Subcommittee Reviews Status of U.S. Earthquake Preparedness

Yesterday a lightly attended hearing was held by the Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation looking at renewing funding for earthquake preparedness. Two northwesterners testified: Mr. Jim Mullen, Director, Washington State Emergency Management Division; President, National Emergency Management Association & Dr. Vicki McConnell, Oregon State Geologist and Director, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

In 1977 Congress passed the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act (NEHRP) as a long-term earthquake risk reduction program for the United States. Currently under NEHRP, four federal agencies have responsibility for long-term earthquake risk reduction: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  The House passed reauthorization legislation in the last Congress with bipartisan support, however, the legislation was not considered by the Senate.

Director of NEHRP, Dr. John Hayes, testified that while we are making progress, there are still things we can do to be better prepared for high magnitude earthquakes.  “[W]e still have much to learn about the earthquake hazards we face and the engineering measures needed to minimize the risks from those hazards,” Hayes said.  “Assuming that we already know everything we need to know is the surest strategy for catastrophe… Our challenge is to see that the new knowledge and experience gained through NEHRP continues to be developed and applied to domestic practices and policies that foster a more resilient American society.”

A panel at last September’s Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs related hearing, “Earthquake Preparedness: What the U.S. Can Learn from the 2010 Chilean and Haitian Earthquakes” gave US preparedness a “B” grade.