# Plain Language Summary: The BREACH Act

This bill would prevent the federal government from removing or "breaching" dams that it operates if doing so would cause certain economic or environmental problems. Right now, federal agencies can demolish dams for various reasons—like restoring fish populations or improving river ecosystems—but this bill would add new restrictions that make it much harder to do so.

Specifically, the government couldn't breach a dam if it would increase carbon emissions by more than 10 percent, make waterways less usable for commercial shipping, or raise the price of products shipped on those waterways by 10 percent or more. Before making any decision about breaching a dam, the Secretary of the Army would have to consult with other federal agencies like the Department of Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, and Commerce, as well as state officials. The idea behind these restrictions is to protect energy production, shipping routes, and agricultural commerce from disruption.

The practical effect is that environmental goals—like removing dams to help salmon populations return or restore natural river systems—would become much harder to achieve if they conflict with energy production, shipping costs, or agricultural prices. For example, if a dam removal project would require replacing hydroelectric power with other energy sources that produce more carbon emissions, the project would likely be blocked. Similarly, if removing a dam would make it more expensive to ship grain or other products downriver, that would also prevent the breach. This essentially prioritizes economic and energy concerns over environmental restoration efforts on federally operated dams.