[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5251-S5253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOUNT ST. HELENS ERUPTION

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague from 
Washington State to very proudly mark the 25th anniversary of the day 
that Mount St. Helens erupted in my home State of Washington and will 
be joining with her later to offer a resolution to commemorate this 
anniversary.
  For anyone who lived in the Pacific Northwest at the time, May 18, 
1980, is a day we will never forget. It was a day that changed lives 
and it changed the landscape of Washington State forever. It was also a 
day that imposed a heavy toll in lost lives and lost habitat. Fifty-
seven people were killed that day. More than 230 acres of forest were 
leveled in an instant.
  Mr. President, the story of Mount St. Helens is a story of 
destruction, but it is also a story of renewal, a story of science, and 
a story of the importance of preparation. Today I rise to share that 
story and the lessons that it holds for us now 25 years later.
  Perhaps the best place to start really is the day before the 
eruption, when Mount St. Helens was really a beautiful and striking 
feature of landscape

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in the State that I was born and raised in.
  This photo behind me shows what the mountain looked like before the 
eruption. As you can see, it had a nearly perfect dome, and it was 
recognized as one of the most symmetrical mountains in the world. It 
was surrounded by lush forests and beautiful streams and rivers and 
lakes and the area was filled with wildlife of all kinds. But danger 
lurked right beneath that tranquil landscape.
  May 8, 1980, began as a beautiful, sunny morning in the Northwest. I 
remember it well, sitting at home with my two young children at the 
time. Meanwhile, below the surface, Mount St. Helens was anything but 
calm. At 8:32 a.m, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred, and that 
sparked massive eruptions which would last for 9 hours. This photo 
shows some of what followed. Within minutes, this massive cloud of ash 
and toxic gas spouted 15 miles into the air. You could see it from many 
places in my State. A 300-mile-per-hour blast shot from the mountain, 
knocking down all of the evergreen stands as if they were matchsticks. 
The entire north face of the mountain gave way to this massive mud 
slide, and that mud slide carried hot water and debris that it picked 
up over the surrounding landscape.

  The eruption itself released 24 megatons of energy. It destroyed all 
forms of life within the 18-mile blast zone, including roughly 7,000 
bear, elk, and deer. The scope of this devastation on that day was 
enormous. The hot ash from this eruption, combined with the melting 
snow at the mountain top, created massive mud flows. This was not just 
a local event. More than 500 million tons of that ash was blown 
eastward across the United States 250 miles away in Spokane, WA. That 
traveling ash turned day into night for everyone who was there, and by 
June, a few months later, ash could be found from Mount St. Helens on 
the other side of the world.
  As we now mark the 25th anniversary, I wanted to come here to the 
floor today with my colleague from Washington State, Senator Cantwell, 
to pay tribute to the 57 men and women who died on that day. Some of 
them were there enjoying the area's beautiful scenery, some were drawn 
to the mountain for scientific study, and others were long-time 
residents who lived there who refused to give up the only homes they 
had ever known.
  When that dust settled and the mountain quieted, nearly 150,000 acres 
of public and private land had been destroyed.
  This photo behind me shows some of that destruction. That stand of 
trees was blown down in an instant. The mountain's nearly perfect dome 
was turned into a crater. The Toutle River, which had been vibrant and 
green before, a great place in my State, was now a dark, gray expanse.
  Then President Jimmy Carter toured the site and later remarked:

       Someone said this area looked like a moonscape. But the 
     Moon looks more like a golf course compared to what's up 
     there.

  Everyone knew that wildlife restoration would be a major challenge. 
Within weeks of the eruption, however, many dedicated foresters and 
biologists returned to the area to assess the damages and help with the 
recovery. One of the strongest leaders in this revitalization has been 
the Weyerhaeuser Company. It lost nearly 68,000 acres of forest that 
day, making the company the largest private landowner impacted by this 
eruption. The company was able to replant over 45,000 acres with over 
18 million seedlings. Weyerhaeuser has been committed to restoring the 
area through sustainable forestry. Now, 25 years later, many of those 
trees they planted in the wake of the eruption are now amazingly ready 
for thinning, and final harvesting will begin in another 20 years which 
will pave the way for the forest cycle to recommence. The U.S. Forest 
Service made similar efforts. On 14,000 acres of National Forest land, 
the Forest Service has planted nearly 10 million trees since 1980. In 
August of 1982, Congress established the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens 
National Volcanic Monument.
  The monument allows unhindered natural growth and serves as a 
resource for visitors and academics.
  Within weeks of the eruption, signs of life literally sprouted 
through the layers of destruction.
  As forests were replanted and vegetation again took root, the 
wildlife also began to return.
  Roosevelt elk and Columbia black-tailed deer, for example, along with 
small birds and mammals, reestablished their habitats.
  Today the area is a testament to the enduring circle of life, as 
green hills surround the crater, and blue waters flow through the 
valley once again.
  As the ecosystem rebuilds, we are constantly reminded of the wealth 
of knowledge available from the monument itself.
  Thousands of people have been drawn to the mountain to see the 
evidence of this power and to learn from its effects.
  For many, the eruption sparked a new interest in the earth sciences.
  It has provided new insight on seismology and volcanology, helping 
students and scientists to better understand the earth's natural 
movement.
  Representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey have teamed with 
researchers at local and national universities to process the data and 
to continue monitoring movement beneath the ground.
  Teachers from across the country have brought hundreds of student 
groups to the Forest Service's three visitor centers. There, students 
study the eruption and the reemerging wildlife.
  Now what was once a bleak scene of destruction is now a living 
monument and an educational resource.
  Although 25 years have passed, there is still much we can learn from 
the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
  Just last fall, we were reminded that we haven't heard the last from 
this mountain.
  After 18 years of relative quiet, a series of small quakes have 
occurred in October.
  And in March, just 2 months ago--the mountain released a 36,000 foot 
plume of steam.
  Today, inside the crater, the lava dome continues to grow. That is a 
sure sign that there is far more activity to come.
  The most important lesson we can learn from the eruption is the need 
to improve our warning and response systems.
  While we may never be able to fully protect surrounding communities, 
we can help reduce the risk.
  For months before the 1980 blast, scientists from the USGS had 
monitored Mount St. Helens and were able to predict that an eruption 
was likely in the near future.
  As a result, most people stayed away from the mountain. We must 
continue to support the efforts of the scientists and local officials 
who keep us all safe.
  Unfortunately, according to a recent USGS report, monitoring of high-
risk volcanoes in the U.S. leaves a lot to be desired. Of the 169 
volcanoes, 55 qualify as being a ``high risk'' for eruption.
  After Kilauea in Hawaii, Mount St. Helens ranks second on the list of 
high-risk peaks.
  Mount Rainier, also in Washington State, is ranked third, followed by 
Mount Hood in Oregon and Mount Shasta in California.
  Millions of people live near these mountains, making their monitoring 
and study a critical undertaking.
  I want to personally commend the hundreds of dedicated scientists and 
local, state and federal officials who are keeping a close eye on these 
mountains in Washington State.
  Their work is helping to ensure that the public is better prepared 
for any future disaster.
  We can honor those who died 25 years ago by learning from the 
eruption and improving our ability to predict and respond to natural 
disasters.
  While we have been fortunate not to have a major eruption in the U.S. 
since Mount St. Helens, the tsunami tragedy in Asia once again reminded 
us of the power of events beyond our control.
  We know there is more to come, so together, I hope we make sure we 
are well-prepared, and our communities are well-protected.
  My colleague from Washington State, Senator Cantwell, is on the 
floor. I welcome her.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Washington.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague in the 
resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the eruption of Mount 
St. Helens. I thank my colleague for working on the resolution to 
commemorate this historic event. Not only for Washington State and the 
Northwest, but

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for our country, May 18 marks an incredible landmark in time for people 
in the Northwest and certainly marks a critical response by our Federal 
Government. It also allows us to reflect on the progress we have made 
as a nation to develop a greater understanding about the more than 160 
active volcanoes in the United States.
  For over 100 years, Mount St. Helens stood in silence, a relatively 
dormant peak and serene part of the Pacific Northwest. But on the 
morning of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted releasing a plume of 
ash that filled the sky, circling the Earth in just 15 days. The 
destructive eruption eviscerated everything in its path and tore 
through miles of trees.
  Today, 25 years later, the effect of the 1980 eruption remains 
evident, and the rumbling of Mount St. Helens over the past several 
months reminds many of us, particularly in Washington State, of those 
events on May 18, 1980. The level of activity of Mount St. Helens, 
combined with the unpredictability of it, makes it very special for 
Washingtonians. We embrace the mountain's beauty but remain in profound 
respect of its power and weary of a repeat eruption similar to 1980.
  What is important to understand is that Mount St. Helens, located 90 
miles south of Seattle and 65 miles north of Portland, OR, when it 
exploded, released such hot steam that it actually melted 70 percent of 
the snow and ice on top of the mountain. To give you a sense of that 
enormity, Mount St. Helens was, prior to this, the ninth highest peak 
in the State of Washington. It has now been reduced about 1,300 feet. 
The avalanche that was created by that explosion was close to two-
thirds of a cubic mile of debris. The Geological Survey estimates that 
would be enough to cover Washington, DC, in more than 14 feet of ash 
and mud. That is basically what the Northwest dealt with when this 
explosion happened in 1980. We saw flows of rock and ice covering 
various parts of the north fork of the Toutle River, debris running 
down those pathways wherever it could go. The eruption destroyed 27 
bridges that were part of our highway structure, 200 hundred homes, 185 
miles of roadway, and 15 miles of railway.
  What is unique about this is that Congress responded. We responded 
because of the devastation to the physical and environmental 
infrastructure but also because of the loss of life. My colleague and I 
are here to commemorate those 57 Washingtonians who died in the 
incident, and one particular individual, David Johnston, who was with 
the U.S. Geological Survey. What this anniversary marks is the great 
strides we've made as a Nation to response to science in this area.
  David Johnston, by comparison, in 1980 had been studying Mount St. 
Helens for many months. In fact, on the morning of the explosion, he 
was 6 miles away on what is now called Johnston Ridge. Many of my 
colleagues may, if they turned on the TV in the last several months to 
see rumblings of Mount St. Helens, seen many observers, and many 
members of the media stationed on Johnston Ridge. When Mount St. Helens 
erupted on that day, David Johnston, who was our monitoring system at 
Mount St. Helens only had an opportunity to say: Vancouver, this is it. 
And the eruption took his life.
  Where we are today is that we have volcanologists, geologists, 
seismologists in what is a robust system of emergency response. The 
U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of 
Interior, the National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency 
under the Department of Homeland Security, and the Cascade Volcanic 
Observatory in Vancouver, WA, all provide us with a much greater sense 
of what is going on with Mount St. Helens and what the emergency 
response should be in the event of a similar explosion.
  My colleague mentioned that we have seen a lot of rumblings lately on 
Mount St. Helens, and certainly those eruptions have caused concern. 
But I think today's anniversary reminds us that as a nation we 
responded to this activity with a better warning system, and with a 
much better understanding of volcanic activity in the United States. 
With the 162 active volcanoes in the United States, we in the Northwest 
want to see good research on this. The fact that Mt. Rainier and other 
mountains are much closer to great population centers of Washington 
State is something for which we want to continue to have an investment 
in good science.
  I join my colleague Senator Murray and thank her for commemorating 
the events of May 18, 1980, as a particular point in time for 
Washingtonians and for our country. But as I stated this commemoration 
is also significant because it speaks to the advancements in science 
that our country has achieved in better preparing to respond to this 
type of emergency. When I think about the science we have applied as it 
relates to volcano monitoring, I am confident that with similar 
activity and research as it relates to tsunami activity--something that 
also could greatly impact the Northwest--we can better prepare for an 
event of that nature as well. It gives me a great deal of hope that we 
will, through better mapping, through better geological information, 
better seismic information, provide Washingtonians with greater 
security and safety.
  As most of my State will be seeing many pictures of the eruption in 
1980, I thank my colleagues from past Congresses for their support in 
giving us a Cascade Volcanic Observatory in the State of Washington and 
for the work the men and women do in various Federal agencies that 
provide us better scientific information and a better warning systems 
for our country.

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