89–010 

Calendar No. 283 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 111–133 

NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND MONITORING 

SYSTEM ACT 

MARCH 2, 2010.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BINGAMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 782] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 782) to provide for the establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment 

and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring 

Program Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Program established under section 3(a). 

(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior. 

SEC. 3. NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND MONITORING PROGRAM. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish within the United States Geological Survey a program to be known as the ‘‘National Volcano Early Warning and 

Monitoring Program’’. 

(b) COMPONENTS.—The program shall consist of a national volcano watch office 

and data center, which shall oversee and coordinate the activities of United States 

Geological Survey regional volcano watch and data centers. 

(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are— 

(1) to monitor and study volcanoes and volcanic activity throughout the 

United States at a level commensurate with the threat posed by each volcano; 

and 

(2) to warn and protect people and property from undue and avoidable harm 

from volcanic activity. 


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SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT. 

(a) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary shall prepare a management plan for establishing and operating the program. 

(2) INCLUSIONS.—The management plan shall include— 

(A) annual cost estimates of— 

(i) operating the program; and 

(ii) updating the data collection, monitoring, and analysis systems; 

(B) annual standards and performance goals; and 

(C) recommendations for establishing new, or enhancing existing, partnerships with State agencies or universities. 

(b) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements or partnerships with State agencies and universities, under which the Secretary may designate the agency or university as volcano observatory partners for the program. 

(c) COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Secretary shall coordinate activities authorized under this Act with the heads of relevant Federal agencies 

including— 

(1) the Secretary of Transportation; 

(2) the Secretary of Commerce; 

(3) the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; and 

(4) the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

(d) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may establish a competitive grant program 

to support research and monitoring of volcanic activities in furtherance of this 

Act. 

(2) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Federal share of the total cost of 

an activity provided assistance under this subsection shall be 25 percent. 

(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall annually submit to Congress a report 

that describes the activities undertaken during the previous year to carry out this 

Act. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2019. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 782, as ordered reported, is to establish within 

the United States Geological Survey a National Volcano Early 

Warning and Monitoring Program to coordinate research of volcanic activity in the United States. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

There are over 160 hazardous volcanoes located in the United 

States and its territories. The risks to life and property from volcanic activity are escalating as more people live, work, play, and 

travel in volcanic regions. The United States has experienced six 

major volcanic eruptions since 1900: Novarupta, AK (1912); Mt. 

Lassen, CA (1917); Mount St. Helens, WA (1980); Mauna Loa, HI 

(1984); Mt. Augustine, AK (1986); and Mt. Redoubt, AK (1989). 

In addition, there have been many examples of ongoing volcanic 

activity, including the Spring 2009 eruption of Alaska’s Redoubt 

Volcano near Anchorage; a series of earthquakes late in 2008 in 

Yellowstone National Park; a number of earthquakes and minor 

eruptions at Mount St. Helens in 2007 and 2008; and the ongoing 

eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano, which is now in its 26th year 

of continuous eruption. 

Such incidents require ongoing monitoring, tracking, and response from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other 

authorities. The USGS works closely with the Secretary of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the National Oceanic and AtVerDate Nov 24 2008 23:50 Mar 03, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR133.XXX SR133

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mospheric Administration, the Forest Service, the National Park 

Service, and other local authorities to develop disaster plans and 

early warning systems in order to prevent the unnecessary loss of 

life and property. 

Currently, the USGS has a series of volcano observatories that 

coordinate these activities. The observatories include the Alaska 

Volcano Observatory, based in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, 

which monitors the Aleutian volcanic chain; the Cascades Volcano 

Observatory, based in Vancouver, Washington, which monitors the 

Cascade Range volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens, Mount 

Rainier, and Mount Hood; the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, which 

is located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at the edge of the 

Kilauea Volcano; the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, which monitors the caldera that occupies much of Yellowstone National Park; 

and the Long Valley Observatory, which monitors the Long Valley 

Caldera on the eastern front of the Sierras, California. 

Beginning in fiscal year 1996, through fiscal year 2008, Congress 

provided supplemental funding for volcano monitoring through the 

Federal Aviation Administration. These funds, $2.7 million per 

year, have been primarily used to expand monitoring networks beyond the Cook Inlet region of Alaska to a total of 33 volcanoes, all 

of which pose an ash hazard to heavily traveled North Pacific air 

traffic routes. This funding ended in FY 2008, however, leaving the 

long-term maintenance of these networks in jeopardy and some 

high threat volcanoes not adequately monitored. 

As ordered reported, S. 782 would establish a new program within the U.S.G.S. including a national volcano watch office and data 

center, to oversee and coordinate the activities of the regional volcano observatories. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 782 was introduced by Senators Murkowski and Begich on 

April 2, 2009. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held 

a hearing on the bill on June 17, 2009. (S. Hrg. 111–65). At its 

business meeting on December 16, 2009, the Committee on Energy 

and Natural Resources ordered S. 782 favorably reported with an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on December 16, 2009, by a voice vote of a quorum 

present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 782, if amended as 

described herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During its consideration of S. 782, the Committee adopted an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. As introduced, S. 782 

would have established a national volcano early warning and monitoring system. The committee substitute instead establishes a program within the U.S.G.S. to coordinate and oversee volcano monitoring activities. The amendment authorizes the Secretary of the 

Interior to establish a competitive grant program to support research and monitoring of volcanic activities in furtherance of this 

Act. 


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The amendment is explained in detail in the section-by-section 

analysis, below. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 contains the short title, the ‘‘National Volcano Early 

Warning and Monitoring Program Act.’’ 

Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill. 

Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the 

National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Program within 

the United States Geological Survey. 

Subsection (b) provides that the program shall consist of a national volcano watch office and data center, which shall oversee 

and coordinate the activities of U.S.G.S. regional volcano watch 

and data centers. 

Subsection (c) states that the purposes of the program are to 

monitor and study volcanoes and volcanic activity throughout the 

United States and to warn and protect people and property from 

undue and avoidable harm from volcanic activity. 

Section 4(a) directs the Secretary to prepare a management plan 

for establishing and operating the program within one year after 

the date of enactment. 

Subsection (b) authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative 

agreements or partnerships with State agencies and universities, 

under which the Secretary may designate the agency or university 

as volcano observatory partners for the program. 

Subsection (c) directs the Secretary to coordinate activities authorized under this Act with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, including the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of 

Commerce, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Commission, 

and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

Subsection (d) provides that the Secretary may establish a competitive grant program to support research and monitoring of volcanic activities in furtherance of the Act, with a requirement that 

the non-Federal share of the total costs of an activity funded by the 

grant be at least 25 percent. 

Subsection (e) directs the Secretary to annually submit a report 

to Congress that describes the program activities undertaken during the previous year. 

Section 5 authorizes the appropriation of $15 million for each of 

fiscal years 2009 through 2019 to carry out the Act. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 782—National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Program 

Act 

Summary: S. 782 would authorize the appropriation of $75 million over the 2010–2014 period for a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

program to monitor active volcanoes and to enhance the agency’s 

ability to warn the public of potentially harmful volcanic activity. 

Based on information from USGS and assuming appropriation of 

the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $69 million over the 2010–2014 period and $6 


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million after 2014. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues. 

S. 782 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and 

would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 782 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010– 

2014 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level ....................................................................... 15 15 15 15 15 75 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................ 10 14 15 15 15 69 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted early in calendar year 2010 and that the authorized amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar 

USGS activities. 

S. 782 would authorize the appropriation of $15 million a year 

over the 2010–2014 period for the USGS to establish a program to 

monitor active volcanoes and to provide warnings to protect individuals and property from the harmful effects of volcanic activity. 

The bill would require USGS to designate a national volcano watch 

office and data collection center. The bill also would require the 

Secretary of the Interior to prepare a management plan for establishing and operating the program and to submit an annual report 

to the Congress describing program activities. Finally, the bill 

would establish a grant program to support research and monitoring of volcanic activity. Based on information from USGS and 

assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates 

that implementing the legislation would cost $69 million over the 

2010–2014 period and $6 million after 2014. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 782 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

State agencies and universities would benefit from grants and cooperative agreements in the bill for research and monitoring of volcanic activity. Any costs to those entities would be incurred voluntarily as a condition of receiving federal assistance. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell; Impact on 

the Private Sector: Brian Prest. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 782. 


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The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing 

Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 782, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 782, as reported, does not contain any congressionally directed 

spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided for the record by the U.S. Geological Survey at the June 17, 2009 Subcommittee hearing on S. 782 follows: 

STATEMENT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF

THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank 

you for this opportunity to provide testimony on Senate 

Bill 782, which is ‘‘to provide for the establishment of the 

National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System’’. 

The Department would like to thank the Committee for its 

work on the bill, which recognizes a number of activities 

that USGS currently conducts under existing authorizations. The USGS operates a system of five Volcano Observatories for the purpose of reducing losses of life and property and minimizing social and economic disruptions during volcanic eruptions and their often protracted precursory phases. The USGS does this under the Disaster Relief 

Act (P.L. 93–288, popularly known as the Stafford Act) as 

the lead Federal agency with responsibility to provide notification for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides 

to enhance public safety and to reduce losses through effective forecasts and warnings based on the best possible 

scientific information. 

U.S. VOLCANIC HAZARDS AND USGS CAPABILITIES

The United States ranks as one of the top countries in 

the world in the number of active and potentially active 

volcanoes. Over the past three decades, 30 U.S. volcanoes 

have erupted on nearly 100 occasions, and an additional 

dozen volcanoes have exhibited periods of anomalous activity, unrest, that initially were worrisome but ultimately 

did not culminate in eruptions. 

Volcanoes produce many kinds of destructive phenomena. In a few recent cases within the United States, 

communities near Mount St. Helen’s in Washington have 

been exposed to powerful explosions and mud flows, and in 

Hawaii, Kilauea volcano has sent lava flows into communities and noxious gas emissions have caused widespread 

lung ailments. Most U.S. volcanoes are located on sparsely 

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nities and infrastructure downstream and downwind, including to military and commercial aviation, that drives 

the need to properly monitor volcanic activity and provide 

forecasts and notifications of expected hazards. The most 

recent example is the 2009 eruption of Mt. Redoubt, Alaska that threatened a nearby oil loading terminal and disrupted civilian and military aviation operations for more 

than a week. 

Hazardous volcanic activity will continue to occur, and 

the ongoing exposure of human life and enterprise will 

continue to be a primary consideration driving USGS volcano monitoring efforts. Fortunately, volcanoes exhibit precursory unrest that if detected and analyzed in time allows 

eruptions to be anticipated and communities at risk to be 

forewarned with reliable information in sufficient time to 

implement response plans and mitigation measures. 

Monitoring volcanic activity in the United States is the 

responsibility of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program and 

is accomplished by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Long Valley Observatory, and Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory. To make maximum use of the Nation’s scientific resources, the USGS operates the observatories 

with the help of universities and other Federal and States 

agencies, through formal partnerships. With the exception 

of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which was established in 1912, U.S. Volcano Observatories have been established in response to specific eruptions or sustained levels of unrest. For example, the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Washington State was established in 1981, following the catastrophic awakening of Mount St. Helens in 

1980, and continues to assess and monitor volcanic hazards in the Pacific Northwest. 

The Volcano Hazards Program also maintains an international rapid-response team under the Volcano Disaster 

Assistance Program (VDAP), co-funded by the U.S. Office 

of Foreign Disaster Assistance within the U.S. Agency for 

International Development (USAID). This team responds 

to emergencies worldwide when called upon by the U.S. 

Department of State and also works to build volcano observatory infrastructure in other countries that are subject 

to volcanic disasters. Through VDAP, the USGS and its 

partners gain experience with a broad spectrum of volcano 

behavior and participate in disaster response and mitigation activities in a variety of physical and cultural settings, 

all of which inform and improve our domestic volcano-response capabilities. 

The USGS works closely with other Federal agencies 

that contribute to volcano monitoring. The National 

Science Foundation has funded installation of geophysical 

instruments to detect ground deformation at about a dozen 

volcanoes for research projects through its EarthScope Program. Operational environmental satellites operated by 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) provide important global remote-sensing data 


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used by the Volcano Observatories to complement groundbased networks, NOAA also operates two of eight Volcanic 

Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC)—in Washington DC and in 

Anchorage, Alaska—that track the dispersion of volcanicash clouds hazardous to aircraft and disseminates this information to the Federal Aviation Administration, and 

commercial and military aircraft to avoid areas that may 

contain hazardous volcanic ash particles. The Smithsonian 

Institution’s Global Volcanism Program supports volcano 

monitoring activities by maintaining a comprehensive 

database on the eruptive histories of volcanoes throughout 

the world, providing data that are critical input to forecasting the likely future activity of restless volcanoes 

RATIONALE FOR A NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND

MONITORING SYSTEM

We have learned from hard experience that waiting to 

deploy a robust monitoring effort until a hazardous volcano awakens and an unrest crisis begins means that scientists, civil authorities, businesses, and citizens are 

caught in a reactive mode of ‘‘playing catch up’’ with the 

volcano, trying to get instruments and civil-defense measures in place before the unrest escalates and the situation 

worsens. Precious time and data are lost in the weeks it 

can take to deploy a response to a reawakening volcano 

time and data that the public needs and should have to 

prepare for the hazards they may be confronted with. At 

present, 74% of the Nation’s moderate or high threat volcanoes are monitored by the USGS at various levels. Of the 

most threatening U.S. volcanoes, approximately half are 

monitored with at least basic real-time sensors (primarily 

seismic arrays). Of those, the three most active volcanoes 

in the U.S. are well monitored in real-time, with a suite 

of modern instrument types and methods that provide the 

ability to track detailed changes and apply models of ongoing and expected activity. 

Volcanoes do not need to erupt to cause problems. 

Changes in a volcano’s behavior that are noted by the local 

population—such as increased smell of sulfur gases, 

steaming at the summit, or felt earthquakes—may cause 

an over-reaction, especially if fueled by rumors of an imminent eruption. This over-reaction may extend beyond the 

average citizen to corporations, small businesses, and government agencies. Without proper instrumentation installed on a volcano, it is difficult to ascertain whether activity is within the range of normal background behavior 

and thus of little concern or precursory to a significant 

eruption. In contrast, a well-instrumented volcano monitored by a local observatory coupled with an active program of community outreach can quickly replace rumors 

and speculation with sound scientific interpretation of the 

activity, thereby minimizing social and economic disruption. 

The recent eruption of Redoubt volcano, Alaska, demonstrates both the utility of monitoring equipment in place 


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before unrest begins and the usefulness of modern instrumentation. Redoubt gained notoriety in its 1989–1990 

eruption when a fully loaded passenger jet nearly crashed 

after its engines were shut down in flight by ingestion of 

airborne volcanic particles. Using the basic seismic network largely unchanged since 1990, along with other observations of subtle changes in the volcano’s baseline behavior, the Alaska Volcano Observatory detected the onset 

of unrest and raised the alert level for Redoubt in November 2008. AVO began monitoring the unrest closely to determine if activity was likely to escalate, plateau, or die 

down, and undertook to improve its monitoring capability 

in anticipation of a possible eruption and need for more 

data by adding instruments such as GPS, remote cameras, 

additional seismometers, and telemetry links. AVO was 

able to improve the network over a period of a few months, 

although the burdens of weather, winter, and safety concerns prevented installation of key new instruments that 

would have provided information about the subsurface rise 

of magma into the volcanic edifice. When the major explosive phase of the eruption began March 22, 2009, AVO’s 

warnings provided the public—including air carriers now 

well aware of the need to avoid ash-contaminated airspace 

and an oil terminal in the path of mudflows produced by 

the eruption—with enough time to undertake preparation 

and mitigation measures. In hindsight, it was fortunate 

that Redoubt provided AVO with sufficient time to improve its monitoring network as much as it did. These improvements were vital to the successful response to this 

eruption. 

In 2005 the USGS published ‘‘An Assessment of Volcanic 

Threat and Monitoring Capabilities in the United States: 

Framework for a National Volcano Early Warning System, 

NVEWS’’ (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1164/). The report is a comprehensive survey of installed instrumentation on the Nation’s volcanoes together with a rigorous 

ranking of volcanoes by threats posed to people and assets. 

This made possible a ‘‘gap’’ analysis, defining the disparity 

between priority monitoring as defined by threat potential 

and existing monitoring. Aviation hazards carried substantial weight in the NVEWS assessment. As part of the report, the USGS developed a methodology for assessing 

aviation threat on a regional and local basis at each volcano and determined that about 1⁄3 of U.S. volcanoes represent a high or very high threat to aviation. Worldwide, 

numerous instances of fast-moving aircraft that inadvertently flew into diffuse clouds of tiny volcanic particles undetected by onboard weather radar have demonstrated the 

potentially costly and life-threatening damages that can be 

sustained. 

The 2005 assessment prioritized volcanic centers where 

monitoring improvements should be upgraded: 13 in Washington, Oregon, and California, 3 in Hawaii, 1 in Wyoming, 

28 in Alaska (where many active volcanoes have no 

ground-based monitoring yet pose a significant threat to 


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aviation), and 8 in the Northern Mariana Islands (also an 

area with significant hazards to aviation from 

unmonitored volcanoes). 

The 2005 report also recommended a number of other 

steps beyond instrumentation improvements, including 

easier access to monitoring data, improved hazard-information products for decision-makers and the public, enhanced collaboration between USGS and external researchers, and innovative outreach to help communities 

develop risk-wise practices. 

Currently, the USGS is authorized to implement all of 

the recommendations contained in NVEWS Report under 

the Stafford Act. After publication of the initial report in 

2005, USGS began taking steps to implement some of the 

Report’s recommendations. In 2009, USGS plans to finalize 

a strategy to achieve the recommendations of the report. 

NVEWS-recommended upgrades planned for the upcoming 

year include upgrades to monitoring capabilities at 

Newberry and Crater Lake volcanoes in Oregon. Furthermore, $15.2 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used primarily to modernize existing monitoring equipment at Kilauea and 

Mauna Loa volcanoes in Hawaii, at Anatahan and Sarigan 

volcanoes in the Northern Mariana Islands, at Yellowstone 

Caldera in Wyoming, and at Spurr, Redoubt and Augustine volcanoes in the Cook Inlet of Alaska; the software 

and communication systems used to transmit data from 

that equipment also will be modernized. Additionally, 

ARRA funds will be used to produce high-resolution topographic maps of volcanic areas in the Pacific Northwest 

that will greatly aid in development of volcanic-hazard 

mitigation plans by local communities. 

S. 782 would authorize $15 million in additional funding 

to implement NVEWS, which has been adopted as USGS 

policy for volcano hazards in ‘‘Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges—U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 

2007–2017’’ (USGS Circular 1309). 

ELEMENTS OF THE NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND

MONITORING SYSTEM (NVEWMS)

1. Improved monitoring infrastructure—targeting the 

volcanoes that are significantly under-monitored for the 

threats posed. This will be done principally in Alaska, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

California, Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming. In addition 

to installation of new networks and telemetry, out-dated 

patchwork monitoring systems will be modernized. 

2. Measures for reduced community vulnerability—supporting communities in developing plans for mitigating 

volcanic risk. As with earthquakes, a key to risk mitigation is preparation. This means identifying high-risk areas 

and community vulnerabilities, creating new hazard-information products, and continuing to build broad-based hazard awareness. 


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3. An external grants program—to engage the Nation’s 

broader scientific community in advancing volcano monitoring science and technology and the societal aspects of 

volcanic risk mitigation. Volcanology is advancing rapidly 

both through growing understanding of volcanic processes 

and through advances in technology that make possible 

new kinds of observations. Many of these advances have 

occurred through the National Science Foundation’s basic 

research programs and through the efforts of USGS scientists. The framework identifies a need, however, to provide support for engaging the Nation’s nonfederal scientists in applied volcanology, through a competitive, peerreviewed grants process to support investigations complementary to but not duplicative of NSF-supported research. 

4. Volcano Watch Office—for readily available situational awareness of current volcanic conditions. At present, 

Volcano Observatories mount 24/7 responses during eruption crises by drawing heavily from partners and other observatories, as well as regular daytime staff, for support. 

There is a danger of missing important precursors between 

such crises. A 24/7 Watch Office will provide backup to observatories and also serve as a single point of contact for 

other federal agencies such as FAA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense that require situational awareness 

around the globe and around the clock. 

5. National Volcano Data Center—as a gateway for access to U.S. volcano data, both within the observatory system and for the external scientific community. The free exchange of data both within the observatory system and to 

the broader scientific community and public is fundamental to scientific advancement, risk mitigation, and government transparency. 

The USGS will not carry out NVEWMS by itself, but 

will build on its long record of successfully partnering with 

diverse groups that have expertise and data to share in 

the mission of helping people co-exist with dangerous volcanoes. Our partners range from the international and national levels, such as with the U.S.A.I.D., the Air Force 

Weather Agency, NOAA, and the Federal Aviation Administration to the regional and local scale with neighboring 

universities and State agencies that are part of the structure of the Volcano Observatories. Using our strategic 

partnering approach, the USGS will continue to apply new 

efforts to implement a National Volcano Early Warning 

and Monitoring System. 

KEY OUTCOMES OF NVEWMS IMPLEMENTATION

The key outcome of NVEWMS will be to strengthen the 

scientific contribution to risk mitigation. Comprehensive 

monitoring of the Nation’s most hazardous volcanoes, coupled with greater understanding of volcanic processes, will 

improve forecasts of the onset, intensity, duration, and effects of expected hazards. New hazard-information products and dissemination methods will be developed by close 


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collaboration between scientists and users. Timely and accurate warnings to en-route aircraft will help prevent dangerous encounters with volcanic ash while minimizing 

costly unnecessary rerouting of aircraft. Overall, civil authorities, businesses, and individuals at risk will have 

more time and better information to prepare, ensuring 

that their ability to respond will not lag behind the evolving behavior of a volcano. Volcanic unrest does not always 

culminate in eruption, and long-term volcano monitoring 

will provide sound, ongoing, scientific information throughout episodes of unrest so that problems related to over-reacting or under-reacting will be minimized. 

More than a network of instruments, NVEWMS will connect the monitoring and research results of scientists to 

the needs of decision-makers at the national to local level 

so that the impact of volcanic activity on the Nation is 

minimized. The real needs of diverse types of users will be 

ascertained and addressed to ensure that scientific advances are effectively applied in the real world. 

CONCLUSION

The USGS appreciates the Committee’s support for 

NVEWS, which is of the utmost importance to our Nation’s 

ability to respond successfully to future volcano hazards. 

We note that this funding would have to compete with existing priorities within the USGS. Additionally, we are 

concerned that the 5-year management plan required in 

Section 4 of the proposed legislation requires predecisional budget and planning information up to five 

years in advance. 

As the Nation continues to face significant threats from 

volcanic hazards in the future, the USGS will work to address the recommendations of the 2005 NVEWS report. 

The Survey has an exceptional record, both nationally and 

internationally, of scientific accomplishment in applied 

volcanology and we will continue to move forward with our 

efforts to upgrade volcano monitoring capacity for those 

areas which have been judged to be the highest priority. 

Mister Chairman, this concludes my remarks. I will be 

pleased to answer any questions you may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 782 as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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