[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 6, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1368-H1371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         PACIFIC NORTHWEST EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS ACT OF 2019

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 876) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to carry out a plan for the purchase and installation 
of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 876

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITION.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Pacific 
     Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019''.
       (b) Cascadia Subduction Zone Defined.--In this Act, the 
     term ``Cascadia Subduction Zone'' means the landward-dipping 
     fault that is approximately 684 miles long, separates the 
     Juan de Fuca and North America plates, and stretches along a 
     portion of the western coast of the United States beginning 
     off Cape Mendocino, California, along the State of Oregon, 
     the State of Washington, to Northern Vancouver Island, 
     British Columbia.

     SEC. 2. EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR CASCADIA 
                   SUBDUCTION ZONE.

       (a) Plan for Purchase and Installation.--
       (1) Development and funding.--The Administrator of the 
     Federal Emergency Management Agency shall--
       (A) develop a plan for the purchase and installation of an 
     earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction 
     Zone; and

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       (B) identify the funds necessary for implementation of the 
     plan.
       (2) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
     submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a copy of 
     the plan.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
     to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that 
     summarizes the actions taken to implement the plan.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section, the following 
     definitions apply:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       (2) Earthquake early warning system.--The term ``earthquake 
     early warning system'' includes--
       (A) improvements to regional and geodetic networks that 
     support building a capability for an earthquake early warning 
     system; and
       (B) seismometers, Global Positioning System receivers, and 
     associated infrastructure.

     SEC. 3. EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI TASK FORCE.

       (a) In General.--The President shall establish an 
     Earthquake and Tsunami Task Force for the purpose of 
     developing 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 a 
     covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
       (b) Task Force.--
       (1) Membership.--The membership of the Task Force shall 
     include a cross section of subject matter experts 
     representing the following:
       (A) Relevant Federal agencies.
       (B) The States of Oregon, Washington, and California.
       (C) Indian tribes, local governments, and private sector 
     representatives that may be impacted by a covered event in 
     the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
       (D) Universities, academia, and research institutions with 
     expertise in topics relevant to the work of the Task Force.
       (2) Chairperson.--The Administrator (or the Administrator's 
     designee) shall serve as the chairperson of the Task Force.
       (3) Detailed employees.--Members of the Task Force may 
     detail employees to assist the Administrator (or the 
     Administrator's designee) in fulfilling the responsibilities 
     of the Task Force.
       (c) Comprehensive Strategy.--
       (1) Strategy.--The comprehensive strategy to be developed 
     under subsection (a) shall include the following:
       (A) A description of how Federal agencies will coordinate 
     to develop the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate 
     against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully 
     adapt to the impacts of a covered event in the Cascadia 
     Subduction Zone.
       (B) A strategy to ensure collaboration between the 
     Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, the 
     Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, and other Federal 
     agencies, as appropriate, for purposes of--
       (i) completing a needs assessment of Federal facilities in 
     need of hardening for a covered event; and
       (ii) developing a strategic plan to mitigate and retrofit 
     Federal, State, tribal, and local critical assets for 
     freight, energy, and transit purposes to withstand a covered 
     event and to help save lives during and immediately after a 
     covered event.
       (C) A strategy--
       (i) to assist State, tribal, and local governments in 
     developing and implementing a coordinated and comprehensive 
     plan to prioritize Federal, State, tribal, local, and private 
     investments and activities to develop the ability to prepare 
     and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and 
     more successfully adapt to the impacts of a covered event in 
     the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and
       (ii) to link any existing statewide mitigation plan with 
     such a coordinated and comprehensive plan.
       (D) With respect to the strategy described in subparagraph 
     (C), an examination of the feasibility of the public sector, 
     the private sector, and individuals to acquire earthquake 
     insurance.
       (E) An identification of funding opportunities to implement 
     the comprehensive strategy and any recommendations made by 
     the Task Force, including--
       (i) existing funding opportunities across Federal agencies 
     and other sources; and
       (ii) potential new funding opportunities.
       (F) An identification of barriers to obtaining funding for 
     the implementation of the comprehensive strategy and 
     recommendations on how to remove the barriers.
       (G) A strategy for appropriate Federal agencies to 
     collaborate with and assist State, tribal, and local 
     governments in developing recommendations for cost-effective 
     mitigation alternatives for aging State, tribal, and locally 
     owned critical infrastructure.
       (H) A strategy for assisting State, tribal, and local 
     governments in developing a recovery plan prior to a covered 
     event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone that addresses how 
     State, tribal, and local governments may want to rebuild 
     after the event.
       (I) An identification of the steps taken to date to develop 
     an onshore and offshore earthquake early warning system and a 
     description of the purpose and scope of such a system.
       (J) An evaluation of the types of offshore earthquake early 
     warning systems and recommendations and a cost estimate for 
     an earthquake early warning system appropriate for the 
     Cascadia Subduction Zone.
       (K) Recommendations on how an earthquake early warning 
     system should operate, including whether and how the system 
     should interface with the private sector.
       (L) A description of appropriate roles and responsibilities 
     for Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, including 
     who should operate and maintain an earthquake early warning 
     system, the cost of the system, and possible funding sources 
     for the system.
       (M) A plan on how to integrate an earthquake early warning 
     system into existing and new public alert warning systems and 
     technologies, including mobile systems.
       (2) Use of existing plans.--In developing the comprehensive 
     strategy, the Task Force may use existing plans, studies, and 
     other resources.
       (d) Recommendations.--The recommendations to be developed 
     by the Task Force under subsection (a) shall include 
     recommendations on--
       (1) potential administrative or legislative changes 
     required to implement the comprehensive strategy;
       (2) the funding required to implement the comprehensive 
     strategy and the recommendations; and
       (3) the order of priority for implementation of the 
     comprehensive strategy.
       (e) National Academies.--
       (1) Collaboration.--The Task Force shall work 
     simultaneously and collaboratively with the National 
     Academies.
       (2) Agreement.--The Task Force shall enter into an 
     agreement with the National Academies under which the 
     National Academies shall develop recommendations for a 
     Federal research strategy to advance scientific understanding 
     of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and resulting 
     tsunami preparedness, including the following:
       (A) Geologic conditions, ground motions, and tsunami 
     hazards.
       (B) Implications of an effective automated early warning 
     system.
       (C) Effects of mega-earthquake and tsunami events on the 
     built and natural environment.
       (D) Social and behavioral factors for effective disaster 
     preparedness and response.
       (E) Cost-effective mitigation alternatives for legacy and 
     aging infrastructure.
       (F) Strategic planning for freight, energy, and transit 
     network robustness.
       (G) Tools that help communities invest their resources for 
     the greatest benefit.
       (H) Any other topics identified as necessary by the Task 
     Force or the National Academies.
       (f) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report of the Task Force 
     that includes the following:
       (1) The comprehensive strategy to be developed under 
     subsection (a).
       (2) The recommendations to be developed under subsections 
     (a), (d), and (e).
       (g) Definitions.--In this section, the following 
     definitions apply:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       (2) Covered event.--The term ``covered event'' means an 
     earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami 
     event.
       (3) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Federal 
     interagency task force to be established under subsection 
     (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 876, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this overdue action by the 
Federal Government, the Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act 
of 2019, as amended.
  Next month will mark the eighth anniversary of the devastating 2011 
earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan. Japanese officials estimate 
the event caused 100,000 buildings to totally collapse, 270,000 
buildings to half collapse, and partially damaged almost 750,000 
buildings.
  Fifteen thousand people died. Most of the deaths were caused by the 
resulting

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tsunami and not the earthquake because Japan has an early warning 
system for earthquakes, and it worked. It sent alarms and text messages 
warning citizens to take cover and likely prevented many deaths and 
injuries.
  Within 15 seconds to 1 minute of warning, depending on location, the 
earthquake warning system alerted Japan's high-speed rail system to 
stop trains, reducing deaths and injuries; production lines had time to 
cease operations; and property damage economic losses were way less 
than would have been otherwise.
  I went with then-Chairman Denham over to observe their system and 
discuss what they are doing now. Now what they are doing is they 
realize that most of the people died because they did not have ocean 
sensors, and they underestimated the height of the tsunami. They told 
people to take shelter in places 10 to 12 feet above wave level. The 
waves were much bigger and, subsequently, many of those people died.
  So they are not waiting. The technology currently exists for a 
realtime warning system that will give them even more notice of an 
earthquake and will give them more accurate wave heights on the 
resulting tsunami so people can take proper shelter.
  We have the same opportunity to do that here in the United States if 
we take action soon.
  The Cascadia subduction zone sits off the coast of Oregon and 
northern California--right at that border, essentially--and experts 
believe it has generated at least a dozen major earthquakes between 
magnitudes 8 and 9, which is an awesome earthquake, and resulting 
tsunamis over the last 5,000 years.
  This January was the 319th anniversary of the last large quake, and 
many scientists say that we are overdue and it could happen at any 
time. It will be essentially a mirror image of the subduction zone off 
the coast of Japan that caused the devastating 2011 earthquake and 
tsunami.
  The technology is here. The question is whether we want to invest in 
an offshore earthquake early warning system now or wait until thousands 
of people have died and catastrophic property damage occurs. We need to 
invest now rather than later.
  This bill will begin to address the very real threat of a combined 
earthquake and tsunami off the Pacific Northwest coast before it 
happens. Some forecasts say there is a 10 percent chance of a magnitude 
8 to 9 in the next 30 years; others predict a 35 to 40 percent chance 
in the next 50 years.
  This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop 
a plan to identify funds to purchase equipment necessary for an 
earthquake early warning system and to report to Congress on the 
implementation of the plan.
  It also requires the President to establish an earthquake and tsunami 
task force. The task force will consist of representatives from 
potentially impacted areas as well as earthquake and tsunami experts to 
develop a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on how the Nation 
should prepare for, plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover 
from, and adapt to an earthquake, tsunami, or combined event of a large 
magnitude in the Cascadia subduction zone.
  We need to take this threat seriously and prepare accordingly. Madam 
Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, as my colleague has noted, earthquakes strike without 
warning and result in potentially catastrophic casualties and massive 
damage to buildings and infrastructure.
  As was seen in Japan 8 years ago, earthquakes in the coastal regions 
such as the Pacific Northwest can be followed by devastating tsunamis 
with huge loss of life. They can't be prevented, but they impact life, 
property, and our economy. What we can do is warn our citizens of that 
threat.
  H.R. 876, the Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019, 
directs FEMA to plan the development of an earthquake early warning 
system, not unlike that in Japan, for the Cascadia subduction zone. The 
bill directs the President to establish an earthquake and tsunami task 
force to develop a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on how to 
prepare and plan for seismic events.
  Good planning and preparedness can save lives and property, and this 
legislation will help us to prepare for, mitigate against, and respond 
to disasters along the Cascadia subduction zone.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I support 
the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.

  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for his 
support of the bill, and I will look to support him on issues that deal 
with the Great Lakes in the future or other concerns that he may have.
  This is just something that, as a nation, as we see threats to our 
citizens around the country, we should be pushing for preparedness and 
for resilience. This bill, if we move forward with the plan and put out 
the instrumentation, will save lives and will be a tremendous benefit 
to the Nation as a whole.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON-of Texas. Madam Speaker, I support passage of H.R. 876, 
the Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019, as amended. 
I commend my friend from Oregon, Chairman DeFazio, for addressing the 
urgent need to develop better earthquake and tsunami warning systems in 
the region of our country most vulnerable to such natural disasters. In 
fact, my own committee, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, 
has had for many years a leading role in strengthening earthquake and 
tsunami preparedness and response in order to minimize the loss of life 
and property.
  In December 2018, we enacted a reauthorization of the National 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), which was first 
authorized in 1977 but had not been updated since 2004. In the 15 years 
since, our scientific understanding of earthquakes as well as how we 
apply that science to save lives and property have evolved 
significantly. In the reauthorization, we updated the program to 
reflect those developments.
  Four agencies participate in NEHRP. The National Science Foundation 
and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) carry out fundamental research in the 
earth sciences that contributes to our understanding of earthquakes. In 
addition, USGS develops and manages ShakeAlert--the earthquake early 
warning system. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is 
the lead agency for NEHRP and also carries out applied research in 
support of more earthquake resilient building codes. FEMA provides 
earthquake training and awareness to States and territories and assists 
communities in creating seismic mitigation plans. Each of these 
agencies has a unique and essential role as clearly defined in the 
NEHRP statute. I want to thank my colleague Chairman DeFazio for 
working with me to ensure that H.R. 876 does not unintentionally create 
any confusion or uncertainty as to the respective roles and 
responsibilities of each of these agencies.
  Our committee also has a lead role in tsunami warning and 
preparedness. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA) has run a tsunami early warning system for many years. In 2006, 
the Science Committee passed the Tsunami Warning and Education Act. We 
updated that program just last Congress through H.R. 353, thanks to the 
leadership of another colleague from Oregon and a valued Member of the 
Science Committee, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici.
  We all share he same goal of taking advantage of the strengths and 
resources of our federal agencies to minimize the tragic loss of life 
and the economic impact of large scale natural disasters. If H.R. 876 
becomes law, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure 
good coordination and collaboration between the new activities required 
in H.R. 876 and the ongoing activities under the NEHRP and Tsunami 
warning programs. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 876.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 876, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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