A periodic inspection must include:

(a) Review of prior reports. The independent consultant team must review and consider all relevant reports on the safety of the development made by or written under the direction of Federal or state agencies, submitted under Commission regulations, or made by other consultants. The licensee must provide to the independent consultant team all information and reports necessary to fulfill the requirements of this section. The independent consultant team must perform sufficient review to have, at the time of the periodic inspection, a full understanding of the design, construction, performance, condition, upstream and downstream hazard, monitoring, operation, and potential failure modes of the project works.

(b) Physical field inspection. The independent consultant team must perform a physical field inspection of accessible project works, including galleries, adits, vaults, conduits, earthen and concrete-lined spillway chutes, the exterior of water conveyances, and other non-submerged project works that may require specialized access to facilitate inspection. The inspection shall include review and assessment of all relevant data concerning:

(1) Settlement;

(2) Movement;

(3) Erosion;

(4) Seepage;

(5) Leakage;

(6) Cracking;

(7) Deterioration;

(8) Hydraulics;

(9) Hydrology;

(10) Seismicity;

(11) Internal stress and hydrostatic pressures in project structures and their foundations and abutments;

(12) The condition and performance of foundation drains, dam body drains, relief wells, and other pressure-relief systems;

(13) The condition and performance of any post-tensioned anchors installed, and other major modifications completed, to improve the stability of project works;

(14) The stability of critical slopes adjacent to a reservoir or project works; and

(15) Regional and site geological conditions.

(c) Review of surveillance and monitoring plan and data. The independent consultant team must:

(1) Review the surveillance procedures, instrumentation layout, installation details, monitoring frequency, performance history, data history and trends, and relevance to potential failure modes; and

(2) Review the frequency and scope of other surveillance activities.

(d) Review of dam and public safety programs. The independent consultant team must review the programs specified in this paragraph.

(1) Hazard potential. The independent consultant team must review the potential inundation area and document any significant changes in the magnitude and location of the population at risk since the previous inspection under this subpart D.

(2) Emergency Action Plan. If the project development is subject to subpart C of this part, the independent consultant team must review the emergency action plan, including the emergency action plan document itself, the licensee's training program, and any related time-sensitivity assessment(s).

(3) Public Safety Program. The independent consultant team must review the public access restrictions and public safety warning signs and devices near the project works pursuant to § 12.52.

(4) Owner's Dam Safety Program. If the project is subject to subpart F of this part, the independent consultant team must review the implementation of the licensee's Owner's Dam Safety Program with respect to the project development being inspected under this subpart D.