[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE EARLY WARNING AND RAPID NOTIFICATION ACT

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                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 26, 2005

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be introducing the 
Early Warning and Rapid Notification Act, which will fix some of the 
communications problems that plagued the effort to effectively warn 
people about the tsunami of December 26, 2004.
  Mr. Speaker, exactly one month ago over 160,000 people in the Indian 
Ocean region died as a result of a catastrophic tsunami caused by the 
largest earthquake the world has seen in over 40 years. In the wake of 
that disaster, an outpouring of sympathy across this country has 
resulted in over $350 million in private donations, with the United 
States government pledging nearly that much as well. Having witnessed 
such devastation, we're now asking the question: How can we keep this 
from happening again?
  There were two entirely avoidable problems that contributed to the 
scale of the December 26 tragedy. The first was a lack of tsunami 
sensors in the Indian Ocean, which made it difficult for the scientists 
at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii to determine if the 
massive earthquake had in fact spawned a killer wave. In response to 
this we've seen a number of proposals, both from this Congress and 
around the world, to establish a global tsunami sensor network. I 
support these proposals, since there is no reason why we should be 
caught unaware in the event of any disaster where we have the ability 
to detect it beforehand.
  The second problem on December 26 was far more fundamental, and far 
more maddening. It was, in this era of cell phones and instant text 
messaging and worldwide satellite coverage, a complete breakdown of 
communications. In some cases, we had the ability to let people know, 
but couldn't. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center simply wasn't sure who 
to contact in those countries bordering the Indian Ocean that were in 
danger from the tsunami. They did an excellent job in reaching who they 
could, but there was too much confusion, and far too much time passed 
before they could get the warning to those who needed it. There's no 
reason for this. The United States should know exactly who to contact 
in every country in the world if we have information about a natural 
disaster that they need. In this legislation, the State Department is 
directed to conduct a study examining the lines of communication about 
natural disasters between the United States and other countries, and to 
make recommendations to strengthen those lines if they're found 
lacking.
  But even if we had known exactly when, where, and how hard the 
tsunami was going to hit, and had been able to get that info to the 
governments of every nation in the region, not much would have changed. 
Because in order to save lives, you have to get that information to the 
people in danger. The people in the towns and villages along the 
coasts. The tourists on the beaches. Without a way to get warnings to 
these people, all the sensors in the world won't do a bit of good.
  Mr. Speaker, in this country we're used to all types of warning 
systems. Warnings about tornadoes, warnings about floods, warnings 
about hurricanes; warnings about chemical spills and potential 
terrorist attacks; we grew up with the Emergency Broadcast System to 
warn us about the unthinkable. In short, we have one of the most 
advanced systems in the entire world for warning people about all types 
of hazards. And these warning systems save lives. But many other 
countries are missing even the most rudimentary ways of getting 
warnings to people at risk, which results in tens of thousands of 
unnecessary deaths each year.
  The United Nations recognizes the need for a comprehensive, worldwide 
effort to establish early warning systems in countries that don't have 
them, and last week launched the International Early Warning Programme. 
The Programme identifies four elements of effective early warning 
systems: knowing what the risks are, detecting disasters, disseminating 
warnings, and making sure people know how to respond.
  The legislation I am introducing today directs the United States to 
work with the United Nations in implementing the International Early 
Warning Programme, and authorizes $50 million to help establish early 
warning systems in other countries for all types of hazards. This isn't 
merely protection against another tsunami; it's protection against 
floods, fires, storms, volcanoes, and any other event where a timely 
warning can save lives. This bill also expands the scope of our 
existing research programs on early warning systems to include an 
international component, and directs additional research into the use 
of advanced technologies to provide quick and effective warnings, both 
at home and abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, setting up a worldwide tsunami warning system is 
important, but the sad likelihood is that far more people will be 
killed from floods and storms in the future than from another tsunami. 
This legislation will help establish systems that provide effective 
early warnings around the world for all types of hazards, and will help 
protect lives and property from the next disaster that, I fear, will 
come all too soon.

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