DEC reports that while none of the dams in the audit are in "imminent danger of failure," they could not "quantify the level of risk to downstream residents."

After an audit conducted by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office found serious problems that have existed in some New York State dams for as long as 36 years, the state Department of Environmental Conservation concluded that stricter rules and oversight were in order.

According to a Release from the Comptroller's office, the three-year audit beginning in 2004 cited staff shortages, funding shortages and outdated policies that were not consistent with their current practices as the reasons for many of these problems. The proposed regulations grant the DEC broader enforcement authority and the ability to take action against dam owners who fail to fix deficiencies.

Public hearings on these regulations are scheduled to begin in April.

Click here for a copy of the audit

Click here for a list of the 133 dams examined in the audit