[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E91]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 24, 2017

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Pacific 
Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act, a comprehensive bill to address 
the earthquake risk facing the Pacific Northwest.
  The Pacific Northwest is at extraordinary risk of a magnitude 9.0 
earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) followed by a tsunami. 
The question is no longer if, but when, this event will occur.
  The CSZ stretches from northern California up into British Columbia. 
Historically, the Cascadia Subduction Zone slips every 300 years or so 
causing major earthquakes. The last quake was in 1700 and evidence 
suggests it was a magnitude 8.7 to a 9.2. Thursday is the 317th 
anniversary of the last major Cascadia earthquake.
  Experts agree that Oregon is due for another major earthquake. Some 
forecasts suggest there is a ten percent chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 
quake on the CSZ in the next thirty years, while others predict a 
thirty-five to forty percent chance of a major quake on the south end 
of the CSZ in the next fifty years.
  The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a minor image of the subduction zone 
off the coast of Japan that caused the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 
triggered the devastating tsunami in 2011. That event caused an 
estimated $300 billion in damages and killed over 15,000 people.
  We can expect similar, if not more, damage in the Pacific Northwest 
and beyond. The United States Geological Service estimates that over 
22,000 people live in Oregon's tsunami inundation zone and even more 
enter the zone daily for employment purposes. The State of Oregon 
predicts thousands of deaths and injuries plus approximately $32 
billion in infrastructure and economic damages in Oregon alone. 
Hundreds of thousands of survivors will be displaced, some possibly for 
years.
  The next big Cascadia quake will likely cause massive damage. 
Critical lifelines, such as power, natural gas, and petroleum lines, 
roads and bridges, water and sewer systems, buildings, and 
communication systems over large parts of California, Oregon and 
Washington will likely be damaged, complicating response and recovery 
efforts. It may take years to fully restore utility services. State and 
local economies will be decimated.
  It is important to note that this is not just a Pacific Northwest 
issue, this is a National issue. Yes the impact of an earthquake and 
tsunami in the CSZ will be felt the most in Oregon and Washington, but 
there will be Nation-wide effects. Seismic shaking is expected to be 
felt as far as Sacramento, California. Most infrastructure in the 
United States as a whole has not been constructed to withstand seismic 
shaking of the magnitude that scientists predict has a high likelihood 
of occurring.
  The national economy will be impacted by this event. Fortune 500 
companies, such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Nike, are headquartered in 
Oregon and Washington. International ports used to export U.S. goods 
and to import foreign goods could be closed for months or longer. In 
fact, the ports of Portland, Oregon, and Seattle and Tacoma, Washington 
accounted for a combined 75 million tons of goods in 2012. Major 
highways and other thoroughfares used for interstate commerce will be 
damaged and rendered unusable.
  This a not a question of if an earthquake will happen, only a matter 
of when. We need to start taking this threat seriously and begin to 
prepare for the event. There is a saying that ``earthquakes don't kill 
people, buildings do.'' This means we need to start investing in the 
Nation's infrastructure to ensure it can withstand seismic activity and 
minimize potential damage and economic disruption.
  My bill proposes to address the earthquake risk in several ways. 
First, the bill proposes to save lives, reduce injuries, and minimize 
infrastructure damage by requiring FEMA to prepare a plan to fund the 
purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the 
Cascadia Subduction Zone. It also clarifies that FEMA may use hazard 
mitigation funds to improve the earthquake early warning system.
  An early warning system can send alerts to trigger automatic 
shutdowns of trains, manufacturing lines, and close bridges. An 
earthquake early warning system worked during the 2011 Japan earthquake 
and it can work here.
  An earthquake early warning system is only the first step though. The 
bill also directs the President to establish an Earthquake and Tsunami 
Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on 
how the Nation should prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond 
to, recover from, and more successfully adapt to an earthquake and 
tsunami in the CSZ. This will ensure that Federal, State, local, and 
tribal governments as well as individuals begin preparing now for a 
smarter response and recovery.
  If we want to save lives and mitigate the damage, we cannot afford to 
wait. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and 
taking the threat of a catastrophic earthquake seriously.