safely for its intended purposes, including navigation, water power development, or other beneficial public uses; or which might otherwise adversely affect life, health, or property. Conditions affecting the safety of a project or project works include, but are not limited to:
(i) Unscheduled rapid draw-down of impounded water;
(ii) Failure of any facility that controls the release or storage of impounded water, such as a gate or a valve;
(iii) Failure or unusual movement, subsidence, or settlement of any part of a project work;
(iv) Unusual concrete deterioration or cracking, including development of new cracks or the lengthening or widening of existing cracks;
(v) Piping, slides, or settlements of materials in any dam, abutment, dike, or embankment;
(vi) Significant slides or settlements of materials in areas adjacent to reservoirs;
(vii) Significant damage to slope protection;
(viii) Unusual instrumentation readings;
(ix) New seepage or leakage or significant gradual increase in pre-existing seepage or leakage;
(x) Sinkholes;
(xi) Significant instances of vandalism or sabotage;
(xii) Natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, or volcanic activity;
(xiii) Any other signs of instability of any project work.
(5) Constructed project means any project with an existing dam.
(6) Dam means any structure for impounding or diverting water.
(7) Development means that part of a project comprising an impoundment and its associated dams, forebays, water conveyance facilities, power plants, and other appurtenant facilities. A project may comprise one or more developments.
(8) Modification means any activity, including repair or reconstruction, that in any way changes the physical features of the project from the state reflected in the plans or drawings or other documents filed with the Commission.
(9) Project emergency means an impending or actual sudden release of water at the project caused by natural disaster, accident, or failure of project works.
(10) Regional Engineer means the person in charge of the Commission's regional office for the region (Atlanta, Chicago, Portland, New York, or San Francisco) where a particular project is located.
(11) Act means the Federal Power Act.

Code of Federal Regulations

[Order 122, 46 FR 9036, Jan. 28, 1981, as amended at 49 FR 29370, July 20, 1984; Order 647, 69 FR 32438, June 10, 2004]