Before the Committee on Appropriations

Storage __________________________

Disaster Assistance 

Pacific Northwes tMount Saint Helens

Eruption

Fiscal Ye ar 1980

tk CONGRESS, FI RS T SES SIO N

SPECIAL FISCAL YEAR 1980 SUPPLEMENTAL HEARING

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE— CIVIL

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

SMALL BUSINESS ADM INISTR ATION

DISASTER ASS IST ANCE PAC IFIC NORTHW EST

MOUNT SAI NT HELENS ERUPTIO N

H E A R I N G

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIO NS 

UNIT ED STATES SENAT E

NINE TY -SIX TH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

Special Fiscal Year 1980 Supplemental Hearing

Department of Agriculture

Department of Commerce

Department of Defense—Civil

Department of Education

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of the Interior

Department of Transportation

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Nondepartmental Witnesses

Small Business Administration

64 -6 29 0

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COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

WARREN Q. MAGNUSON, Washington, Chair ma n

JOHN C. STENNIS, Mississippi

ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia

WILLIAM PROXMIRE, Wisconsin

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii

ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina

BIRCH BATH, Indiana

THOMAS F. EAGLETON, Missouri

LAWTON CHILES, Florida

J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, Louisiana

WALTER D. HUDDLESTON, Kentucky

QUENTIN N. BURDICK, North Dakota

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont

JIM SASSER, Tennessee

DENNIS DeCONCINI, Arizona

DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas

JOHN A. DURKIN, New Hampshire

MILTON R. YOUNG, North Dakota

MARK O. HATFIELD, Oregon

TED STEVENS, Alaska

CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, Ja., Maryland

RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER, Pen nsylvania

HENRY BELLMON, Oklahoma

LOWELL P. WEICKER, Ja., Connecticut

JAMES A. McCLURE, Idaho

PAUL LAXALT, Nevada

JAKE GARN, Utah

HARRISON SCHMITT, New Mexico

W. Feathbrstonb Rbid, Staff D irec tor

Joel E. Bonnes, Jr., M in or ity S taff D irec to r

<n)
C O N T E N T S

Page

Congressional witnesses.................................................................................................... 1

Opening statement by Chairm an Magnuson......................................................... 1

Statements by:

Senator Henry M. Jackson (Washington)...................................................... 2

Senator Harrison H. Schmitt (New Mexico).................................................. 3

Senator Milton R. Young (North Dakota).................................................... 4

Departm ent of the Interior:

U.S. Geological Survey:

Statement of William Menard, Director, U.S. Geological Survey.............. 7

Charts:

Volcanoes in Alask a...................................................... ........................... 8

Previous Cascade eruptions....................................................................... 9

Previous volumes of ejecta....................................................................... 11

Eruption of Mount S t Helens................................................................. 14

USGS hydrologic data sites...................................................................... 16

Prepared statement of William Menard, Director, U.S. Geological Sur

vey................................................................................................................... 18

Statement submitted by Chairman Mag nuson............................................... 35

Nondepartmental witnesses:

Statement of Hon. Dixie Lee Ray, Governor of the State of Washington....... 41

Federal Emergency Management Agency:

Statement of John Macy, Director, FEM A........................................................... 45

Prepared statement of John Macy.......................................................................... 46

Overview of FEMA’s responsibilities..................................................................... 51

Questions submitted by Chairman Magnuson...................................................... 62

Department of Health and Human Services:

Center for Disease Control...................................................................................... 71

Statement of Dr. William Foege, Director, Center for Disease Control,

DHHS.............................................................................................................. 71

Prepared statement of D r. William F oege ..................................................... 72

Health effects..................................................................................................... 75

Questions submitted by Chairman Magnuson.............................................. 79

Department of Defense—Civil:

Department of the Army Corps of Engineers—Civil........................................... 83

Statement of E R. Heiberg. Director of Civil Works, U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers........................................................................................ 83

Questions submitted by Chairman Mag nuson.............................................. 89

Department of Agriculture:

U.S. Forest Service:

Statement of Max Peterson, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Department of 

Agriculture...................................................................................................... 99

Prepared statement of Max Peterson.............................................................. 99

Mount St Helens Contingency Plan.............................................................................. 102

Charts:

Emergency Coordinating Organization........................................................... 106

Mount St Helens, Area of closure................................................................. 125

Approval..................................................................................................................... 139

Questions submitted by Chairm an Mag nuson...................................................... 142

Department of Agriculture:

Soil Conservation Service......................................................................................... 163

Statement of Norman Berg, Chief, Soil Conservation Service, USD A...... 163

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IV

Department of Agriculture—Continued

Soil Conservation Service—Continued p«ge

Prepared statement of Norman Berg.............................................................. 164

Questions submitted by Chairman Ma gnuson............................................... 166

Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Serv ice............................................. 169

Ray Fitzgerald, Administrator, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, USD A................................................................................... 169

Prepared statement of Ray Fitzgerald ............................................................ 172

Small Business Administration:

Statement of William Mauk, Jr., Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration............................................................................................................ 179

Prepared statement of William Mauk, Jr ............................................................... 179

Questions submitted by Chairman Mag nuson...................................................... 181

Department of Commerce:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.............................................. 187

Statement of James P. Walsh, Deputy Administrator, NOAA.................... 187

Prepared statement of James P. Walsh.......................................................... 188

Questions submitted by Chairman Magnuson............................................... 194

Department of Transportation:

Office of Budget and Program................................................................................ 197

Statement of Mortimer Downey, Assistant Secretary for Budget and

Program, Department of Transpo rtation.................................................... 197

Prepared statement of Mortimer Downey..................................................... 198

Questions submitted by Chairman Magnuson............................................... 203

Department of Agriculture:

Farmers Home Administration................................................................................ 207

Statement of James Thornton, Associate Administrator, Fm HA ................ 207

Prepared statement of James Thornton.......................................................... 208

Questions submitted by Chairman Ma gnuson............................................... 215

Nondepartmental witnesses:

Statement of Lyle Jacobson, Director of the Financial Management for the 

State of Washington............................................................................................. 217

Statement of Patrick Charles Lein......................................................................... 218

Impact statements on Mount St. Helens eru ption................................................ 221
DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST 

The Mount St. Helens Eruption

TUESDA Y, JUNE 10, 1980

U.S. Senate,

Committee on Appropriations,

Washington, D.C.

The comm ittee met at 10:15 a.m., in room 235, Russell Senate Office 

Building. Hon. Warren G. Magnuson (chairman) presiding.

Present: Senators Magnuso n, Burdick, Leahy, Young, McClure, Ga m, 

and Schmitt.

Also present: Sen ator Henry Jackson; Represen tative Mike 

McCormack, Representative Don Bonker.

CO NG RESSION AL WITN ESSES

INTRODUCTION OF MEMBERS AND WITNESSES

Sen ator Magnuson. The committee will come to order.

We have a lot of witnesses and we are going to be a little bit pressed 

for time. The Cha ir welcomes members of the Appropriations Com mittee here today, Senator Young, Senator Burdick, Senator Gam. Also, I 

asked mem bers of the Washington congressional delegation to pa rticipate, and welcome them .

We have our Gov ernor here, whom I also welcome.

The Chair has a short sta temen t

IMPACT ON NATION RESULTING FROM DISASTER

Disaster assistance for the Pacific Northwest is the subject of our 

hearing today. The eruptio n of Mount St. Helens on Sunday, May 18, 

* was unprecedented. The impact has spread across the Nation and

around the world at least one time. It was the most devastating and 

unique natural disaster in the history of our coun try. T his disaster has 

k

raised great fears among the peop le throug hou t the Pacific Northwest.

It has imposed hardship and financial strain on citizens and trem endous financial burd ens upon local and State governments. Some 4 

weeks afte r the initial eru ption, we still do not know the exact dim ensions of the potential hazards in fiscal term s or in terms of any 

potential health hazards to people or to farm animals.

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2

The President is in Seattle right now, and he will be meet ing at hom e 

with Federal officials from some of the same agencies tha t are repr esented here today. He will be mee ting with them in abo ut 1 ho ur from 

now and gettin g their views, and we are going to get the views of the 

people back here.

Furth er, the Presi dent indicated he will request $820 millio n in add itional disaster relief because of the Mo unt St. Helens eruptio n. That is 

the bud get requ est that will be coming up, I hope, within the next 2 or 

3 days. The re was some trou ble dow n at OMB in getting the exact 

estimates from the local people , some comm unica tions problems, but 

that has been cleared up.

1 would stress that we can only addre ss ourselves to the most immedia te need s now, and we do not know what the ultim ate cost is 

going to be. And the door is wide ope n for further app ropr iatio ns for 

needs that might occur later on. And with this in mind—t he $820 

million I conside r only a do wn paym ent It is the first ins tall me nt and 

the House committee has already app roved some $898 million for seven 

agencies, and we have to wait for the House to act on this first, bu t we 

do not want to lose any time on this matter. By having the Senate 

committee move now, we will have it ready as soon as the Hous e acts.

So with that, our hearings will be in two parts. The Go ver nor of the 

State of Washington, along with her budget directo r, will testify abou t 

the fiscal impact of the Mo unt St. Helens disaster upo n the State and 

othe r units of local governme nt. And we have representatives from 11 

Fede ral agencies who have the dire ct responsibilit y in the progra ms impact ed by this disaster. And we are going to ask you all first to prese nt 

your testim ony and then we will begin with questions.

My colleague, Senat or Jackson, mu st go. He wants to give a shor t 

state men t today.

STATEMENT O F SEN AT OR HE NR Y JAC KSO N

Sena tor Jackson. Mr. Cha irm an, I will be very brief.

Mr. Chairman , this hear ing is an example of your ongoing leadership 

and concern for the com munities impacted by the eruptio n of Mou nt 

St Helens. I cann ot overstate how imp ortant your atte ntio n to this 

emergency relie f effo rt has been . I share the conc ern you have 

expressed for both the imm edia te energency needs of o ur State and the 

contin gencies that Mo unt St. Helens may have in store for us.

Mr. Chairman, as I see it, we mus t address two problem s today: 

First, we must make sure th at pro per atte ntio n is paid to what has ha ppene d. Second, we mu st make sure that we are pre par ed for what 

mig ht happ en in the futu re. I would echo the commen ts you made 

abo ut the current financial require ments of Washin gton State’s relief efforts. I would also recall the lengthy conve rsation s you and I have had 

with other members of the delega tion abo ut ou r prep ared ness for 

future , unpredictable occurrence s. We must be ready for the potential 

of m ore damage to hea lth an d safety. We mus t be ready for the poten ­

tial of more physical dam age as well. Tha t is why I am pleased tha t 

you, Mr. Chairman, have called these agencie s befor e the committee.
3

Mr. Chairma n, it is essential that the Fed era l agencies testify ing this 

mor ning emphasize the ir ongoing efforts to pre par e for all co nti ngencies. In so doing , I hop e they will feel free to frankly expres s to us 

any funding conc erns they may feel. Mo unt St. Helen s has pul led no 

punc hes— I believe this comm ittee wants to pro vide Fede ral agenc ies 

with enough stam ina to absorb its blows.

Again, Mr. Cha irm an, I cong ratul ate you an d the memb ers of the 

com mittee on convening this hear ing, and I look forward to cons idering 

the testimony of yo ur witnesses. Mr. Chairma n, as you know, I have oth er hear ings going on rig ht 

now that 1 mu st return to. I again than k you and I am del igh ted the 

Gover nor is her e to repr esent the peop le o f the State of W ashing ton.

Sena tor Magnuson. It is suggested that we sta rt with a br ief su mma ry 

from the Geological Survey to see what ha pp ene d ou t ther e and the n 

go to FEMA , and the n I want to call on the Gov ern or.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR HARRISON SCHMITT

Sena tor Schmitt. Mr. Chairma n, since I raise d some issues in a 

subco mmi ttee hea ring the other day, could I mak e jus t a very br ie f 

statem ent?

Sena tor Magnuson. Yes.

Sena tor Schmitt. Ab ou t my conce rns. I thin k the cha irma n should be 

com plim ente d for callin g this heari ng to allow us at this very early 

stage, of defini ng the need of disa ster rel ief fund s to see the detail s o f 

ju st what those fund s are requ ired to do. The re has been some con cern 

in my min d for a long time tha t ou r Federal disas ter reli ef mech anism , 

as imp orta nt as it is, does not provide for ade quat e, timely oversight by 

the Congress, as one mig ht say the keepers of the Federal Trea sury . 

Th is time is nee ded for adeq uate overs ight into wha t is going to be 

don e with these fund s. Clearly, at times, imm edia te flexibility is re ­

quir ed on the par t of the executive bran ch to move in a disas ter situ ­

atio n. At other times, we do have the opp ortu nity to review the detai ls 

of the proje ction s for disas ter funds. 1 jus t hope that this com mitt ee will 

always be willing to conv ene on a mo me nt’s notice in ord er to provide 

that kind of overs ight nee ded to insu re not only tha t ade quate fund s 

are available, but tha t the pro per grou ndwork has bee n laid by the cogniza nt agencies to utiliz e the funds and not over expend in some of 

these situations. I thi nk this is parti cular ly true in a year where we are 

trying diligently in this comm ittee, un de r the leade rship of the cha irman and others , to ho ld down the Fede ral bud get . However, in so 

doing, we mu st nev er sacrifice legiti mate disaster needs within the 

various porti ons of the cou ntry , includ ing the State of Washingt on an d 

oth er Northwe stern State s where those needs are clearly iden tifie d by 

the agencies conc erne d.

I hope this will be the first of a series of h earin gs as we look at this 

an d othe r disaster situ atio ns and mayb e, Mr. Cha irm an, we can get into 

the habit of doing exactly what you are doing today , and tha t is calling 

the appro priat e indi vidu als here to see the justi ficat ions for vari ous 

fund ing requests an d in anticipat ion of reim burs eme nts tha t may be 

requ ired in the futu re.
4

I am happ y to participate in these hear ings with you, sir.

Senato r Magnuson. This was a yea r of disasters, culm inat ed by 

Mo unt St. Helens. I want to limit the com mittee’s attentio n to natural 

disasters. I guess you would agree with me on that.

IMPROVEMENT OF NATURAL DISASTER PREDICTION CAPACITY

Senator Schmitt. I would, and I would also reem phasize some thing 

this comm ittee has been looking at for some time, that is the state of 

our ability to pred ict natu ral disasters. With the back grou nd I have in 

geology and oth er natural sciences, I would say, as I have said many 

times, that this Congres s and this adm inistrati on have bee n negligent in 

providing the necessary resources and the necessary guid ance and the 

necessary emphasi s to agencies like the U.S. Geologica l Survey, to 

rapidl y imp lem ent a pred iction capa city for event s such as Mount St. 

Helens, such as the earth quak es at Mamm oth Lakes, which, had they 

occurred in a more densely pop ula ted area, we would be sitting here 

talking about hundred s of tho usa nds of casualties, not jus t the 

earthqu ake of 6.8 Richter mag nitu de.

I still feel we are very negl igen t in tha t area. We can do more with 

the science available in predictin g these kinds of events. We have not 

done what we should. The Whi te Hous e has consistently resisted 

increased emphasi s in those areas. I hop e with this hear ing an d others 

we can begin to get their atte ntio n.

Senator Magnuson. It is awfully hard to antic ipate disasters.

Senato r Schmitt. Mr. Cha irman, what I am saying is we can do a 

great deal more than we have don e in the past. We have the tech ­

nology. It is being impl emen ted elsewh ere in the world. It is not per ­

fect. The re are still some que stio ns of what you would do if, in fact, 

you were able to predict a major earthqu ake along the San Andreas 

Fault. You can imagine yourself. Let’s say we could have given 24 

hou rs’ notice abo ut this occurrenc e, what would you have done with 

that info rma tion ? It doesn ’t mea n you don ’t try to gather the information, and th at is basically what seem s to be the White Hou se position.

Senat or Magnuson. I won der if the ranking Mem ber of the committee , Mr. Young, would like to make a statem ent.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MILTON YOUNG

Senator Young. Mr. Cha irman, I just want to share the conc ern of 

the dele gatio n of the Congress from Washingto n, Governor Ray, and 

especially you, Mr. Cha irman, ove r the disaster tha t has fallen on the 

State of Washington and the whole area. I am sure the comm ittee will 

want to do everything that is appropr iately possible and as expeditiously 

as possible to be helpful.

Sena tor Magnuson. Does the oth er Senator from No rth Dakota wish 

to make a statem ent?
5

STATEMENT OF SENATOR QUENTIN BURDICK

Senator Burdick. We certainly want to do the same thing.' Mr. Macy 

is here today and I would like to ask him some oth er questions besides 

this. You can be sure, Mr. Chairma n, you have a sympathetic ear from 

North Dakota.

Senator Garn. Mr. Cha irman, I have no sta temen t I came to listen 

and learn.

DEPARTME NT OF THE INT ERIOR 

U.S. Geological Survey

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM MENARD, DIRECTOR, UJS. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

ACCOMPANIED BY:

DOYLE G. FREDERICK, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

ROBERT L. WESSON, ASSISTAN T DIRECTOR—LAND RESOURCES

DALE BAJEMA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR—PROGRAM ANALYSIS

DALLAS L PECK, CHIEF GEOLOGIST

PHILIP COHEN, CHIEF HYDROLOGIST

ROBERT TILLING, CHIEF, OFFICE OF GEOCHEMISTRY AND

GEOPHYSICS

WILLIAM D. BETTENBERG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE

SECRETARY

INTRODUCTION OF WITNESS

Sen ator Magnuson. We will hear first from Mr. William Mena rd, the 

Directo r of U.S. Geological Survey.

Mr. Menard. Mr. Cha irm an, you asked tha t we focus on this one 

volcano------

Sen ator Magnuson. Wo uld you take the mic rophon e so people can 

hea r in the back of the roo m?

Mr. Menard. I am by profession a university profes sor, and I am 

used to people being able to hear me if I just shout.

It seems to me, Mr. Cha irm an, it might be fruitf ul, instea d of just 

focusing on what has occu rred, if I were to state somethin g briefly on 

the basis we have for predic ting what will occu r because the bud get 

estim ates really are based on some sort of a ssum ption s of what is going 

to hap pen . I have a pres entatio n over here which I would be happ y to 

give you. It is quite brief, as you ask. Would you like that?

Sen ator Magnuson. Go ahea d, but be as br ief as possible because we 

have so many witnesses.

VOLCANOES OF THE WORLD

Mr. Menard. Mr. Cha irm an, active volcanoes are a worldwide 

phe nom ena. There are ab ou t 50 0 active in historical times. This actually 

shows you the dist ribu tion of earth quak es and the large plates tha t 

move aro und the Ear th’s cr us t The ques tion arises o f whether we can 

pred ict volcanoes and earthquak es and our success in doing this is 

really quite diffe rent for the two. In many ways, we can tell jus t in the 

dist ribu tion what is going to hap pen in volcanoes. Aro und this so-called 

ring of fire, you get volcano es o f the type we have at Mount S t Helens. 

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8

They have highly viscous lava, gases can’t get out, they ten d to come up 

with explosions of the sort we had. In Hawaii, we have a totally 

differen t type. Those accusto med to look ing at Hawaiian volcanoes see 

that gases get out, these are jus t chara cteristics of the way they form 

and where they are, so we have no do ub t we can pred ict the kinds of 

lava and the general char acte r of w hat will hap pen in here.

Actually, there is much more in the way of volcanic activity in the 

Alaskan region, in Anchorage, than there is in the Cascade, altho ugh 

they both present hazards.

Wh at we know of volcanoes deriv es from the fact wheneve r these 

erupt, volcanologists swarm to the place and investigate it. In addition, 

ther e are per ma nen t observatorie s in a num ber of places in the world. 

Jap an is plagu ed by volcanoes. It has three perma nen t obse rvato ries for 

scientists to assemble and keep track of what is going on. We have one 

in Hawaii. The re is one at Mo unt Etna, Vesuvius, ano the r one in Italy, 

one in New Zealand.

[Chart 1]

VOLCANOES IN ALASKA

Th is shows the most rec ent erup tion s in the Anchorage area. This 

regio n of t he ocean basin is backing into the conti nent. The exact same 

thin g is going on in the Cascades, bu t less intensively. We know very 

little abo ut those eruptio ns because the total bud get of the Geolog ical 

Survey to investigate volca noes is $1.1 million, of which $1 million goes 

to ru n the Observatory in Hawaii and $10 0,0 00 has gone for mon itorin g 

programs for abo ut 20 years in the Cascades. Th at is why we know 

wha t we do.
9

Cascade Eruptions: during last 200 years

Cascade Eruptions: 7000 to 1000 years before

________________present

A Mount Baker

71870?

Se attle

8 3 iS in im t ^Mount Rainier ?1882? i

Mount 72000-3000? B.P. I

St, Helens i

J

98 °A ▲ Mount A da m s________ 1

73000-4000? B.P. -

P o rt la n d A MountHood

71865?

A Mount Jefferso n

71030? B.P.

AThre e Sisters ?25oo?

A Newberry

71400? B.P.

A Mount Mazama

6600 B.P.

/

X

X

)

T

Mount Shasta 

1786; 1840?

A Medicine Lake Highlands

I ? 1 9 1 0 ?

kLassen !

1914-1921

▲ ACTIVE 7 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 YEARS B.P.

▲ ACTIVE DURING LAST 200 YEARS

▲ ACTIVE DURING LAST 80 YEARS

100 Kilometers

100 M ilti 

l

[Cha rt 2]
10

VOLCANOES IN TH E CASCADES

These show the Cascade volcanoes, the princ ipal peaks familiar more 

by pictures than their geological history for most people. The black 

indicates ones that have been active, almost all of them, in the last 

6,000 years, which sounds like a very long time. The red indicates ones 

that have been active in the last 200 years, and a majo r question that 

arises is, once Mount St. Hele ns is active, is it likely other volcanoes in 

the Cascades also will become active and multiply the hazards? As to 

that, the data are relatively inad equate. We do know during the period 

when Mount St. Helens was last active, which was in the early 19th 

Century, and lasted for something over 25 years, at the same time 

Mount Hood and Mount Baker were active. So we don’t know exactly 

why that should occur, we do know the only historical observations we 

have is that when you get a major eruption anywhere along this group, 

you get more than one e rupting in the same period.
11

VOLUME OF EJECTA

FROM HISTORIC 

ERUPTIONS

[MAZ AM A, OREGON 4600 B.C.

VESUVIUS, ITALY 79 A.D .

FU JIY AM A, JAPAN 1707 A.D .

[ 1815 A.D.

[ MOUNT SAINT HELENS, W ASHINGTON 

_ _ _ 18 32 -185 7 A.D.

V I KR AK AT AU , INDO NESIA 1883 A.D.

[ MOUNT PELEE 1902 A.D.

HEKLA, ICELAND 1947 A.D .

H H I KA TM AI, A LASK A 1912 A.D .

MOUNT DIENG, INDO NESIA 1979 A.D .

[ ASO, JAPA N 1979 A.D .

1 MOUNT SAINT HELENS, WASHING TON

1980 A.D.

I__ I I___1— 1_____ I I I

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

VOLUM E IN CUBIC KILOMETERS

3 3 7 -8 0

~ Jr E je cta : all a ir -o r g a s -p ro p e lle d vo lc an ic m ate rials

In clud es p y ro c la s ti c flo w , a ir fa ll deposits, an d as h fl o w s

The volume o f ash and pumice lapilli ejected by Mou nt St Helens on Sunday, Ma y 

18, 1980, is estimated to be 1 cubic kilometer of material. On a worldwide scale, the 

volume o f ejection from Mou nt St. Helens is average. The eruptions from Katmai, 

Alaska, 1912; Mo unt Mazama, Oreg., (6600 B.P.); and Krakatau, 1883 A.D . and 

Tambora, 1815 A.D ., Indonesia, produced 10 to nearly 100 times as much ejecta.

[Chart 3]
12

COMPARISON OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

The other maj or factor we feed in from this informa tion is when 

Mo unt St. Helen s was last active, it staye d tha t way intermitt ently for 

25 years. The only pru de nt thing we can do now is assume it will stay 

active for the same period.

This doesn’t really go on very long, Mr. Cha irm an.

Senato r Schm itt Bill, were the Alaska volcanoes active 

simultaneously, also?

Mr. Menard. Yes; I looke d at that yesterday. The re were something 

like four of them in 1 year.

Mo unt St. Hele ns may have had the large st econom ic effect of any 

volcanoes simply becaus e things get more expensive when people close 

in on volcanoe s.-It was by no mean s the biggest ash eruptio n. Two of 

them in Indo nesi a in the last 20 0 years were far bigger and Mo unt 

Katmai in Alaska was far bigger. In the Cascades in prehistor ic times, 

but some thing like 6,00 0 years ago whe n Cra ter Lake was formed, tha t 

eruption was bigger, too.

We have, therefore, no reas on to belie ve that we have seen, even in 

the May 18 eruption, the biggest thin g tha t could hap pen . On the oth er 

hand, it is the biggest thing that has hap pened for a long time.

PREDICTION OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

We are quit e good at predicting a few things abo ut volcanoes as 

oppo sed to earthquake s. These involve time scales. We can say there 

are going to be erupt ions in here becau se we know how these plates of 

the earth are moving aro und an d we know they keep on movin g and 

we know, as I have show ed you, tha t you have a whole sequence of 

eruptions in a c hain together.

We also know what we ca n’t tell is which volca no is going to eru pt in 

a peri od of, let us say, 50 to 100 years. We j us t can not pre dic t th at We 

can predic t quite well whe ther a volcano, often eno ugh anyway, far 

better than earthq uakes, whe ther a volcano is going to eru pt nex t week 

or whe ther it is going to er up t tomorrow. On timin g we are very good. 

Wh at we are not good at is magn itude. We can say wh at the volcano 

will d o when it blows up if we ha d a chan ce to stud y it. And Mo unt S t 

Helens we had had a cha nce to study.

Long before the big erup tion, 2 months before, there were a few l ittle 

earth quake s. We asse mbled peop le there. They bega n to study the 

volcano. We issued a warning saying tha t there was an increased 

hazar d. We believed prec auti onary steps shou ld be taken, peop le should 

be alerted there mig ht be an erup tion . I mus t say, by a bit o f luck, it 

then occurred the same day. But those were small erup tion s, steam 

puffin g out, blowing ash, having some local effect, bu t not anyt hing 

disastrous as later occurred, excep t it began to impinge upon the 

economic life in the area— in fact, the recre ation al uses of the area, it 

affected the logging, and so on.

As for the predictions, if there are going to be erup tion s in oth er 

volcanoes in th at area, I thin k because you almost always get 

earth quak es, th at we would be able to issue alerts to cause pe ople to
13

take the app ropriat e steps befor e some thing happen ed. The big 

eruptions have been prec ede d by eart hqu ake s almo st every time. They 

occurred with Vesuvius, when Pom pei was destro yed, and so on. 

PREDIC TION OF EVENTS AT MOUNT ST. HELENS

Mo unt St. Helens, we said with the kin d of volca no it is and from 

the historical geological reco rd which we have studied, we know two 

things are going to happen there. One is tha t if you have an erup tion , it 

will blow out ash, which will go strai ght up, be cau ght in the wind and 

be blown down wind. We said in gene ral from the study of the wind 

patterns and the ash that has come out, mos t of this ash will be going 

off to the East, which is what it did the first time, bu t a week later, o f 

course, in the secon d larg er erup tion , the ash went of f this way, to the 

Southwest. So you only have probabilities. Most of the time it goes one 

way, but the first erup tion, the big one that covered the Cen tral 

Eastern, Nor theastern States, could jus t as well have gone toward—it 

had the possibility of going toward Seattle or Por tlan d instead of the 

way it went.

The main thing we predicted were local effects. Th at derives from the 

fact you have this peak sticking up. You have a lot of gravitation al 

energy. Things po ur ou t of the top. Dep end ing on how wet they are, 

geologists call them diff ere nt things, which we need not trou ble about. 

If they are very hot, you get a scorchin g effect. The flows can travel 

long distances. If they are colder, they don’t tend to go so far. Since we 

had glaciers, snow an d ice on top, you can get pure floods.

Naturally, they go down the valley. This is wha t we predicted would 

happen if you had an erup tion . You had variou s sorts of ho t dry things 

occurring at the top, mu d flows, finally floods coming all the way down 

and hitting the rivers.

I went out betw een the begin ning of t he small erup tion and the big 

one and I stood with ou r survey geologist on a spot up here and they 

pointed out to me where the first mud flow would hit the No rth Tou tle 

Rive r and tha t is where it hit. We really cou ld pre dic t in a gener al way 

what was going on. Even the blast ha d hap pen ed before.

I would say we are weake st on predictin g blast because you have this 

enor mou s energy release an d there is no basis for trying to pin it down. 

But it did occu r where the re had been a bulge. We have a long way to 

go on blast. We are be tte r on what hap pen s to the flows becaus e we 

know what hap pen ed.

6 4 -5 2 9 0 - 8 0 - 2
14

Mount St Helens has been an active volcano for at least the last 18,000 years. 

During the 19th century, there were numerous mudflows, a major pyroclastic eruption, 

the building o f a dacite dome, and subsequent flat andesite flows. It is expected that 

20th century eruptions of Mo unt St. Helens w ill follow a similar pattern which has 

started with major mudflows and pyroclastic eruptions.

[Chart 4]

ERUPTION OF MOUN T ST. HELENS

Her e are the events of tha t day as shown on this chart . Everybody 

has seen the m on television. In fact, this is going to be by far the best 

covered eru pti on on record . The whole nor th side of the volcan o just 

collapsed in a spot we had been tracking. We assem bled our geologists 

from variou s places mainly from Hawaii where we have our 

observatory. People here started usin g instr ume nts they are accus tomed 

to. The inst rum ents are subtl e tiltm eters and the like designe d to pick 

up the very small changes in the Hawaiian volcan o which allows us to 

know what is happening . Dr. Tilling , who used to be he ad of that 

observ atory, told me there are occasio ns when Survey geologists are 

stand ing aro und waiting for the lava to break out of the ground . It can 

be track ed so well.

So we were tracking that bulg e with subtle inst rum ents and then 

sudd enly som ebod y realized it was a very grea t featur e, it ha d expa nded
15

260 feet before we sta rte d looking at it with the righ t instr ument, it was 

expa ndin g 5 feet a day fo r days on end befo re it finally blew up and 

wen t of f this way, blew down all the trees, an d so on, and the vast 

degre e of flow came dow n and convert ed, essentially regr aded the 

Toutle River. It filled the whole con founde d thing up by 20 or 30 fe et 

As a consequence, the rive r is now run nin g on a new bed, totally above 

what it was. The re were smaller flows that cam e down this way 

enda nger ing reservoirs. Because we issued a report 2 years befor e and 

becau se the State officials have been info rme d an d because local 

officials had been info rme d, they had already drawn down the 

reservoirs down here, to the exte nt we calcu lated the maximum flow 

coming down the volca no. Wha t cou ld have been a disaster from a 

flood overspilling a dam , or whatever going down towa rd the 

Colu mbia , that was div erte d becau se we ha d issued warnings, we ha d 

already done the study 2 years before.

Mr. McCormack. The USG S state d abo ut a cub ic mile of the 

material was blown out. Pres ently is tha t a fair esti mat e?

Mr. Menard. I think it is a cubic kilom eter, which is a good deal 

smaller. Yes, that is the las t figure I hear d.

Mr. McCormack. Wh at would the dens ity be?

Mr. Menard. Of th e ash ?

Mr. McCormack. No, o f the rock blown out, ab ou t 3?

Mr. Menard. It starts ou t at aro und 2.7, 2.8, in solid form. When it is 

liquid, it has all the gas in it an d the dens ity is less.

One of the majo r sorts o f events tha t occ urre d hydrologically was the 

floodin g as a cons eque nce of the flows down the volcano, the melt ing 

of the glaciers, and so on.
16

Cverott

* ZUSGS

HYDROLOGIC

DATA SITES

•

Stations »xBtnQ prior to Uvch. 1880

• stream. Gaging

A Water Qj* v

I „ Sediment

Statons eatablBhed March May. 1980

• • Stream Gaging

AWatarQuaMty

V Seamen!

WWM Stations destroyed May 18. I96 0

The USGS maintains a nationw ide netw ork of water quality and stream-gaging 

stations. After the initial activity at Mou nt St. Helens. March 20, 1980, the Survey 

augmented the data stations at and around Mou nt St. Helens. Most o f this new 

network was destroyed by the May 18. 1980, eruption.

[Chart 5]

MON ITOR ING STREAMFLOW

Thi s cha rt just shows ou r netwo rk o f obse rvation stations the 

Geological Survey runs, ma ny of them coop eratively in this region. 

Black shows where we have pe rm anent stations and red shows where in 

the early stages of the eru pti on, befo re the big blast, we mov ed in new 

observ ing equ ipm ent so if there were floods, we wou ld be able to pick 

up th e effect, so we wo uld be able to meas ure the chem istry of the 

water, and so on. I am not sure you can see the X’s, bu t that shows the 

one we moved in that no lon ger exists. It go t dest roye d by the volcano.

Now, if we can look at th e last chart . What hap pened when the flow 

came down and hit the To utle River, as I said, it reg rad ed it. Part of it 

wen t down into the Cow litz. Part of it went down all the way into the 

Columb ia. This cha rt ju st shows the pre sen t situa tion in the Cowlitz 

River . It is a little com plic ated . The solid brow n shows the norm al 

elevation of the bottom o f the river, mile s ups trea m from Kelso, 

Washington. The blue lines shows how the river norm ally ran, a fairly 

small flow. The solid blu e up here shows the sort of flood tha t can be 

anticip ated coming dow n th at river som etim e in the ma tter of a few 

years. The shad ed area is wh at hap pen ed whe n the mate rial came down 

from the volcano, ran do wn the Tou tle, made a left flank and end ed up

18

Prepared Statement of Dr . William Menard, Director

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Mr. Cha irm an an d Me mb ers o f th e C om m itte e:

I an p r iv i le g e d to a p p e a r b e fo re yo u to d a y to d is c u s s th e f i s c a l y e a r 

1980 s u p p le m e n ta l b u d g e t p ro p o s a l f o r th e G e o lo g ic a l S u rv ey . The r e q u e s t 

i s fo r $ 4 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 f o r wo rk r e l a t e d to th e e r u p tio n o f th e Mt. S t. H ele ns 

v o lc a n o an d f o r C a lif o r n la /A r iz o n a flo o d s an d m u d s li d e s .

P re ced ed by a we ek o f p re m o n it o ry e a rth q u a k e a c t i v i t y , Mt . S t. H e le n s , I n 

s o u th w e s te rn W ash in g to n a b o u t 50 m ile s n o r t h e a s t o f P o r tla n d , O re gon, began 

to e ru p t on M arch 2 7 , 1980 . On May 18, a m a jo r e x p lo s iv e e r u p tio n o c c u r re d 

c a u s in g c o n s id e r a b le l o s s o f l i f e , s e v e re p r o p e r ty dam age in th e im m edia te 

v i c i n i t y o f th e v o lc a n o , an d dama ge c au se d by f a l l i n g a sh o v e r la r g e a r e a s 

o f th e P a c i f i c n o rth w e s t. A we ek l a t e r a n o th e r la r g e e r u p tio n o f ro ck 

an d a sh o c c u r re d c a u s in g a sh f a l l s in P o r tla n d , O re gon, an d th e P u g et So un d 

a r e a s . To d a te , m or e th a n $ 1 .8 b i l l i o n in p r o p e r ty an d c ro p da m ag e, a s 

w e ll a s d e a th s , i n j u r i e s , an d m is sin g p e r s o n s , have been c a u se d by th e 

e r u p tio n — l a t e r a l b l a s t , m udfl ow s, mud flow an d a v a la n c h e in d u c e d f lo o d in g , 

an d a sh f a l l . The a d v e rs e so c io -e c o n o m ic e f f e c t s a r e e x p e c te d t o in c r e a s e 

b e c a u se th e v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y a t Mt. S t. H e le n s — a s w e ll a s p o s s ib le r e l a t e d 

a c t i v i t y a t o th e r C as ca de v o lc a n o e s — can be e x p e c te d to c o n ti n u e fo r m o n th s, 

y e a r s , o r even d e c a d e s .

Th e re aw ak en in g o f Mt . S t. H ele ns fr om m or e th a n a c e n tu ry o f slu m b e r 

( i t l a s t e ru p te d in 18 57 ) p ro v id e d a p o in te d re m in d e r t h a t th e v o lc a n o e s o f 

th e C as ca de Ran ge (W ash in gto n, O re gon, C a l i f o r n i a ) a r e m e re ly d o rm a n t, n o t 

e x t i n c t . D u ri n g th e l a s t e r u p tio n s o f M t. S t . H e le n s , th e v o lc a n o was 

i n t e r m i t t e n t l y a c t i v e fo r mo re th a n two d e c a d e s (1 8 3 1 -1 8 5 7 ) d u rin g w hic h 

ti m e th e r e wa s a l s o v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y a t M t. B ak e r, Mt. R a i n ie r , an d 

Mt . Ho od. I t i s p o s s ib le th e c u r r e n t M t. S t. H ele n s e r u p tio n c o u ld s i g n a l 

th e s t a r t o f a s i m i l a r c y c le o f e r u p t i o n s .

U nd er th e r e d e le g a te d a u t h o r i t y o f th e D i s a s t e r R e l ie f A ct o f 1974 

(P .L . 9 3 -2 8 6 ), th e G e o lo g ic a l S urv ey i s th e le a d F e d e ra l a gency to 

p ro v id e r e l i a b l e and ti m e ly w a rn in g s o f v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s to S ta te an d 

lo c a l d i s a s t e r a g e n c ie s . Und er o u r m a n d a te , th e G e o lo g ic a l S urv ey m us t 

c o n ti n u e to c lo s e ly m o n it o r Mt. S t. H e le n s an d a c c e l e r a t e th e a c q u i s i t i o n 

an d a n a l y s i s of g e o lo g ic , g e o p h y s ic a l, g e o c h e m ic a l, an d h y d ro lo g ic d a ta 

in o rd e r to p ro v id e th e d a y -to -d a y a s s e s s m e n t o f v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s in th e 

im m edia te a r e a o f th e v o lc a n o an d in th e s u rro u n d in g a re a im p acte d by 

th e r e s u l t i n g flo o d in g an d a sh f a l l s . T h is i s th e f i r s t m a jo r e r u p tio n 

o f a v o lc a n o in th e c o n te rm in o u s U n it e d S ta te s s in c e Mt. L a s se n , C a l i f o r n i a , 

in 191 4 -1 9 2 1 , and th e f i r s t to o c c u r i n th e re g io n s in c e s u b s t a n t i a l 

p o p u la tio n g ro w th en d u r b a n iz a tio n o f th e N o rt h w e st. I t i s , t h e r e f o r e , 

th e f i r s t to c r e a t e su ch w id e sp re a d d e s t r u c t i o n o f th e w ork s o f man in 

th e r e g io n . I t has p ro v id e d th e f i r s t o p p o rtu n ity fo r th e G e o lo g ic a l 

S urv ey to mak e an in - d e p th a n a l y s i s o f th e e r u p tiv e p ro c e s s e s an d a tte n d a n t 

h a z a rd s o f an a c t i v e v o lc a n o o f th e C asc ade ty p e . T h is in fo r m a tio n i s 

n e c e s s a ry in o rd e r to d e v elo p th e u n d e rs ta n d in g re q u ire d f o r p r e d i c t i o n 

an d c o n ti n g e n c y p la n n in g . Th e c u r r e n t e r u p tio n a t Mt. S t. H ele n s c an be 

e x p e c te d t o l a s t many y e a r s , i f th e 1 9 th c e n tu ry a c t i v i t y o f th e v o lc a n o 

p ro v id e s an y a n a lo g y . T hus, th e G e o lo g ic a l S urv ey m us t c o n ti n u e t o c lo s e ly 

m c n lt o r Mt. S t. H ele ns an d a c c e l e r a t e th e a c q u i s i t i o n o f g e o lo g ic a l, 

g e o c h e m ic a l, an d g e o p h y s ic a l d a ta in o r d e r to p ro v id e th e d a y -to -d a y 

a s s e s sir,.? nt o f v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s t c t h e F o r e s t S e rv ic e an d o th e r F e d e r a l 

a g e n c ie s , a s w e ll a s to th e C ounty and S ta te a g e n c ie s o f O re go n an d 

W ash in g to n . In a d d itio n to th e m o n ito r in g , equip m ent d e s tr o y e d i n th e 

e r u p tio n ( t i l t m e t e r s , " d r y - t i l t " s t a t i o n s , e l e c t r o n i c d is ta n c e m ea su re m ent 

d e v ic e s , g as a n a ly z e r s , t r a i l e r s , e t c . ) o u s t be r e p la c e d .

A wid e v a r i e t y c f h y d ro lo g ic d a ta n e ed s to be c o l l e c t e d to a n a ly z e th e 

c u r r e n t and in te r m e d ia te - te r m e f f e c t s o f v o lc a n ic an d s e is m ic a c t i v i t y 

on tn e w a te r r e s o u rc e s o f th e a r e a Im pacte d by th e e r u p tio n s o f th e 

Mt . S t . E e le n s v o lc a n o . A c t i v i t i e s to be u n d e rta k e n in FY 19 80 r e l a t e
m ain ly to c o n ti n u e d f lo o d in g , s e d im e n ta ti o n a s i t a f f e c t s w a te r q u a l i t y , 

an d n a v ig a tio n o f th e C o w li tz arid C olu m bia R iv e ra , a l l h a v in g d i r e c t im pact 

on human h e a l t h , s a f e t y , an d th e ec on om y.

Un der th e r e d e le g a te d a u th o r i t y o f th e D is a s te r R e l i e f Act o f 19 74 , t h e 

G e o lo g ic a l S urv ey i s th e le a d f e d e r a l agency f o r p ro v id in g r e l i a b l e and 

ti m e ly w a rn in g s o f v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s t o S ta te and l o c a l d i s a s t e r a g e n c ie s .

The S urv ey needs to e v a l u a te th e re s p o n s e an d e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f i t s 

Mt. S t. H e le n s h a z a r d s w a rn in g s . In a d d i t i o n , a s p e c i a l d e s c r i p t i v e 

r e p o r t w i l l be p re p a re d on th e h a z a rd s r e s u l t i n g fr om th e e r u p tio n s f o r 

th e p e rio d b e g in n in g M ar ch 20 , 1980 , wh en p re m o n it o ry e a rth q u a k e a c t i v i t y 

s t a r t e d a t Mt. S t. H e le n s .

Th e S u r v e y 's b u d g e t c o n ta in s no fu nds to s u p p o rt e m e rg e n cy -ty p e s t u d i e s o f 

t h i s n a tu r e . Th e S u rv ey i s c u r r e n tly p r o v id in g , on an em er ge nc y b a s i s , th o s e 

s e r v ic e s r e q u ir e d t o m o n it o r th e e r u p tio n s . Fu nd s have been , an d c o n ti n u e 

to b e , r e d i r e c t e d fr om r e l a t e d o n g o in g pro gra m s in th e v o lc a n o , w a te r - d a ta 

c o l l e c t i o n , and o t h e r a r e a s .

C a l l f o r n l a /A r lzo na F lo ods and M u d sli d e s

Fu nd s a re a ls o b e in g re q u e s te d f o r wo rk r e l a t e d to th e r e c e n t flo o d s and 

m u d sli d e s in C a l i f o r n i a an d A ri z o n a .

The s to rm s , f lo o d s , and m u d sli d e s o f J a n u a ry th ro u g h M arch 1980 in A ri z o n a 

and C a l if o r n ia wer e an e x tr em e n a t u r a l e v e n t c a u s in g l o s s o f l i v e s an d 

e x te n s iv e , w id e sp re a d ec onom ic l o s s e s . M ea su re s f o r m itig a tin g f u tu r e 

l o s s e s o f l i v e s , p r o p e r ty , an d Inco me d u rin g su ch e v e n ts can be pla n n ed 

an d d e sig n e d th ro u g h an u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e h y d ro lo g ic an d e n g in e e r in g 

g e o lo g ic p ro c e s s e s t h a t o c c u r an d th e lik e lih o o d o f t h e i r f u tu r e o c c u r re n c e . 

A p p ro p ria te u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e p r o c e s s e s , a s w e ll a s a ss e ss m e n t o f 

f u tu r e li k e l i h o o d s , r e q u i r e s r e l i a b l e o b s e r v a tio n s and m easu re m ents o f 

e x p e rie n c e d e v e n ts . Su ch in fo r m a ti o n i s th e b a s i s f o r Ju d g in g r i s k s 

to v a rio u s p la n n e d d e v e lo p m e n ts , f o r d e s ig n in g p r o t e c t i o n w ork s, fo r 

r e g u la tin g la n d u s e s , an d fo r o th e r su ch m e a su re s t h a t m in im iz e th e a d v e rs e 

im pacts o f ex tr e m e n a t u r a l e v e n ts .

The s tu d ie s w i l l be c o n d u c te d in c o o p e r a tio n w it h S t a t e an d l o c a l g o v ern m en ts 

an d w it h o th e r F e d e r a l a g e n c ie s su ch a s th e U .S . Army C or ps o f E n g in e e rs . 

F o ll o w -o n a c t i v i t y i s p la n n e d by th e G e o lo g ic a l S u rv ey to in s u r e t h a t th e 

r e s u l t s o f th e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s an d a n a ly s e s a r e tr a n s m itte d t o g o v e rn m e n ta l 

an d o th e r I n t e r e s t e d a g e n c ie s in a fo rm t h a t I s d i r e c t l y a p p lic a b le t o la n d -u 

d e c i s io n s .

Mr. C ha ir m an , I w ould l i k e to th a n k yo u f o r th e o p p o r tu n ity to p r e s e n t th e 

f i s c a l y e a r 19 80 s u p p le m e n ta l budget r e q u e s t f o r th e G e o lo g ic a l S u rv ey . I 

am p re p a re d to an sw e r y o u r q u e s tio n s .
A p p ro p ria ti o n

20

JUST IFIC ATIONS

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

FY 19 80 FY 198 0 FY 1980

P r e s e n tly R ev is e d P ro p o se d

A v a ila b le E s ti m a te S u p p le m e n ta l

S u rv e y s , I n v e s t i g a t i o n s , 

and R e s e a rc h --------------- $ 4 5 2 ,0 5 5 ,0 0 0 $ 4 5 6 ,0 5 5 ,0 0 0 $ + 4 ,0 00,0 00

S u rv e y s , I n v e s t i g a t i o n s , an d R e se a rc h 

FY 19 80

F o r a n a d d itio n a l am ou nt f o r " S u rv e y s , I n v e s t i g a t i o n s , and R e s e a rc h ." 

$ 4 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

Summary o f R eq u este d S u p p le m e n ta l f o r V olc an o H aza rd s and 

C a llf o r n la /A r lz o n a F lo o d s an d M u d sl id e s 

F i s c a l Y ea r 1980

( D o lla r s i n th o u s a n d s )

I n c r e a s e

. R eq u e ste d

V olc ano H aza rd s

G e o lo g ic S tu d ie s

M o n it o ri n g Mt. S t. H e le n s $ 1 ,1 0 0

H y d ro lo g ic I n v e s tig a tio n s

D ata C o lle c tio n an d A n a ly s is ( s tr e a m s , 

l a k e s , r e s e r v o i r s , g ro u n d w a te r,

and p r e c ip lta tlo n ) - M t. S t . H e le n s 2,0 50

E a rth S c ie n c e s A p p lic a tio n s 130

TOTAL, V olc an o H azard s 3 ,2 8 0

C a llf o r n la /A r lz o n a F lo o d s and M ud sl id es

G eo lo g ic and M in e ra l R eso u rc e

S urv eys an d M ap pi ng 32 0

W at er R eso u rc e s I n v e s t i g a t i o n s 400

TOTAL, C a l i f . / A r i z . F lo o d s

and M u d sli d e s 720

GRAND TOTAL 4 ,0 0 0
Mt. S t. H el en s Volc ano 

J u s t i f i c a t i o n of Pro gra m and Pe rfor m an ce

A c ti v it y : Geo logic an d M in er al Res ou rc e Su rv ey s an d Mapping

S u 'i a c tl v lt y : Land R es ou rc e Sur ve ys

(D o ll a r amounts in th ousa nds)

FY 1980 

Ap pro p. 

En ac te d

To Da te

FY 1980 

Rev ised 

Req ue st

FY 1980

Prop os ed

Su pp le m en ta l

Volcano Ha zards $ 1,07 8 4, 35 8 +3 ,280

(FT P) (2 1) (2 1) ( " )

A ll o th e r pro gra ms $ 56 ,0 93 56 ,093 —

(FT P) (769 ) (769 ) —

T o ta l re quir em ents $ 57 ,1 71 60 ,4 51 +3 ,280

(FTP) (7 90 ) (7 90 ) ( " )

Volcano Haz ards

A u th o riz a ti o n : 43 U.S .C . 3 1 (a )

O b je c ti v e s : The G e o lo g ic al Su rv ey Is th e le ad F e d e ra l ag en cy fo r vo lc an o ha za rd s 

I n v e s ti g a ti o n . The p rin c ip a l o b je c ti v e s of th is pro gra m a re to pr ovi de u p -t o -d a te 

in fo rm a ti o n , In clu d in g h azard s w arn in g, to F ed e ra l and o th e r go ve rn m en t, C iv il 

D efe nse , and D is a s te r R e li e f o f f i c i a l s of p o ssib le impending e ru p ti o n s and re la te d 

h a z a rd s , su ch as mu dflows , str eam blo ckage- in duce d flo o d in g , and fo r e s t f i r e s .

Bas e Pr og ram: Th is o b je c ti v e Is ach ie ved by de ve lo pm en t of fu nd am en ta l kno wledge 

and unders ta ndin g of volc anoes and v o lc anic phenomena and by th e tim ely d is se m in a ti o n 

of su ch kno wle dge In a manne r comm unicable to n o n -t e c h n lc a ll y o ri e n te d governm ent 

o f f i c i a l s and th e g en era l p u b li c . To d a te th e pr im ar y th r u s t of th e pro gram ha s 

be en In Haw aii, where te ns of th ou sa nd s of re s id e n ts and to u r i s ts can be th re a te n ed 

by v o lc a n ic a c t iv ity . Mo dest e f f o r t s , In th e form of in d iv id u a l re sea rc h p ro je c ts , 

ha ve bee n made re c e n tly In th e Ca scade chain of C a lif o rn ia , Orego n, and W as hing ton, 

wh ere more th an 15 a c tiv e and do rm ant volc an oes occu r.

Pro gram a c t i v i t i e s In clu d e:

o Con tin uo us s u rv e il la n c e of H aw aii 's K ilauea and Mauna Loa , two of th e 

W orld' s mo st a c tiv e v o lc a n o es.

o Developme nt and re fi nem ent of contingency pla ns w ith Ha wa ii S ta te and 

County o f f i c i a l s , sh o u ld an e ru p ti o n of Mauna Loa th re a te n th e c ity of 

H ilo (a bout 30 ,000 p o p u la ti o n ).

o In v e s ti g a ti o n s of th e m o b il it y and c r y s ta l liz a tio n of la v a , duri ng 

e ru p ti o n s as w ell as su b su rf ac e in je c tio n s .

R ec en t ac co m pl ishm en ts In c lu d e :

o Exp an sion o f e f f o r t in v o lc a n ic gas m onit ori ng as a n o th e r means to 

d e te c t pre m onitory s ig n a ls o f e ru p ti o n s .

o A c q u is it io n of a d d itio n a l ag e d e te rm in a ti o n s to im prov e unders ta ndin g 

o f K il a u e a '8 p r e h is to r ic e ru p ti v e re c o rd and re c u rr e n c e in te r v a l, a s a 

b a sis o f e ru p ti o n p r e d ic tio n .

Need fo r Su pp lemen tal

Pre ce ded by a week of pre m onitory ear th quake a c t i v i t y , Mt. S t. H ele ns, in 

so uth w est ern W ashin gto n about 50 m iles n o rth e a s t o f P o rtl a n d , Orego n, be gan to 

e ru p t on March 27 , 19 80 . A m ajo r e x p lo si v e e ru p ti o n , in v o lv in g c o n sid e ra b le 

lo s s o f l i f e and p ro p e rt y o c cu rr e d on May 18 , an d was fo llow ed a week l a t e r 

by a n o th er la rg e e ru p ti o n o f ro ck and ash . To d a te , more th an $1 .8 b i l l i o n 

d o lla r s in p ro p ert y and cro p dama ge, as w ell as d e a th s , i n j u r i e s , and m is si ng 

p e rs o n s, hav e been ca us ed by th e e ru p ti o n — l a t e r a l b la s t , mud flow s, mudflow 

an d av al an ch e In du ce d flo o d in g , and as h f a l l . The advers e so ci o-e co nom ic e f f e c ts 

a re expec te d to in c re a se beca use th e c u rr e n t v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y ca n be expec te d 

to c o n ti n u e fo r mon th s, y e a rs , o r ev en decades.

The re aw ak en ing o f th e Cas ca de Volcano from more th an a c en tu ry o f slum be r ( i t 

l a s t eru p te d in 18 57) pro vid ed a poin te d re m in der th a t th e volc anoes o f th e
Ca sca de Range (W as hi ng to n, Oregon, C a lif o rn ia ) a re m er el y do rm an t, not e x tin c t.

At p re s e n t, th e e ru p ti v e a c t i v i t y con ti n u es w it h v io le n t em is si on o f st ea m , 

a sh , o c ca sio n a l blo cks (a s la rg e as se v e ra l fe e t in d ia m e te r), and v o lc an ic 

gas — ty p ic a lly r is in g 15,0 00-1 7,0 00 fe e t in a l t i t u d e (on Hay 18 , i t cl im be d to 

63 ,000 fe e t and on May 25, to 45 ,0 00 fe e t) a lte r n a tin g w ith in te r v a ls of 

r e la tiv e ly fe e b le a c t i v i t y confi ned w it h in th e sum mit c r a te r v e n ts . During th e 

l a s t e ru p ti o n s of Mt. S t. H el en s, th e volc ano was in te r m itte n tly a c tiv e fo r 

more th an two dec ad es (1 831- 18 57 ). I t is p o s sib le th e c u rr e n t e ru p ti o n co ul d 

s ig n a l th e s t a r t of a s im il a r cycle of e ru p ti o n s .

Under th e re d e le g a te d a u th o rit y of th e D is a s te r R e lie f Act o f 1974 (P .L . 93-2 88), 

th e G eolo gic al Su rv ey i s th e le ad F ed era l ag en cy to pro vid e r e lia b le and tim el y 

war ni ng s of v o lc a n ic hazard s to S ta te and lo c a l d is a s te r ag en c ie s. Under ou r 

man da te, th e G e o lo g ic al Su rvey must con ti n u e to c lo s e ly m on itor Mt. S t. Helen s 

and a c c e le ra te th e a c q u is itio n and a n a ly s is o f g e o lo g ic , g eo p h y sic a l, ge och em ic al , 

and hyd ro lo g ic d a ta in o rd er to pro vid e th e d a y -t o -d a y ass es sm en t of v o lc an ic 

h a za rd s. Thi s i s th e f i r s t ma jor e ru p ti o n o f a volc ano in th e co nt er m in ous 

Uni te d S ta te s sin c e Mt. Las se n, C a lif o rn ia , in 1914-19 21 and th e f i r s t to oc cu r 

in th e re g io n sin c e s u b s ta n tia l p o p u la ti o n gr ow th an d u rb a n iz a ti o n o f th e 

N or th w es t. I t i s th e re fo re th e f i r s t to c r e a te su ch w id es pr ea d d e s tr u c tio n o f 

th e works o f man in th e re g io n . I t has pro vid ed th e f i r s t o p p o rt u n it y fo r th e 

G eolo gic al Su rv ey to make an in -d e p th a n a ly s is of th e e ru p ti v e p ro cess es and 

a tt e n d a n t h a za rd s o f an a c tiv e volc an o o f th e Ca scad e ty p e. This In fo rm ati on 

i s necessa ry In o rd e r to de ve lo p th e u n d ers ta n d in g re q u ir e d fo r p re d ic ti o n 

and contingency p la nnin g.

Ite ms o f In c re a se and Fu nd ing R eq ui re d 

M onitor in g o f Mt. S t. Helen s — ($ + 1,1 00,0 00)

The c u rr e n t e ru p ti o n a t Mt. S t. Hel en s ca n be expec te d to l a s t se v e ra l y e a rs, 

o r per ha ps ev en deca des, i f th e 19th c e n tu ry a c t iv ity o f th e volc an o pro vid es 

an y s ia lo g y . Th us , th e G eolo gic al Su rv ey must c onti nue to c lo s e ly m onitor 

Mt. S t. H el en s and a c c e le ra te th e a c q u is itio n of g e o lo g ic a l, ge och em ic al , and 

geo p h y si cal d a ta in ord er to pro vid e th e d ay-t o-d ay ass ess m ent of v o lc a n ic 

haza rd s to th e F ore st S erv ic e an d o th e r F ed era l a g e n c ie s, as w ell as to th e 

County an d S ta te Age nc ies o f Ore gon an d W as hing ton. In a d d it io n to th e m onitori ng 

eq uipm en t d est ro yed in th e e ru p ti o n ( t i l t m e t e r s , " d r y - t i l t " s ta t io n s , e le c tr o n ic 

d is ta n c e me asu rem ent d e v ic es, gas a n a ly z e rs , t r a i l e r s , e t c .) mu st be re p la c ed .

A s u b s ta n tia l p a rt of th e ne ed ed fu nd s a re fo r h e li c o p te r c o n tr a c ts , th is be in g 

th e on ly way to get to la rg e p a rts o f th e re g io n quic kly and s a f e ly .

Da ta C o ll e c ti o n and A naly si s — S tr ea m s, Lak es , R e se rv o ir s, Ground W at er , and

P r e c ip ita tio n - Mt. S t. H el en s — ($ + 2,0 50,0 00)

A wide v a rie ty o f hydro lo gic d a ta need s to be c o ll e c te d to a naly ze th e c u rr e n t 

and in te rm e d ia te -t e rm e f f e c ts o f v o lc a n ic and seis m ic a c t iv ity on th e w at er 

re s o u rc e s of th e are a im pa ct ed by th e e ru p ti o n s o f th e Mt. S t. H el en s volc ano. 

A c tiv itie s to be undert aken in FY 198 0 r e la te mai nl y to human h e a lth , s a f e ty , 

econom ic im pac t, and a s s o c ia te d s c i e n t i f i c and en g in e eri n g s tu d ie s in c lu d in g :

o Sa mp lin g o f su rf a c e w a te r, gr ou nd w ate r, and v o lc a n ic a sh .

o Measu rem ent o f f lu v i a l an d a e o lia n sed im en ta ti o n .

o C o ll e c ti o n of p r e c ip ita tio n d a ta .

o Mea sure men t o f str eam fl o w , la k e and re s e r v o ir s to ra g e , an d a q u a ti c 

b io lo g ic para m ete rs .

o Ground w at er in v e s tig a tio n s .

o R e h a b il it a ti o n and re pla cem ent o f d e st ro yed gag in g s tr u c tu r e s and 

eq uip me nt w il l be c a r r ie d o u t. Oth er s ta tio n s , as ne ed ed , w il l be 

In s ta lle d .

o S p e c ia li ze d a e r i a l photo gra phy fo r h y d ra u li c and h y d ro lo g ic in v e s tig a ti o n s 

In clu din g se di m en t tr a c k in g and ch an nel ch an ges .

o Ch em ica l a n a ly se s, In c lu d in g tr a c e ele m en ts o f gr ou nd w ate r, su rf ace w ate r, 

p r e c ip ita tio n , and v o lc a n ic as h le a c h a te ; an d c o n c e n tr a ti o n and p a r tic le - 

s iz e an aly se s of f lu v i a l and a e o li a n se dim en ts .
E a rt h Scie nces A p p li c a ti o n s — ($ +1 30 ,0 00 )

Under th e re d ele g ate d a u th o rit y o f th e D is a s te r R e lie f Act of 19 74 , th e 

G e o lo g ic al Surve y is th e le a d F e d e ra l ag en cy fo r pro v id in g r e lia b le an d tim ely 

w ar ni ngs of vo lc an ic hazard s to S ta te and lo c a l d is a s te r a g en c ie s. Mt. S t. Helen s 

was th e f i r s t ma jor volc an o e ru p ti o n in th e U.S . sin ce th e re d e le g a ti o n . The 

Su rvey ne ed s to e v alu ate th e re sp o n se and e ffe c ti v e n e s s o f i t s Mt. S t. Hele ns 

Hazard Warning s. In a d d it io n , a s p e c ia l d e s c rip tiv e re p o rt w ill be pr ep ar ed 

on th e haza rd s re s u ltin g fro m th e e ru p ti o n s , fo r th e p e ri o d begin nin g March 20 ,

19 80 , when pr em on ito ry eart h q u ak e a c t i v i t y s ta r te d a t Mt. S t. H el en s.

Summary

The su pple m en ta l is ne ed ed fo r th e G eolo gic al Su rvey to f u l f i l l i t s r e s p o n s ib ilitie s 

un der th e D is a s te r R e li e f Act of 197 4 (P .L . 93-2 88). The ne ed ed work to m ain ta in 

th e re q u ir e d aro u n d -t h e -c lo c k m o n it o ri n g of Mt. S t. H ele ns w ill be done in co op er atio n w ith s c ie n tis ts of th e u n iv e r s itie s and o th e r S ta te in s t i t u t i o n s in W as hing ton, 

O re go n, and C a lif o rn ia . In deed, su ch c o o p era ti v e work acc om plish ed to d a te is 

pr ovin g to be w el l coord in ate d an d h ig h ly s u c c e s s fu l. We a n tic ip a te su ch co o p era ti o n 

to co n ti n u e as lo ng as th e c u rre n t e ru p ti o n of Mt. S t. H el en s w hic h, fro m s tu d ie s 

of i t s p a st behavio r, seem s lik e ly to con ti n u e fo r many mon th s, y e a r s , o r eve n 

d e cad es.

O bje ct C la s s if ic a tio n D is tr ib u tio n : The o b je c t c la s s d e t a i l fo r th e in c re a se 

i s a s fo ll o w s:

O bje ct C la s s if ic a tio n Man-Y ears Co st

P o s it io n s o th e r th an pe rm an en t 16 $ 25 7,00 0

O th er p ers o n n el co m pe ns at io n _______ 3______48 ,000

T o ta l Co mp ensat ion 19 30 5,00 0

P ers onnel b e n e fit s 31 ,000

T ra vel & tr a n s p o rta ti o n of pers ons 47 7,00 0

T ra n s p o rta ti o n of th in g s 213,0 00

Co mmun ication, u t i l i t i e s , an d o th e r re n ts 136,0 00

Sta ndard le v e l u se r ch ar ges 50 ,000

P r in ti n g and re p ro d u c ti o n 13 7,000

O th er s e rv ic e s 1, 20 8,0 00

S u p p li es and m a te ri a ls 34 5,00 0

Equip me nt 180,0 00

G ra nts 19 8,00 0

Grand t o t a l $3 ,2 80 ,0 00

C a li fo rn ia F lo ods and M ud slid es 

J u s tif ic a tio n o f Prog ram and Pe rfor m an ce

A c ti v it y : Water Res ou rc es In v e s ti g a ti o n s

S u b a c ti v it y : N ati onal W ate r Data Sy ste m— F ed era l Program

(D o ll ar amoun ts in th ousa nds)

FY 1980 

Ap pro p. 

Ena cted

To Da te

FY 1980 

Rev ised 

R eq ue st

FY 1980

Pr op os ed

Su pp le m en ta l

Da ta C ol. & A nal ysi s $ 15 ,608 16 ,008 +400

(FTP) (4 13 ) (4 13 ) —

A ll o th e r Programs $ 31 ,472 31 ,472 • __

(FTP) (441 ) (4 41 ) —

T o ta l Req uiremen ts $ 47 ,0 80 47 ,480 +400

(FTP) (8 54 ) (8 54 ) —

Da ta C o ll e c ti o n and A naly si s

A u th o ri z a ti o n : 43 U.S.C. 31(a )

O b je c ti v e : To c o lle c t, a n aly ze , i n t e r p r e t , an d make a v a ila b le d a ta and in fo rm ati o n 

on th e q u a n tity , q u a lity , and lo c a ti o n of th e N a ti o n 's gro un d and s u rfa c e w a te rs . 

S p e c if ic o b je c ti v e s In clu de o p e ra ti o n of s u rfa c e - and gro und-w ate r d a ta -c o lle c tlo n 

ne tw or ks w ith em phasi s on in fo rm a ti o n ab ou t w a te r-s h o rt a re a s , ur ba n co m pl ex es , 

lo w er r iv e r re a c h e s, flo o d s , d ro u g h ts , an d en vir onm enta l conce rn s.
24

Base Pr og ram: The In fo rm ation i s us ed by a l l se gm en ts of th e w at er comm unity.

Many d a ta ha ve be en and a re bei ng c o lle c te d , y e t th e re remain s e rio u s d e fic ie n c ie s 

in th e g eo g ra p h ic al d is tr ib u tio n and in th e kin ds of d ata o b ta in e d . Thi s s itu a tio n 

e x is ts n ot on ly bec au se of p o p u la ti o n gr ow th and s h if ts and d e p le ti o n of some 

lo c a l so u rc es of w ate r, bu t a ls o be ca us e th e de ve lo pm en t and management of w at er 

re so u rc es on a re g io n a l and n a ti o n a l b a s is re q u ir e more and b e tte r su p p o rt in g 

d a ta . The in v e s tig a ti o n s a re m odif ie d som ewh at from year to year in re sp onse to 

th e In c re a sin g and ch an gi ng s tr e s s e s on th e N a ti o n 's w ate r sy stem .

Need fo r Supple m en ta l: The sto rm s, flo o d s , an d m ud sl id es of Ja nu ar y th ro ugh March 

1980 in A ri zo na and C a li fo rn ia we re an ex trem e n a tu ra l even t cau si ng lo s s of li v e s 

and e x te n s iv e , w id es pr ea d econom ic lo s s e s . Meas ure s fo r m it ig a ti n g fu tu r e lo s se s 

of l i v e s , p ro p e rt y , and inco me d u ri ng su ch e vents ca n be pl an ne d an d desi gned 

th ro ugh an unders ta ndin g of th e h y d ro lo g ic and geolo gic pro cess es th a t occu r and 

th e li k e li h o o d of th e ir fu tu re o ccu rr e n ce . A ppro pri ate unders ta ndin g o f th e 

p ro c e ss e s, as w el l as ass ess m ent of fu tu re lik e li h o o d s , re q u ir e s r e lia b le 

o b se rv a ti o n s and me asu rem ents of experi en ced e v en ts . Such in fo rm ati o n i s th e 

b a sis fo r ju dgi ng ris k s to vari ous pla nn ed dev el opm en ts , fo r desi gnin g p ro te c ti o n 

w or ks, fo r re g u la ti n g la nd u s e s , an d fo r o th e r su ch m ea su res th a t minim ize th e 

advers e Im pa cts of ex tre me n a tu ra l e v e n ts .

R ec ogniz in g th e un iq ue and s ig n if ic a n t o p p o rtu n it ie s to docum ent ex trem e storm 

Im pacts , th e G eolo gic al Su rvey ex pe nd ed c o n sid e ra b le e f f o r t duri ng th e Ja nua ry 

to March 1980 st or m s to obse rv e an d mea su re in th e f ie ld th e v a ria b le s c h a ra c te riz in g th e even ts in C a lif o rn ia an d A ri zona. These f i e l d e f f o r ts a re c o o rd in ate d 

w it h and su pp lem en ted by e f f o r t s of o th e r F e d e ra l, S ta te , and lo c a l a g en cie s. 

Be ca use of th e ex treme mag nitude an d u n usuall y lo ng d u ra ti o n of th e 1980 st orm s, 

th e G eo lo g ic al Su rvey f ie ld e f f o r ts , in C a lif o rn ia an d A rizo na g re a tl y ex ceed ed 

th e fu ndin g no rm al ly expended a n n u a ll y on n a tu ra l d is a s te r s do cu m en ta tion 

th ro ughout th e N at io n.

In a d d it io n to obse rv in g and m ea su ri ng d a ta in th e f i e l d duri ng an d im m ed ia te ly 

fo ll ow in g th e sto rm s, th e re is a ne ed to as se m bl e th e d ata and in fo rm a ti o n 

c o ll e c te d by th e G eolo gic al Su rv ey and o th e r a g en cie s; to e v a lu a te , c o lla te , 

a n a ly z e , and In te rp r e t a l l p e rtin e n t In fo rm ati o n ; and, f i n a l l y , to pro vid e th e 

d a ta and in fo rm ati on in a u sab le fo rm at to p la n n e rs , d e s ig n e rs , e n g in e e rs, and 

d e c is io n makers a t a l l le v e ls .

S p e c if ic a c t i v i t i e s acc om plish ed a n d /o r pla nn ed un de r

A c ti v it y

1. Me asu rem ent s of fl o o d flow s and se di m en t 

lo ad s a t e x is tin g gagin g s ta tio n s and a t 

s e le c te d s p e c ia l s i t e s of in t e r e s t .

th is su pple m en ta l In clu de:

E stim ate d Co st

$1 75 ,000

2. Flo od maps of In undate d a re a s . 50 ,0 00

3. Do cu men tatio n of p o s t- flo o d chan nel ch an ge s

and se di m en t lo a d s . 90 ,0 00

4. As sessmen t of v u ln e r a b ility of s e le c te d a re as

to sh eet fl o w s, chan nel m ig ra ti o n , an d ch an nel 

de ve lo pm en t. 40 ,000

5. Evalu ate r e l i a b i l i t y of c u rre n t te ch n iq u es fo r

e s ta b li s h in g fl o o d -p ro n e a re a s 45 ,000

40 0,000

O bje ct C la s s if ic a tio n D is tr ib u tio n : The o b je c t c la s s d e ta il fo r th e in c re a se 

i s as fo ll ow s:

O bj ec t C la s s ific a tio n

P o sit io n s o th e r th an pe rm an en t 

O th er pers onnel co m pe ns at io n 

T o ta l Co mp ensat ion 

Per so nnel b e n e fit s

Tra vel 4 tra n s p o rta ti o n of per so ns 

T ra n sp o rt a ti o n o f th in g s 

Co mm unica tio n, u t i l i t i e s , and o th er 

P rin ti n g and re p ro d u c ti o n 

Oth er s e rv ic e s

S uppli es and m a te ria ls 

Equ i pment

Gra nd t o t a l

Man-Years Cos t

4 66 ,0 00

1______ 15 ,000

5 81 ,0 00

8, 00 0

67 ,000

8, 00 0

re n ts 6,00 0

2, 00 0 

21 4,000 

9,00 0 

5, 00 0

40 0,00 0
25

C a lif o rn ia Flo od s and M ud sl id es 

J u s t i f i c a t i o n o f Pro gra a and P erf orn ance

A c ti v it y : Geo lo gi c an d M in er al Res ou rc e Su rv ey s an d Mapping 

S u b a c ti v it y : Land R es ou rc e Sur ve ys

(D o ll a r amounts In th ousa nds)

FY 1980

Ap pro p. FY 1980 FY 1980

Ena cted Rev ised Pr oposed

to Da te Req ue st Su pp lemen tal

E n g in eeri n g Geology $

(FTP)

1, 22 9 1, 54 9 +320

(2 2) (22) ----

A ll o th e r pro gra ms § 55 ,942 55 ,942

(FTP) (7 68 ) (768 )

T o ta l re quir em ents $ 57 ,1 71 a / 57 ,49 1

(FTP) (7 90 ) (790)

+320

E ngin eeri ng Geolo gy

A u th o riz a ti o n : 43 U.S .C . 3 1 (a ).

O b je c ti v e : Impro ved te c h n iq u es and m et ho dolo gie s to id e n tif y , d e li n e a te th e 

d is tr ib u tio n o f, and me asu re th e e n g in eeri n g behav io r of E art h m a te ri a ls and 

g e o lo g ic pro cess es as th ey a f f e c t th e wo rks of man. P a r tic u la r em ph as is Is 

d ir e c te d to th ose m a te ria ls an d pro cess es th a t pose ground f a ilu r e h aza rd s.

Base Pr og ram: The on go in g re s e a rc h pro gra m su p p o rt s f ie ld and la b o ra to ry 

re s e a rc h on geolo gic pro cess es th a t may r e s u lt In gr ou nd f a ilu r e h a za rd s, 

te ch n iq u es fo r m ea su ring e n g in e e rin g p ro p e rti e s and fo r p re d ic ti n g e n g in eeri n g 

beh av io r of E art h m a te ria ls , an d e n g in e e ri n g -g e o lo g ic mapping e ith e r to 

dem onst ra te how to ap ply new te ch n iq u es and s c i e n t i f i c ad va nc es o r to su pport 

th e a c t i v i t i e s of F edera l a g en c ie s w ith maj or i n te r e s ts in th e a re a of stu d y .

The re s e a rc h program fo cu ses on a r e a l and c la s s i f i c a t i o n in v e n to rie s , pro cess 

s tu d ie s , c a u sa ti v e s tu d ie s , an d p re d ic ti v e m od el s, wh ich pro vid e in fo rm ati o n 

an d an aly se s on la n d s lid e s an d o th e r grou nd f a ilu r e haza rd s of d ir e c t 

a p p li c a ti o n to th e work of o th e r go vernm ent and no n-go ve rnmen t e n g in eers an d 

s c i e n t i s t s , and of d ir e c t or in d ir e c t a p p li c a ti o n to la nd-u se d e c is io n s by 

conce rn ed F e d e ra l, S ta te , an d lo c a l o f f i c i a l s . Thi s re sea rc h e f f o r t , tho ug h 

c u rre n tl y sm a ll , is th e p r in c ip a l so urc e of e x p e rti s e to im plem en t p ro v is io n s 

of th e D is a s te r R e li e f Act of 1974 conce rn in g la n d s lid e s , m udsl id es, and oc her 

gr ou nd f a ilu r e h azard s.

On going a c t i v i t i e s in c lu d e : a ) s tu d ie s to dev el op te chniq ues to In vento ry 

an d I l l u s t r a t e th e r e la tiv e s u s c e p tib ility of slo p es to f a ilu r e by la n d s lid e , 

docume nt th e eco nomic s ig n ific a n c e o f la n d s lid e s In p a r tic u la r a re a s , and to 

p re d ic t th e lo c a ti o n , s i t e , an d ti m in g of fu tu r e la n d s lid e a c t i v i t y ; b) s tu d ie s 

of su bsi dence in a re a s a f f e c te d by e x tr a c ti o n of su b su rf ac e f lu id s or s o li d s ; 

c ) ro ck mec ha nics and s o i l m ec han ic s in v e s tig a ti o n s (i n c lu d in g de ve lo pm en t of 

in str u m e n ta ti o n ) and case s tu d ie s o’f ro ck an d e n g in e eri n g s o i l ty pes in re g a rd 

to t h e ir behav io r fo r a v a r ie ty of u6 es in c lu d in g fo un d ati o n s an d c o n str u c ti o n 

m a te ria ls ; and d) e n g in e eri n g g e o lo g ic mappin g of th e B ost on, D en ve r, and 

S a lt Lake C it y a re a s , p a r tic u la r ly in re g ard to g eo lo g ic h azard s.

Need fo r Sup pl em en ta l: The b ase pro gra m do es n o t In clu d e conti ngency fu nd in g 

fo r ra p id -r esp o n se in v e s tig a tio n s of ex tre me n a tu ra l ev en ts su ch as th e st orm - 

r e la te d grou nd f a ilu r e s o f Ja nu ar y- M ar ch 1980 in C a lif o rn ia ; ho wev er , th ose 

e v en ts o ff e r un iq ue and s ig n if ic a n t o p p o rtu n it ie s to doc um ent t h e i r c h a ra c te r 

an d d is tr ib u tio n to e v alu ate th e e ffe c ti v e n e s s of e x is tin g p re d ic ti v e m od el s, 

an d to de ve lo p im pro ved p e rs p e c ti v e s on th e haza rd s and t h e ir p r o b a b il it y of 

re c u rr e n c e .

* / In th e FY 1981 Budget J u s t i f i c a t i o n , E ngin eeri ng Geology i s In clu ded in a 

new ele m en t, Ground F a il u re an d C o n st ru cti o n H az ar ds .

In th e FY 1981 Bu dget J u s t i f i c a t i o n , th e amount shown fo r Land Res ou rce 

Su rv ey s ha s been re duce d by th e s h i f t of Co al Evni ro nm en ta l S tu die s to 

En ergy Re so ur ce Surv ey s.
26

The $3 20 ,000 In c re a se in th e E ngin ee ri ng Geo logy Program fo r FY 1980 w ill be 

u tiliz e d to dev el op an ass es sm en t and a n a ly s is of th e d is a s tr o u s "m ud sl ld ea " 

th a t acco mp an ied re c e n t damaging (e s ti m a te s ex ce ed $500 m il li o n ) st orm s in 

so u th ern C a li fo rn ia and s im il a r thou gh le s s dam aging even ts in th e San F ra ncis co 

Bay re g io n . Th ese "m ud slid es " a c tu a ll y c o n s is t o f a t l e a s t fiv e d is t i n c t l y 

d if f e r e n t kin ds of grou nd f a ilu r e s : 1) r o c k f a lls from c l i f f s and ro ad c u ts ;

2) r o ta tio n a l and tr a n s la tio n a l la n d s lid e s ; 3) e ro sio n by t o r r e n t i a l str eam fl ow ;

4) d e b ri s flo ws g enera te d by sh ee tw as h fro m re c e n tly bu rned slo p e s ; and

5) d e b ris fl ow s g enera te d by s o i l s lip s fr om un bu rn ed s lo p e s . S yst em atic 

re g io n a l s tu d ie s a re ne eded to dev el op p re d ic ti v e m od el s, a ss e ss th e pr obab le 

e x te n t of fu tu r e re c u rr e n c e s , e sti m a te r i s k , and id e n ti fy e f f e c tiv e m it ig a ti n g 

m ea su re s.

The s tu d ie s w ill be co nd uc te d in c o o p e ra ti o n w it h S ta te and lo c a l go ve rn men ts 

an d w ith o th e r F edera l agen cie s su ch as th e U.S. Army Corps of E ngin eers . 

Fo llow -o n a c t i v i t y is pl an ne d by th e USGS to in su re th a t th e r e s u lts o f th e 

in v e s tig a ti o n s and an aly se s a re tr a n s m it te d to go ve rn m en ta l and o th e r in te r e s te d 

agencie s in a for m th a t i s d ir e c tly a p p li c a b le to la n d -u se d e c is io n s .

Ground f a ilu r e ev en ts of th e fo re goin g k in d s a re not r e s t r i c t e d to so u th ern 

C a li fo rn ia nor th e P a c if ic C oa st re g io n . S im il a r ev en ts ha ve ca us ed damage 

an d in ju ry i n th e Rocky Mounta in an d A ppal ac hia n re g io n s of th e co nt er m in ou s 

U ni te d S ta te s . In v e s ti g a ti o n s of th e so u th e rn C a li fo rn ia e v e n ts , th e re fo re , 

have a s tr o n g p o te n ti a l fo r te chnolo gy tr a n s f e r to o th e r p a rts of th e c o u n tr y .

O bje ct C la s s if ic a tio n D is trib u tio n : The o b je c t c la s s d e t a i l fo r th e in c re a se 

as fo ll o w s:

O bje ct C la s s if ic a tio n Cos t

P o s it io n s o th e r th an pe rm anent 4, 00 0

T ra v el an d tr a n s p o rta ti o n o f pers ons 75 ,0 00

T ra n sp o rt a ti o n of th in g s 10 ,0 00

O th er S e rv ic e s 201 000

Suppli es an d m a te ri a ls 30 000

Grand T o ta l $320 *000
27

,300

CtiiUVo^-U. Sorted. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH

PROGRAM AND FINANCING (D oll ars lo th ou sa nd s)

14 -0 80 4- 1- 1- 30 6

*80 m 80 ^ 8 0

P rese n tl y

A vailable

Rev ised

Estim at e

Proposed

Supplem ental

Program by a c t iv it ie s :

D ir ec t program:

3. G eo logic and m in er al re so urc e 13 8,66 1 14 2, 26 1 3, 60 0

su rv ey s and mapping ----------------

4. Water re so urc es in v e s tig a tio n s 10 6,18 7 10 6, 58 7 40 '

A ll ot her a c t i v i t i e s - No 20 7,20 7 20 7,20 7 __

change -----------------------------------

T ota l, D ir ec t Program ------------- 45 2, 05 5 45 6, 05 5 4, 00 0

Reimb ursable Program -------------- 15 1, 86 0 15 1, 86 0 —

10.0 0 Tot al program c o s t s , fu nd ed ,

o b li g a ti o n s - --------------------------- 60 3, 91 5 60 7,91 5 4, 00 0

Fi na nc in g:

O ff se tt in g c o lle c t io n s from:

11.0 0 Fe de ra l fund s ----------------------- -8 3,3 66

-6 8,4 94

-8 3,3 66

-6 8,4 94

—

40.0 0 Budget auth orit y (a ppro pri ati ons 45 2, 05 5 45 6, 05 5 4, 00 0

R el ati on o f o b li g a ti o n s to o u tl a y s:

71.0 0 O bli gati ons in curred, net ------

Obl ig at ed bala n ce , s ta r t o f yea

45 2, 05 5 45 6, 05 5 4, 00 0

72.4 0 App ro pr iatio n -------------------------- 68 ,1 97 68 ,1 97 —

72. 98 Fund ba lanc e ---------------------------- 17 ,8 47 17 ,8 47 —

Obl igat ed bala n ce , end o f ye ar

74.4 0 App ro pr iatio n -------------------------- -8 8,0 87

-1 7,8 47

-8 8,2 87

-1 7,8 47

-200

90.0 0 Ou tla ys ------------------------------------ 43 2, 16 5 43 5, 96 5 3, 80 0
28

S T A N D A R D FO RM 304 

Mas 1969. Bureau of (he Budget

Gr rular No. A - l l , Revised

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SURVEYS, INVEST IGA TIO NS, AND RESEARCH

OBJEC T CL ASSIF ICAT ION (in thousan ds of dollar s)

Id entification code

14 -0 804-1 -1 -3 06

11.1

11.3

11.5

Perso nne l com pen sation:

Perman ent pos itio ns....

Posit ion s oth er than perm an en t.

Other perso nnel com pen sation

-------Spec ial per so nal i paym ent*....... .

Total perso nne l com pensation

Perso nnel benefits:

12.1 C iv ilia n...............

13.0 Ben efits for former pe rs on ne l.

j 21.0 Tr avel and transportation o f perso ns ...... .

: 22.0 Tra nsp ortatio n of th in gs. ...................................

■ 23. 1 S ta ndar d le v e l u se r ch arg es .........

: -240 — Re nt , com m u nicatio n*. and -m il m e* ..................

: 23. 2 Comm., u t i l . , & o th e r re n t ............

! 24.0 Pr intin g and rep rodu cti on ..................................

25.0 Ot her serv ices ........................................................

: 26.0 Su pp lie s and materials..........................

: 31.0 Equip ment ..............................................

: .32.0— l an ds and stru cture *.. ..........................

• 34 0— In v estm ents and loans

• 41 .0 Grants, subsidies, and co nt ribu tio ns

: 42 .0 Insurance claims and in de m ni ties .. .

: 4 3 0 — In te rest and d iv idend s ____

' 44 .0 — Re fu nd s ______ _______________ ____

99 .0 Total ob liga tions

80 ” 80

P re s e n tl y

A v ail ab le

18 8,80 4

36 ,272

5, 43 3

Re vise d

E st im ate

18 8,80 4

36 ,5 99

5, 49 6

Pr op os ed

Su pp le m en ta l

327

63

23 0,50 9

23 ,31 1

14

11 ,336

3,49 9

23 ,522

16 ,018

4, 61 3

94 ,752

20 ,518

20 ,524

3,36 6

73

23 0,89 9

23 ,3 50

14

11 ,955

3, 73 0

23 ,572

16 ,1 60

4, 75 2

96 ,3 75

20 ,902

20 ,7 09

3, 56 4

73

45 2, 05 5 45 6,05 5

390

39

619

231

50

142

139

1,62 3

384

185

198

4,00 0
July MM, B r a s W U» Bodi

Ckyotar N*. i- U , BnSaL

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH 

PERSONNEL SUMMARY

IteUfloUa ■*

1 4 -0 8 0 4 -1 -1 -3 0 6

D ir e c t P ro gra m

T o ta l nu mbe r o f p erm an en t p o s i t i o n s —

T o ta l co m p en sa b le w o rk y e a rs ------------------

F u ll- t im e e q u iv a le n t o f o t h e r

F u ll- t im e e q u iv a le n t o f o v e rtim e

an d h o lid a y h o u rs -----------------------------

A vera ge ES s a la r y -------------------------------------

A vera ge GS g ra d e --------------------------------------

A vera ge GS s a la r y -------------------------------------

A v er ag e s a la r y o f u n g ra d ed p o s i t i o n s -

» 8 0

xwn*

P r e s e n tl y

A v a il a b le

7 ,8 2 4

1 0 ,2 8 0

(2 ,7 1 0 )

(1 75)

$4 7 ,3 1 6

1 0 .1 4

$2 3 ,6 2 6

$2 1 ,4 9 6

^ » 8 0

R ev is e d

E s ti m a te

7 ,8 2 4

1 0 ,3 0 4

(2 ,7 3 0 )

(1 7 9 )

$ 4 7 ,3 1 6

1 0 .1 4

$ 2 3 ,6 2 6

$ 2 1 ,4 9 6

P ro p o se d

S u p p le m en ta l

24

(2 0)

(4 )
30

STANDA RD FOR M 306

Ju ly 196S Bu reau of the Bu dg et

Circular No. A - l l . Re vised.

DEPA RT ME NT OF TH E INTERI OR 

GE OL OG IC AL SURVEY

CONSOLI DAT ED SCH EDU LE O F PERM AN EN T POSITI ONS PAID 

FRO M F UNDS A VAILABLE TO T HE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

DETAIL OF PERMANENT POSITIONS

GRA DE

Ex ec utive Le vel V ----------------------------------------- :

Sub total ---------------------------------

E S - 6 -------------------------------------------

E S - 5 -------------------------------------------

E S - 3 -------------------------------------------

E S - 2 -------------------------------------------

E S - 1 ------------------------------------------- .

Subtotal ---------------------------------

G S - 1 8 ------------------------------------------

GS-1 7 ------------------------------------------

GS-1 6 ------------------------------------------

GS/ GM-15 ---------------------------------------

GS/G M-14 --------------------------------------

GS/GM-13 --------------------------------------------------------

G S - 1 2 ------------------------------------------

GS-11 ------------------------------------------------------------

G S - 9 -------------------------------------------

G S-8 --------------------------------------------------------------

G S - 7 -------------------------------------------

G S - 6 -------------------------------------------

G S - 5 -------------------------------------------

G S - 2 -------------------------------------------

G S - 1 -------------------------------------------

Subt otal ---------------------------------

»• 80 XlSXAt >•80 *•80 XftCXHKX

Supp?imen^al

i i

i i —

i i —

6 6 -

36 36 -

4 4 —

10 10 -

— — —

57 57 —

—- —

—

4 4 —

10 10 —

489 489 —

700 700 - -

1,18 8 1,18 8 - -

1,436 1,4 36 —

1,403 1,403

191 191

1,23 6 1,23 6 —

252 252

666 666 - -

492 492 —

681 681 —

349 349 —

84 84 —

7 7

— —

9,188 { 9,188
31

ST ANDA RD FORM 306

Ju ly 19 6S. Bu reau of the Bu dget

. Cir cu la r No. A - l l . Revised .

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIO R

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF PERMANENT PO SITI ONS PA ID

FROM FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

DETAIL OF PERMANENT POSITIONS

i» 80 i»80 1 9 8 0

MKKKZX w a x

j P r e s e n t l y R e v is e d P ro p o s e d

t

♦

A v a i l a b l e E s t im a te S u p p le m e n ta l

: G ra d e s e s t a b l i s h e d b y t h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r , 

A gency f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l D e v e lo p m e n t:

(7 5 S t a t . 4 5 0 )

F C -1 3 , $ 4 7 ,5 4 0 t o $ 5 0 ,1 1 2 --------------------------- 1 1

F C -1 2 , $ 4 0 ,7 7 5 t o $ 5 0 ,1 1 2 --------------------------- 7 7

F C -1 1 , $ 3 4 ,2 7 0 t o $ 4 5 ,7 1 9 --------------------------- 8 8

F C -1 0 , $ 2 9 ,3 7 5 t o $ 3 8 ,1 8 6 --------------------------- 8 8 —

F C -9 , $ 2 4 ,6 3 5 t o $ 3 2 ,3 1 2 ----------------------------- 6 6 —

F C -8 , $ 2 0 ,7 4 7

S u b t o t a l

t o $ 2 6 ,8 4 7 ----------------------------- 3 3

33 33

U n g ra d e d ------------------- 257 257

T o t a l p e rm a n e n t p o s i t i o n s --------------------------- 9 ,5 3 6 9 ,5 3 6

U n f i l l e d p o s i t i o n s , e n d o f y e a r ------------------------- - 2 0 - 2 0

T o t a l p e rm a n e n t e m p lo y m e n t, e n d o f y e a r --------- 9 ,5 1 6 9 ,5 1 6
32

WARNING OF BLAST

Senator Magnuson. On e thing I wanted to ask you, which is no t 

clear to me, you suggest that you peo ple ha d a few days ’ warning 

before the big blast, is tha t correct?

Mr. Menard. We had. I should take the opp ortu nity to express the 

remar kable cooperatio n we received from the Fore st Service. We 

would n’t have been able to do this work witho ut the Forest Service 

supplying us with space, telephones, helicopter s, every kind of logistic 

help, and so on. Th e Fore st Service controls the roads there. It mig ht 

be much bett er to hear the head of th e Forest Service describe i t 

Essentially, from the beginning of the erupt ions, we advis ed on, I 

believe, an hourly basis, which areas app ear ed to be safe for some body 

to go into.

The roads were generally closed off. We lost one man, David 

Johnson, in that blast. I believe, if all the safety prec autio ns ha d bee n 

in effect, he might have been the only perso n lost. He was at an 

observin g station, bu t since all the type s of flows you expect exce pt the 

horizo ntal blast are down in valleys, the observing stations, where 

geological observatorie s ough t to be, 1,40 0 feet above the base—the 

horizo ntal blas t caug ht him-----

Senator Magnuson. Wha t I am getting at is, you had some prio r 

warning befo re the big blast—how man y days?

Mr. Menard. We began issuing warnings, I think, 1% mon ths 

befo rehand, bu t not on the mag nitu de— as I say, we can say when 

something is going to happen, bu t we can’t say what scale.

ADEQUACY OF WARNINGS

Senator Magnuson. I under sta nd that. But you strong ly suggeste d 

some thing might happ en abo ut 1 month before.

Mr. Menard. Yes. I mean, something was happening, Mr. Chairman. 

It wasn’t a mat ter of suggesting. You could see the eru pti on going on. I 

may be giving you an impr ession tha t we knew ther e would be a big 

blast, which is not correct. Wh at we knew was that the volcano was in 

eruptio n and we said it wou ld eru pt before it eru pte d and we said 

where thing s would happen, if they were going to hap pen , the sort o f 

cha rt I showed you. Wh at we did not say was there was a special 

haza rd at the time of the big blast. As a ma tter of fact, many of ou r 

peop le had already gone hom e to try to catch up on some o f the ir 

affairs tha t they had been doing before the eruption. Qui te the reverse, 

we knew there was a hazard, we said the gene ral character of it, we did 

not say that was a dan gero us day.

Sen ator Magnuson. Why wasn’t the area completely cleare d o f 

people, then?. Was it lack o f comm unication , or what?

Mr. Menard. I do n’t think it could possibly have been any lack of 

comm unication with the Forest Service becau se we were absolutely 

physically locked tog ether ther e using their facilities. It is not the 

responsibility of the Survey to take any steps to ameliorate or modi fy 

the hazard. It is ou r responsibility to do the scientific work and to 

inform FEM A and State officials and we did that.

Sena tor Magnuson. An d you did?
33

Mr. Menard. Yes.

Sen ator Magnuson. And tha t was 1 mo nth prec edin g the big blast?

Mr. Menard. Yes, sir.

Sen ator Magnuson. Ab ou t 1 mon th. The n you con tinu ed on to give 

this infor matio n befor e the big blast; is that correc t?

Mr. Menard. Yes, bullet ins were bein g issued on a daily basis, or if 

there were any poin t, mo re frequ ently . The volcano ha d prett y well 

died down, it was not blas ting very muc h.

dissemination of warning information

Sen ator Magnuson. Was the imm inen t dang er of the blast public ized 

a gre at deal?

Mr. Menard. Oh yes. Actua lly, the rep ort we issue d 2 years ago 

spelled ou t what was going to hap pen and was com mun icat ed to State 

officials who were aware of it and that is the reas on as soon as some thing began to ha pp en at the volcano, the reser voirs were drawn 

down.

Sen ator Magnuson. I jus t wond er if there was a lack of 

commun icat ion at some level . I do n’t blam e you peo ple . You gave the 

infor mat ion. Wh at distu rbs me is that with all the publ icity , the warnings, the 

fatality rate was so high. Th at’s what conce rns me. Why were these 

peop le allowed to rema in in the area? You’ve ind icat ed that you were aware that someth ing was going to hap pen bu t you di dn ’t know exactly 

when and it seems to me th at at some poi nt the imm edia te area should 

have been cleare d and the block ades strictly enfo rced . It’s a mo ot issue now. Gr an ted , many lives were saved bu t far too 

many were not. Wha t can be done to pre ven t some thing like this 

hap pen ing shou ld the volc ano eru pt again?

Go ver nor Ray. Mr. Ch air ma n, if I may, I am pre par ed to speak to 

that poi nt.

Sen ator Magnuson. Now wait until I finish.

Mr. Menard. Mr. Ch airm an, we were pred ictin g th at the volcano 

would beha ve the way it was doing, which we could observe. It was 

swelling up in this one spo t. If we had tho ught the re would be an 

explosio n out of that spot, we would have said so. We did not say so. 

We said it had hap pen ed bef ore in the historic al reco rds. If we thou ght 

there was going to be an explosi on, we wou ldn’t hav e had our man 

there.

Sen ator Magnuson. But you did feel the poss ibility, the strong 

possibility of a maj or erup tion; did you not?

Mr. Menard. Yes, bu t as far as when precisely, th at we had not 

pred icte d, and cou ldn’t.

Senator Schmitt. Wou ld the chai rma n yield for a followup?

Senator Magnuson. Yes.

Sen ator Schmitt. Bill, the thin g tha t I do n’t und ers tan d, thou gh, is 

that when the Survey real ized the high rate of swelling, there was expresse d conce rn by some o f the scientists tha t the no rth side of the 

mounta in was being grav itatio nally unstable. In tha t con ditio n, would it
34

have been app ropriat e to increase the urgenc y of the alert in any way? 

Because once you lost the north side o f the mou ntain, that may well be 

what triggered the actual violent explosion, as the mag na beca me less 

covered and bega n to vesiculate.

Mr. Menard. I went out there , talked to people, getting daily 

bulletin s, we were all very conce rned. The chi ef geologist used to be the 

head of the observatory in Hawaii. Th e depu ty chief geologist use d to 

be the head of the observa tory in Hawaii. The pres ent Ch ief of the 

Office that is responsible for this pro gra m used to be the head of the 

observatory in Hawaii. We were all monitori ng this in every way we 

could and I recei ved no indic ation th at we expected tha t blast to occur.

Sena tor Schmitt. What I am gett ing at is, hopefully we learn from 

our experiences. There are peop le in the Survey who know a great deal 

abo ut gravitationa lly unstab le situa tion s, includ ing you r volcanologists, I 

believe.

I am jus t wond ering if you star ted to see that same situa tion develo p 

today, say, on the south side, and the re was some indication tha t might 

be happ ening, althoug h I underst and that has died down somewha t, 

would you take a somewhat dif fer ent view of a gravitationa lly unsta ble 

slope on tha t mou ntain?

Mr. Menard. Well, we certainly would. I stood ther e with Cran dall 

and said, “This is where the flow will hit,” and that is where it hit. We 

flew down in the helico pter. The re was a valley there . It was obviou s 

tha t was the way it was going to go. You could practic ally see the 

swelling. It had cracks in it. It was quite obvious what it was doing. We 

certainl y have learned, and I am sure would be muc h more alarm ed in 

the future for the potential of a dom e of tha t sort.

SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Senator Magnuson. Thank you for appe aring today, Mr. Mena rd, 

and for your expe rt testimony. We do have addition al ques tions which 

we will ask you to answer for the record.

[The following ques tion s were no t asked at the hear ing, bu t were 

sub mit ted to the Dep artm ent for response s sub sequen t to the hearing:]
35

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

Su rv ey E x p e n d itu re s to D at e f o r E ru p ti o n

Q u e sti o n . What h a s b een th e S u rv e y 's e x p e n se s to d a te in 

c o n n e c ti o n w it h th e M t. S t . H ele ns e r u p tio n , an d w i l l you be a b le 

to c o v e r them w it h t h i s su p p le m e n ta l w it h o u t im p a irin g o th e r 

o n g o in g pro gr am s?

Ans wer . The S u r v e y 's e x p en ses to d a te in c o n n e c ti o n w it h 

th e Mt . S t. H ele ns e r u p ti o n t o t a l $ 1 ,3 1 9 ,0 0 0 . I f th e re q u e ste d 

su p p le m e n ta l i s a p p ro v e d , i t w i l l c o v e r m ost o f th e s e e x p e n d itu re s 

w it h o u t im p a ir in g o th e r o n g o in g p ro gra m s.

E x p e n d itu re s f o r B ala n ce o f Yea r

Q u e sti o n . How much o f th e su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t i s d ir e c te d to 

e x p e n se s f o r th e b a la n c e o f th e f i s c a l y ear? W il l y our e s tim a te d 

c o s t s be s u b s t a n t i a l l y a f f e c t e d i f th e r e a r e an y f u r t h e r e r u p ti o n s ?

Ans wer . E s ti m a te d e x p e n s e s f o r th e b a la n c e o f th e y e ar fo r 

th e S u rv ey a r e a p p ro x im a te ly $ 1 ,9 6 1 ,0 0 0 . I f f u r t h e r e r u p tio n s o f 

M t. S t. H ele ns do n o t e x c e e d th e i n t e n s i t y o f th e May 2 5 tl i an d 

Ju n e 1 2th e r u p tio n s in t h i s f i s c a l y e a r, th e n th e e s tim a te d c o s t 

to c a r r y o u t th e s e s t u d i e s w i l l n o t be s u b s t a n t i a l l y a f f e c t e d . 

Should an e r u p tio n o c c u r a t a n y o f th e o th e r C asc ad e v o lc a n o e s 

d u rin g t h i s f i s c a l y e a r , th e n th e p r e s e n t l y e s tim a te d c o s t wo uld 

be s u b s t a n t i a l l y a f f e c t e d .

Number o f P e o p le W or king a t M t. S t. H e le n s

Q u e sti o n . How many p e o p le do you h ave a t wo rk on th e 

M t. S t. H ele n s pro ble m s b o th d i r e c t l y an d u n d er c o n tr a c t? How 

w i l l t h i s na np ow er be augm ente d by th e su p p le m e n ta l re q u e s t?

Ans wer . The S u rv e y h a s betw ee n 60 an d 70 p e o p le d i r e c t l y 

in v o lv e d in th e a c t i v i t y a t Mt. S t. H e le n s. C o n s id e ra b ly more 

p e o p le a re a s s ig n e d to a s s i s t a s th e em er gen cy dem ands. T h is 

manpowe r w i l l n o t be a p p r e c ia b ly au gm en te d by t h i s su p p le m e n ta l 

r e q u e s t .

C ost o f E quip m ent L ost in E ru p ti o n

Q u e sti o n . What i s th e t o t a l c o s t o f you r eq u ip m en t th a t was 

d e s tr o y e d in th e e r u p ti o n , and how lo n g do you a n t i c i p a t e i t w i l l 

ta k e to hav e th e re p la c e m e n ts i n p la c e an d o p e r a tin g so t h a t you 

can have some c o n fid e n c e i n your a b i l i t y to d e te c t an y re ne w ed 

v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y .

Ans wer . The e s tim a te d c o s t o f eq uip m ent t h a t was d e s tro y e d 

i n th e e r u p tio n was $ 3 3 5 ,8 0 0 . Some o f th e v i t a l in s tr u m e n ts 

n eed ed to c o n ti n u o u s ly m o n it o r th e a c t i v i t y a t Mt. S t. H ele n s 

have a lr e a d y been r e p la c e d so t h a t we can a d e q u a te ly m a in ta in our 

a b i l i t y to d e te c t an im m in en t e r u p tio n . T hes e re p la c e m e n ts wer e 

o b ta in e d fro m o th e r p a r t s o f t h i s an d o th e r o n goin g p ro g ra m s, n o t 

d i r e c t l y r e la te d to th e C asc ade s t u d i e s . B eca use o f th e re p la c e m e n ts 

th e s e o th e r pro gra m s a r e n o t a d e q u a te ly p re p a re d t o p e rf o rm th e 

n e c e s s a r y m o n it o rin g i n t h e i r a r e a .
36

H y d ro lo g ic E f f e c ts o f E r u p ti o n

Q u e sti o n . One o f th e b ig g e s t jo b s c o n f ro n tin g us now i s to 

su rv e y th e t o t a l e x te n t o f dama ge i n f l i c t e d by th e v o lc a n o , an d th e 

Surv ey i s b u d g e ti n g s l i g h t l y mo re th a n $2 m illio n f o r a n a ly z in g th e 

e f f e c t s on s tr e a m s , la k e s , r e s e r v o i r s , an d gro und w a te r. When do 

you e x p e c t th e S u rv ey w i l l be a b le t o com e up w it h an y s u b s t a n t i a l 

in fo rm a tio n i n t h i s e s s e n t i a l a re a ?

A ns w er . R e s u lts o f h y d ro lo g ic im p a c t fro m th e Mt. S t. H ele n s 

e r u p tio n w i l l be d ev elo p ed an d r e le a s e d a s r a p id l y a s p o s s ib l e . A 

s e r i e s o f b r i e f r e p o r t s , each on a d i f f e r e n t a s p e c t o f h y d ro lo g y , 

w i l l be r e le a s e d by e a r l y f a l l , 1980. S i g n i f ic a n t in fo rm a tio n from 

th e s e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s w i l l be r e le a s e d c o n tin u o u s ly , on an in te r im 

b a s i s , a s so on a s th e y a re d e v e lo p e d .

More d e t a i l e d r e p o r ts on th e im p a c t o f th e v o lc a n o on th e 

h y d ro lo g y o f th e N o rt hw est w i l l be r e le a s e d a s th e y a re co m p le te d — 

th e s e r e p o r t s w i l l r e q u ir e from on e t o th r e e y e a rs to co m p le te 

d ep en d in g on th e c o m p le x it y an d nee d f o r te m p o ra l d a ta . Her e 

a g a in , s i g n i f i c a n t fin d in g s w i l l be r e le a s e d a s so on a s th e y 

a r e d ocum ente d, an d w ill n o t w a it f o r f i n a l r e p o r t c o m p le ti o n .

Q u e s ti o n . Do you ha ve any p r e lim in a r y a sse ssm e n t a t t h i s 

ti m e o f th e h y d ro lo g ic s i t u a t i o n i n th e v a r io u s b o d ie s o f w a te r 

im p acte d by th e v olc ano?

A ns w er . Th e T o u tl e R iv e r (N o rth and S o u th F o rk s) i s d e s tro y e d 

b i o l o g i c a l l y , an d ch ok ed by sed im en t and d e b r is . The lo w er C o w li tz 

R iv e r h a s s u f f e r e d g r e a t b io lo g ic dam ag e, and sed im en t d e p o s itio n 

h a s re d u ced th e c h a n n e l c a p a c ity by 85 p e r c e n t. Muddy R iv er h a s 

been ch oked w ith m ud flo w d e b r is an d r e p o r t e d ly d e s tro y e d b i o l o g i c a l l y 

O th er str e a m s d r a in in g Mt. S t. H ele n s have s u f f e r e d s im il a r da ma ge 

on a sm a ll to m o d era te s c a le . Nu merou s la k e s e a s t o f th e m o u n ta in 

a r e r e p o r t e d ly t u r b id from a sh f a l l o u t — an d th e t u r b i d i t y does 

n o t s e t t l e o u t. F is h k i l l s from g i l l a b r a s io n an d b lo ck a g e p ro d u ced 

by th e sh a rp g l a s s - l i k e a sh p a r t i c l e s h a s been re p o rte d i n s e v e r a l 

p la c e s .

Some o c c u rre n c e s o f i r r i g a t i o n pump an d s p r i n k l e r head dama ge 

have been r e p o r t e d .

C o n ti n u in g E ru p ti o n o f M t. S t . H ele ns

Q u e sti o n . You hav e n o te d i n your j u s t i f i c a t i o n t h a t 

M t. S t. H e le n s ' v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y c o u ld c o n ti n u e f o r many m o n th s, 

ev en d e c a d e s . In your ju d g em en t, wha t a r e th e ch an ces t h a t t h i s 

a c t i v i t y w i l l c o n ti n u e f o r a s lo n g a s two d e c a d e s , a s i t d id i n 

th e l a s t c e n tu ry ?

Ans w er . B as ed on d e ta i le d g e o lo g ic s tu d ie s o f Mt. S t. H e le n s , 

w hic h i n d ic a te d th e ti m e d u r a tio n o f som e o f i t s p re v io u s e r u p ti o n s , 

th e r e i s a f i n i t e p r o b a b il i ty t h a t th e p r e s e n t a c t i v i t y co u ld 

s u s t a i n f o r a s lo n g a s tw e n ty y e a rs .
37

V o lc ano O b s e rv a to ry

Q u e sti o n . Do you h a v e an y p la n s t o e s t a b l i s h som e k in d o f 

o b s e r v a to r y w h il e Mt. S t . H ele ns i s a c tiv e ? Do you p e rh ap s ha ve 

som e j o i n t f a c i l i t y in m in d in c o o p e r a ti o n w it h th e F o r e s t S e rv ic e ? 

> Do es th e su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t f o r m o n it o rin g c o n ta in an y fu nds

a t a l l f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g som e k in d o f o b s e r v a to r y ?

Ans wer . W het her o r n o t Mt. S t. H ele n s re m a in s p h y s ic a lly 

, a c t i v e in th e im m edia te f u t u r e , th e G e o lo g ic a l S u rv e y p la n s to

e s t a b l i s h a C as ca de V o lc an o F a c i l i t y to n o t o n ly m o n it o r an d stu d y 

in d e t a i l a l l a s p e c ts and r a m if ic a tio n s o f th e r e c e n t e r u p tio n s 

i n a c o s t - e f f e c t i v e m an n er, b u t a ls o f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g a c e n t r a l 

b a se fo r c o o r d in a tin g p la n n e d i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f o t h e r p o t e n t i a l l y 

h a z a rd o u s v o lc a n o e s i n t h e C as ca de R an ge. The a c t u a l s i t e an d 

d e t a i l e d s p e c i f i c a t i o n s o f su ch a f a c i l i t y h ave n o t y e t bee n 

d e te rm in e d . The S u rv e y w i l l c o o rd in a te w it h th e F o r e s t S e rv ic e 

in th e p la n n in g p ro c e ss f o r th e f a c i l i t y . The p r e s e n t su p p le m e n ta l 

r e q u e s t does n o t c o n ta in an y fu nds f o r th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f th e 

p la n n ed f a c i l i t y .

C a p a b ility t o P r e d ic t F u tu re E ru p ti o n s

Q u e sti o n . The su d d e n n e ss an d v io le n c e o f th e Mt . S t. H ele ns 

e r u p ti o n a p p e a rs to have c au g h t j u s t a b o u t e v ery o n e o f f g u a rd , 

in c lu d in g th e S u rv e y . From t h i s e x p e r ie n c e , do you hope to a t t a i n 

a n y re a s o n a b le a b i l i t y to d e te c t th e l ik e l ih o o d o f a m ajo r e r u p tio n 

i n ad v ance?

Ans wer . The e v e n ts o f th e p a s t m on th a t M t. S t. H e le n s, 

d u rin g w hi ch ti m e many ty p e s o f g e o p h y s ic a l an d g e o ch e m ic al d a ta 

w er e an d a re p r e s e n t l y b e in g a c q u ir e d , w i l l p ro v id e th e n e c e s s a ry 

fo u n d a ti o n fro m w hic h we p la n to b u ild an d sh a rp e n o u r p r e d ic tiv e 

c a p a b i l i t i e s . The G e o lo g ic a l S u rv ey h a s g a in e d mor e th a n f o r t y 

y e a rs e x p e rie n c e i n s tu d y in g th e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s an d p ro c e s s e s 

r e l a t e d to H aw aii an v o lc a n o e r u p tio n s . T hes e i n te n s i v e s tu d ie s 

have le d to a f a i r l y h ig h l e v e l o f p r e d ic ti v e c a p a b i l i t y on our 

p a r t . B ec au se o f th e c o n tr a s t i n g g e o lo g ic s e t t i n g o f th e C as ca de 

v o lc a n o e s , we can n o t r e a d i l y e x tr a p o la t e many o f o u r f in d in g s from 

H aw aii an v o lc a n o e s to th o s e o f th e Mt. S t. H ele n s ty p e in th e 

P a c if i c n o r th w e s t. F u r th e r , th e f a c t t h a t no p re v io u s e r u p tio n s 

in th e C asc ades have o c c u re d in m od ern ti m e s h a s n o t a ffo rd e d 

th e o p p o r tu n ity to c h a r a c t e r i z e th e mode o f th e s e e r u p tio n s in a 

q u a n t i t a t i v e m an ner.

■»

C o n tr a c tin g f o r H e lic o p te r S e r v ic e s

Q u e sti o n . How much o f yo ur r e q u e s t w i l l in v o lv e c o n tr a c tin g 

b

f o r h e li c o p te r s e r v ic e s ? How much i s t h a t f o r e x p e n s e s to d a te

an d how much f o r a n t i c i p a t e d c o s ts f o r th e b a la n c e o f th e year?

Ans wer . The r e q u e s t in c lu d e s a t o t a l am ou nt o f $560,0 00 

f o r h e li c o p te r s e r v i c e s . Of t h a t am ount, $2 6 2 ,0 0 0 i s f o r e x p en ses 

t o d a te , an d $ 2 9 8 ,0 0 0 i s th e a n ti c ip a te d c o s t f o r th e b a la n c e o f 

th e f i s c a l y e a r.
Cost o f E qu ip m en t

Q u e sti o n . P le a s e su p p ly fo r th e re c o rd your b e s t a v a ila b le 

e s tim a te s fo r t o t a l eq u ip m en t c o s ts an d i n d ic a te how much o f t h a t 

i s f o r re p la c in g d e s tr o y e d eq u ip m e n t.

Ans wer . E quip m en t c o s t s r e l a t e d to o u r in v o lv e m en t a t 

Mt . S t. H ele ns i s e s tim a te d a t $ 3 9 3 ,0 0 0 , o f w hic h $335,8 00 i s fo r 

re p la c e m e n t o f d e s tro y e d equip m ent an d $ 5 7 ,2 0 0 i s f o r new eq uip m ent 

p u rc h a s e s . To c o v e r th e s e c o s t s $180,0 00 was r e q u e s te d i n th e 

FY 19 80 su p p le m e n ta l and th e re m a in in g c o s ts w i l l be re q u e ste d 

i n FY 19 81 .

C o n tr a c tin g f o r H y d ro lo g ic D ata

Q u e sti o n . How much o f yo ur h y d ro lo g ic d a ta n e ed s w i l l be 

c o v e re d by c o n tr a c tin g and how much w i l l be p erf o rm ed d i r e c t l y by 

th e Sur ve y?

Ans wer . Abo ut 25 p e r c e n t by c o n tr a c t o r an d 75 p e rc e n t by 

S u rv ey p e rs o n n e l.

F undin g f o r C o n tra c ts an d G ra n ts

Q u e sti o n . Of your t o t a l su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t , $198,0 00 i s f o r 

g r a n t s , s u b s id ie s , an d c o n tr i b u t io n s . What i s t h i s fu n d in g f o r 

e x a c tl y ?

Ans wer . The $ 1 9 8 ,0 0 0 i s d e s ig n a te d p r im a r ily f o r new g r a n ts 

an d e x te n s io n s o f e x i s t i n g g r a n ts w it h th e U n iv e r s ity o f W as hin gto n 

f o r c a r r y in g o u t s e is m ic m o n it o rin g an d r e a l - ti m e c o m p u ta ti o n s o f 

th e e p ic e n te r s an d h y p o c e n te rs o f e a rth q u a k e s in th e Mt. S t. H ele n s 

r e g io n .

S o u rc e o f Fundin g to D at e

Q u e sti o n . P le a s e su p p ly fo r th e re c o rd th e d e t a i l s o f how 

th e S u rv ey h as fin a n c e d i t s a c t i v i t i e s a t Mt . S t. H ele n s to d a te , 

i n d ic a ti n g w hi ch r e g u la r ongoin g pro gra m s wer e ta p p e d f o r th e 

fu n d in g . A ls o i n d i c a t e how much o f t h i s i n i t i a l unbudgete d 

ex p en se w ill be re im b u rse d by th e su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t .

Ans wer . The N a tio n a l M ap ping D iv is io n h a s u se d fu nds fro m i t s 

Q u ad ra n g le Map ping and R e v is io n , O rt h o p h o to q u ad s an d Sm al l S c a le an d 

S p e c ia l Map ping p ro g ra m s. No su p p le m e n ta l fu nds a r e b ein g re q u e s te d 

to re im b u rse th o s e e x p e n s e s . G eo lo g ic an d M in e ra l R eso urc e Surv eys 

an d M ap ping h as u se d fu n d s from th e V olc an o H a z a rd s, G eo th erm al, 

E a rth q u a k e s an d o th e r p ro g ra m s. T hes e c o s ts a r e re im b u rse d f u l l y 

by th e su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t . The W at er R e so u rc es I n v e s t ig a t io n s 

a c t i v i t y h as u se d fu n d s from th e F e d e r a l- S ta te C o o p e ra ti v e pr og ra m 

an d o th e r F e d e ra l a g e n c y p ro g ra m s. La nd In fo rm a tio n an d A n a ly sis 

h a s u se d fu nds from i t s La nd R eso urc e D at a A n a ly s is pro gra m . A ll 

o f th e s e c o s ts w i l l be re im b u rse d by th e su p p le m e n ta l r e q u e s t.
39

Use o f P e rso n n e l a t M t. S t. H ele n s

Q u e s ti o n . Yo ur su p p le m e n ta l re q u e s t in c lu d e s o n ly 24 

a d d i t i o n a l wo rk y e a rs o f em plo ym en t. C o n sid e rin g your 

m o n it o rin g an d d a ta c o l l e c t i o n and a n a l y s i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , 

why i s n ’ t your re q u e s t mor e jo b in te n s iv e ?

Ans w er . The S u rv e y ’ s a c t i v i t i e s in c o n n e c ti o n w it h th e 

Mt. S t. H ele n s e r u p tio n a r e p e o p le i n te n s i v e . But s in c e th e r e 

was no ti m e t o h i r e a d d i t i o n a l p e r s o n n e l, ma npow er h a s been 

dr aw n fr om o th e r p ro gra m s. T h is wa s ma npow er f o r w hic h th e Surv ey 

a lr e a d y had re c e iv e d s a l a r y fu n d s . I f n e c e s s a r y , v a c a n c ie s t h a t 

o c c u r i n o th e r pro gra m s w i l l be f i l l e d w it h p e rs o n n e l t h a t can 

be u t i l i z e d a t Mt. S t. H e le n s. The su p p le m e n ta l o n ly r e f l e c t s 

a d d i t i o n a l o v e rti m e an d a d d i t i o n a l m anyear s o f e f f o r t p erf o rm ed 

by e x i s t i n g o th e r th a n p erm anent p e r s o n n e l.

FY 1981 F u n din g

Q u e s tio n . Some s u p p le m e n ta l e s tim a te s f o r Mt. S t. H ele n s 

p ro v id e d f o r fu nds to re m ain a v a i l a b l e be yo nd th e en d o f f i s c a l 

y e a r. Wo uld fu n d in g a v a i l a b i l i t y , s a y th ro u g h f i s c a l y e a r 1981, 

be h e lp f u l?

A ns w er . Y es , s in c e th e s e pro gra m s w i l l c a r r y o v e r i n t o f i s c a l 

y ear 19 81 an d beyond, fu n d in g th ro u g h f i s c a l y e ar 19 81 w ou ld be 

m ost h e l p f u l .

Q u e s ti o n . Bas ed on th e kno wn s i t u a t i o n a t t h i s tim e , do 

you have a n y e s tim a te o f yo ur f i s c a l y ear 1981 fu n d in g n e ed s in 

c o n n e c ti o n w it h th e Mt. S t. H e le n s v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y ?

A ns w er . We a re c u r r e n t ly w o rk in g w ith th e A d m in is tr a tio n to 

d e v elo p a F.Y . 1981 b u d g e t am en dm en t. We a n t i c i p a t e t h a t t h i s 

am endm ent w i l l be fo rw ard ed to th e C ongre ss in th e v e ry n e a r f u t u r e .

NONDEPA RTME NT AL WITN ESSE S 

State of Washington

STATEMENT OF HON . DIXIE LEE RAY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF

WASHINGTON

Sena tor Magnuson. G ove rno r, do you want to testify ahe ad of tim e?

Gover nor Ray. Whe neve r it is conv enien t, sir. Wou ld you like me to 

resp ond to this poin t, or sho uld I go ahea d with the oth er things I plan 

to say?

Thank you. Let me star t by saying I certainly sup por t the statem ents 

mad e already by mem bers of your comm ittee and by Sen ator Jackson. 

We in the State of Was hing ton are deeply grateful for this oppo rtuni ty. 

We can not say enou gh tha nks to you, Mr. Chairma n, for your interest 

and sup port and for the con cer n all over the country for the events that 

have occu rred in our State. We have had two eruptions. Those 

erup tion s would have been far more costly in terms of hum an life and 

damage had we no t had the timely warnings from the U.S. Geolog ical 

Survey.

Dr. Men ard, to you and your colleagues, and especially to Dr. 

Cran dall, the State owes a very deep deb t of gratitu de. We were 

warned and kept info rme d from the momen t the first eruptive activity 

took place back, I believe, in March and kep t in touc h with Dr. 

Cran dall, for whom I hav e the utmost of respect for his considered 

jud gment, as we discus sed wha t steps oug ht to be taken . It gave us an 

opp ortu nity to pu t toge ther a disaster plan as best we cou ld involving 

the things that mig ht happen as a result of any kind of eruption, not 

knowing when tha t eruptio n mig ht take place exactly in time and not 

knowing exactly whe ther it woul d be in terms of a blast, mud flows, 

ash flows, or what have you. But we were warned of all the differen t 

possible cons equences and trie d to have a general pla n which was pu t 

into effect and, I believe as a result of that, many, man y lives were 

saved, particularl y when it became evident that there was this bulling 

on the nor th side. It was becom ing gravitationa lly unstable. The 

discussions with Dr. Cra nda ll and his colleagu es led to my issuance o f 

April 30, 19 days before the blast, of an executive ord er bringing the 

pow er of the State to bear , declaring a red zone of exclusion in the 

areas of hig hest pote ntia l haz ard and a so-called blu e zone where there 

was some possible difficulty.

ROAD CONTROL

Tog ethe r with the For est Service that controls the road s and access 

thro ugh the Gif ford Pincho t Nat iona l Forest, main ly to the east of t he 

moun tains, working with the counties contr olling the road s enter ing the

(41)
42

mounta in area from the north and west sides and the State highways 

involved, we set up a system of road blocks and excluded people from 

the areas of grea test pot enti al hazar d. This was a peri od then of a little 

better than 2 weeks befo re the actual eru pti on and, as Dr. Menard has 

said, a few days before the actual eru pti on every thing qui ete d down.

I can assure you, Mr. Cha irman, it was with grea t difficu lty th at the 

local law officials, sheriffs, State offici als kep t peop le from going 

aro und the roadb locks , breaking through them , and so on.

PROTESTS FROM PROPER TY OWNERS

We had many, many prote sts from local pro per ty owners, peo ple who 

had vacation cabi ns in the Spirit Lake area, so on. Indeed, with the 

advice, cons ultin g again with the geologists, I felt on May 17 it woul d 

be safe to escort a few people in to rem ove some of the ir belongings . 

We had pla nned a secon d escorted excu rsion into the Spirit Lak e area 

on May 18, but fortu nately the mo untain blew early enou gh on Sund ay 

morning so that tha t had not taken place. Ha d it take n place, we would 

have that greater loss of life.

LOSS OF LIF E

Loss of life di d occur due to the qu ite unp red icta ble nat ure o f the 

latera l blast tha t wen t out into areas whic h we ha d believed to be of 

less h igh pot ential hazard , an d some of the deaths that occurre d were as 

a result of t hat Som e of them were also a result of peop le who ent ere d 

the area of haz ard by evading roadbloc ks an d were in areas where they 

oug ht not to have been.

Even so, given tha t kind of loss of lif e an d enor mou s loss of wildlife, 

I thin k we can say we have had a rem arka ble geological occurrenc e 

there, with a great pot enti al for haz ard an d a relatively small loss of 

life.

LOSS OF RESOURC ES

On the oth er han d, loss of oth er resource s an d furthe r economic 

imp act is very gr ea t That, of course , is one of the things we are he re to 

try to clarify. I think we can pu t the resu lts of the impa ct of the two 

erup tion s into thre e maj or categories. First, those things tha t are the 

result of the blast itse lf an d the pyroc lastic flow of which others came 

simultane ously or shortl y afte r the actual eruptio n. This affec ted tim ber 

over a very wide area. It affected a nu mb er of peo ple’s lives, wildlife, so 

on.

MUD FALL

Second, ther e was the mu d flow into the Toutle, run nin g int o the 

Columbia which has had an extr aord inar y effect, even on the de pth of 

the cha nne l of the Colu mbia Riv er itself, and extensive dred ging 

ope rations are needed to restore navig ation, both on the Co lum bia and 

Cowlitz. Tow ns and hom es along the way have also bee n impac ted as 

have road s and bridge s. Many brid ges were wiped out, many roads 

int err up ted by th at extensive mu d flow.
43

ASH FALL

The thir d category is the ash fall. Again, it was quite clear tha t ash 

fall woul d occur sho uld the re be an erup tion. No one could pred ict, I 

thin k no t even the Nation al We athe r Service with all the ir com put ers an d knowl edge cou ld predict where the winds wou ld be blowing an d 

with wha t intensity on the par ticu lar day in which the ash was pu t into 

the atmo sphe re. And so the ash fall is the one thin g th at the re has bee n no 

monito ring experienc e with in this cou ntry . A grea t dea l of conc ern has 

bee n raised becau se of the ash fall and mu ch of it very real. It has 

affe cted roads and highways, the major inter state highw ay, State an d 

county roads. It has affected town s and individu al hom es. It has had an 

effec t on water and sewage systems, agri culture and livestock; and one 

o f the things, of course, is a conc ern about the effect o f the ash on 

huma n health. I am very happ y to rep or t to you, Mr. Cha irm an, this morning that 

ou r most rece nt info rma tion verified, as I was in you r office talkin g by 

teleph one to Mr. Leo Blustad t, the dean of the dea n of the veter inary 

college, where the mos t extensive analys es of ash an d ash con tent an d 

the effec ts upon animal life, which would inclu de hu ma ns as well, has 

been carried out, tog eth er in coo per atio n with the Batelle Labo ratories. 

We can say the early con cer ns with respect to possible huma n hea lth 

effects of the ash have not be en sub stan tiate d, and care ful analysis of 

the ash, exam ination of b oth pou ltry, birds, an d all man ne r of do mestic 

animal life shows tha t the ash is. not a hea lth haz ard. Less tha n 1 

per cen t of the ash con ten t is the crystallin e-typ e mat eria l which cou ld 

lead to some thing like silicosis. The med ical opinio n at the pre sen t time, bas ed upo n care ful surveys of all of the effects, exam ination of 

lung tissues from anim als who have bee n very high ly expo sed an d 

com pari son o f this ash con tac t with the known mate rial th at does cause silicosis leads to the medical opini on tha t it would take an enormously 

heavy exp osu re over several dec ade s of tim e for there to be any haz ard 

o f the dev elopm ent of silicosis or perm anent lung dam age or lun g 

effects. The ash is dusty, and for th at reaso n it has a nuisa nce effect bu t it is 

not, in fact, the heal th hazar d th at many had feare d.

CONDITION OF STATE AFTER ERUPTION

One o f the mos t bro ad imp acts tha t this eru pti on has had on the 

State of Washington, an d one th at does no t imm edia tely com e to min d, 

has bee n in the percep tion the peo ple have o f what the State is now 

like. Our State is the smal lest geographically of any Stat e west of the 

Mississippi River . It has, exce pt for Califo rnia, as large a pop ula tion as 

most of those States, a population o f about 4 mill ion peo ple. Th e State 

has not been covered by ash. We are not a Pomp eii; 20 pe rce nt of the 

State has been affected by it. Th e economic impact, particu larly on 

mac hine ry an d air-c ondi tioning, all tha t type o f equip me nt, is very great 

an d will take a grea t deal of effor t an d mone y to reco ver from this.
44

But the State, as a whole, is no t in a geological sense wip ed out nor 

devastated. It is still a bea uti ful State with man y opp ortunitie s for 

recre ation and vacations and res ort areas and con vention s that are 

totally un tou ch ed by the eru pti on itself. As Gov ernor, I have to express 

a strong con cer n with the per cep tio n that has been qu ite widely 

accepted, th at it would be uns afe to visit Was hing ton State . A very 

large hun k of o ur econo my, and something that will help us very much 

to recov er economically from this disaster, therefore, I hope eases the 

need for othe r assistance, would be to assure people tha t conv entio ns 

and tourist s’ facilities and visits to parts o f the State, ot he r than the 

imm ediate vicinity of Mou nt St. Helens an d the imm edia te down wind 

area where the ash fall was most severe, as I say less tha n 20 per cent of 

the State, is some thing which we wou ld welcome an d encoura ge.

We do no t know, of course, what is going to happen in the future .

Jus t as we were warn ed in March that the mountain cou ld erupt, we 

are warned now tha t its activity is not finish ed. Th ere for e, I have 

amend ed my executive order an d esta blis hed an area rou ghl y 20 miles 

in radius aro un d the mount ain as an exclus ion area and for entry into 

that area othe r than for the scientific person nel an d oth ers who nee d to 

be the re for mean s of study ing th e mo untain and for law enfo rcem ent, 

anyo ne enterin g tha t area mu st hav e a perm it. This is bein g enfo rced by 

the Washin gton State Patrol and by the local law enf orc em ent areas.

The re is some resistan ce to it, part icularly by those who have their 

hom es in this area who feel the y should be allowed to go in there.

The re is a fine line of jud gm en t that must be exercised between forcing 

people away from their hom es for a dan ger tha t may or may not occur 

and for pro tect ion of h um an life in estab lishin g this exclu sion area. But 

we are guide d by the judg me nt of the U.S. Geol ogical Survey and 

agree with Dr. Cra nda ll an d oth ers that the high potential haz ard still 

exists, bu t mainly close to the mounta in; and , therefor e, we believe that 

the State is exercising its pr op er aut hor ity in this exclu sion area .

On a longer term effect, one thin g you can be sure of, come the 

rainy season this winter, we will undoubted ly experien ce larg er floods 

becau se o f the change of the co nto ur of t he mountains an d particularl y 

on the no rth side the de nu de d areas which will be sub jec t to high 

erosi on we can depend upon a sub stan tial floodi ng. Ot her tha n that, we 

will conti nue to be in close coo rdin atio n with the Fo res t Survey and 

Geologic al Survey as to pre par atio ns, keep ing them in a State of re adiness and aler tnes s for any oth er possible ev en t Tha nk you very much .

Sen ator Magnuson. I un de rst an d that you did try an d kee p peo ple 

away from the area befo re this hap pen ed.

Go verno r Ray. Yes. «-

Sen ator Magnuson. But some of them wo uld n’t pay atte nti on to i t 

You are to be com me nded for that . All I was trying to do is what 

Sen ator Sch mit t poi nted o u t As long as we can ge t some early 

warnin gs on these things, it ou gh t to be com munica ted an d we oug ht to 

enfo rce it as best we can. You ca n’t tell exactly, I unde rst an d th at

We have a vote, an im porta nt vote, over in the Senate. So we will 

recess for 15 minutes, afte r which time Joh n Macy will testif y, and then 

the Go ve rnor can go into he r figur es afterward .

[A br ief recess was taken.]
FED ERA L EM ERGENC Y MA NA GE ME NT AG ENCY

STATEMENT OF JOH N MACY, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

FEM A ACTIVITIES IN DISA STER

Sena tor Magnuson. T he committee will come to order.

Sorry we were delayed, bu t we had a couple votes over there instead 

of one.

I think we ough t to pro ceed and hear from Joh n Macy at this time. 

He can give us an overview of what the Federal Governm ent activity 

has been and what you anticipa te it is going to be. I imagine the 

Presiden t is hearing now from your p eople at home.

Mr. Macy. He is, indeed.

Senator Magnuson. Right this minute.

PR EP AR ED STATEM ENT

Mr. Macy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, mem bers of the committee, 

Governor Ray, I will n ot use my statement and I will try to be as brief 

as the statement would have been had 1 used it. I will request, however, 

that it be placed in the record.

Senator Magnuson. It will be inserted in the record at this point.

[The state ment follows:]

(45)

64 -529 0 - 8 0 - 4
Prepared Stat em en t of John W. Mac y, Jr ., D irector

FEDERAL EMERGE NCY MANAGE MENT AGENCY

Whe n I became Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,

I was told by the old hands that each disaster was different, each 

incident presented new problems. Certainly, the activity of the 

past mon th bears that out - the agency is presently concerned with 

undocumented aliens from Cuba, chemical contamination at Love Canal, 

and the Mount St. Helens volcano, as well as the more standard fare of 

tornado and flood disasters.

The agency's regional office in Seattle, and Headquarters here in 

Washington, D.C., had been mo nito ring the Mount St. Helens situation 

since mid-March when the first noticeable seismic acti vity was detected 

Thus, when the major e ruptions occurred on Ma y 18th and 19th, there 

was no surprise.

Early Sunday morning, May 18, Mount St. Helens volcano erupted 

wit h phenomenal force, givin g a dem onstration of the awesome power of 

nature. Smoke, volcanic ash, steam and earth were throw n miles 

into the air. Two cubic mile s of earth disappeared from the north 

face of the mountain. It is estimated that the force released when 

the erupt ion took place was equal to ten nuclear bombs. Rail 

passengers south of Portland, Oregon, were shaken awake by the force 

of the blast. Visibility was reduced to zero. The ash cloud blanketed 

the forest for over fifteen miles. Steamy, muddy sludge spilled 

down the mountain and destroyed the river basins of the Cowlitz and 

Toutl e rivers. Winds aloft carried the ash in a fan shaped arc over 

the eastern portions of Washi ngt on State and on into Idaho.

Nea le Chaney, FEMA Regional Director in Seattle, began coordinating 

Federal activities in support of the immediate relief operation.

State and local Civil Defense Directors, with the Red Cross, set 

plans into action for evacuation, food and shelters. The State 

Depa rtment of Emergency Services closed roads in a unifi ed effort

wit h the U.S. Forest Service.
47

By May 20, the Red C ross was reporting over 5,000 stranded travelers 

throughout the States of Washington and Idaho. The U.S. Geological 

Survey continued to mo nit or the uncertain situation.

Already, the Corps of Engineers was dredgi ng the lower Columbia 

River where the channel had been silted and traffic brought to a stop. 

The Department of Agri culture was beginning to survey the impact of 

the ash fall on crops and livestock throughout the affected States.

A new threat had d eveloped w ith the fear of a d am break at Spirit 

Lake. This danger wa s monitored c arefully by the local officials 

as well as the Nati ona l Weather Service. The greatest potential for 

destruction still lay w ith the volcano, evidenced by the second 

eruption a week later. Unfortunately, this serious threat remains 

with us to this date and the be havior of the mount ain is under close

scientific scrutiny.

On May 21, President Carter, in response to a request from Go vernor 

Ray, declare d a major disaster and flew to that area for a first-hand 

inspection and for super vision of the Federa l programs he had activated. 

His declaration m ade available a wide range of Federal disaster 

assistance and a comp rehensively coor dinated effort to bring relie f

to disaster victims.

Mr. Robert Stevens, FEM A Director in San Francisco, was named Federal 

Coordinating Officer. Under his direction, and in collaboration w ith 

State and local officials, a Disaster Field Office in Vancouver, and 

Disaster Assistance Centers in Kelso, Yakima, Mos es Lake, Spokane, 

and Ritzville have been established; additional centers are opened 

whenever and wherever a need is identified.

A public information service has been provid ed to keep the public 

fully informed. The FCO and h eadquarters are providing regular 

reports to Members of Congress and other public officials regarding 

recovery progress. The entire FEMA staff and skills resources are 

available to the Federal Coordinating O fficer in meeting response 

requirements.
48

To carry out direct response activity, the FCO is coordinating the 

work of more than a dozen other Fede ral agencies. Some of these 

agencies are operating under the authority and direct assignments of 

FEMA; others are operating under their own authority. In both 

instances, their efforts are c oord inated by the FCO to assure a 

consistent Federal effort without duplication.

The Mount St. Helens volcano disa ster has resulted in some unique 

problems, particularly with regard to volcanic ash. These problems 

are diffic ult to solve inasmuch as they have not been encou ntered 

previously in the contiguous Uni ted States. The vol canic ash poses 

many questio ns for-which answers do not current ly exist. As answers, 

or even partial answers are found, it is vitally important to advise 

everyone w ho may be affected.

At the direction of President Carter and Governor Ray, a Technical 

Information Ne twork was estab lished — its purpose is to direct and 

coordinate the collection and dissemination of scienti fic and 

technical information about the volcanic eruption and its effects on 

people and their environment. The first bulletins issued dealt 

with the natur e of Mount St. Hele ns ash and driving and vehicle 

maint enance in heavy ash areas. This information was widely 

disseminated throughout the impacted areas.

Due to-the volcan ic ash, there was an emergency need for surgical 

masks. Because of the potential importance of these masks to the 

public health, we swept aside red tape and delay to secure large 

quantities of masks at Federal expense. These were made avail able to 

Wash ington and Idaho for dist ribution to the counties and communities 

needin g them. Should the volcano erupt again, we have a sufficient 

stockpile to meet any added requirements.

More specifically, Federal agen cies are performing or will be per ­

forming the following tasks:

Small Busi ness Administration

Disast er busin ess loans, home and personal proper ty loans and economic 

injury loans.
Department of Defense

Corps of Engineers floodfighting a ctiv ities and emergency flood 

control measures, and the cleaning and dred ging of navigable wat erways.

Department of Agriculture

Disaster loans (FmHA), conservation programs (SCS), agricultural 

stabilization prog rams (ASCS), research (SEA), crop insurance claims 

(FCIC), food stamps (FNS), and forest service programs (FS).

Department of Transportation

Highway repairs and resto ration (FHWA), repair and replacement of air 

navigational aids (FAA ), air sampling flights and laboratory studies 

(FAA), and the patrol of navigable waterwa ys (USC G).

Department of Heal th and Human Services

Aid to dependent children; death benefits and disability payments (SSA) 

assistance for the elderly (AOA); data coll ection and the analysis 

of samples to det ermine the effect on healt h (PHS); medicaid and m edicare payments (HCFA).

Department of C ommerce

Satellite ob servations, plume tracking, cloud sampling and forecasting (NOAA); grants for business development (EDA); and infrastructure studies and planning guidance (Pac. NW Regional Action 

Planning Commis sio n).

Department of Interior

Leadership in the Mou nt St. Helens Technical Network for the col lec ­

tion, analysis, and dissemination of scientific information on effects 

of eruption, ash fall and flow (USGS); mon itoring of seismic activity 

(USGS); overtime, vehicle, and equipment repair (NPS, F&W) .

Department of Labor

Summer employment for clean-up activit ies (CETA ).

Environmental Pro tection Agency

Overflights to co llect air samples and the analysis of air, water, 

and soil samples to determ ine the effects of ash pollu tion on 

the environment.

National Science Foundation

Research projects in the scientific and academic community to further 

knowledge of the effects of volcanic eruptions.

General Services Administration

Administrative support, vehicle m aintenance and replacement.

S. Postal Service

Repair or replacement of damaged vehicles, machinery, and facilities. 

National Aeronautics & Space Administration

U2 overflights and satellite operations for the collection of high 

altitude samples and photographic documen tation on effects of 

eruption.

Many of these Fe deral activities will be p erformed w ithout cost to 

State and local governments.
50

FEMA's work will not end with these emerg ency services or short-term 

relief. When the rebuilding begins, care will be given to env ironmental impact, protection of consumers, and, perhaps most importantly, 

attention will be paid to hazard miti gation mea sures so as to eliminate 

or reduce the impact of a future disa ster occurrence.

At present, FEMA faces a funding difficulty with the Pr esident's 

Disaste r Relief Program. On Decem ber 6, 1979, a supplemental 

appropriation for Fiscal Year 1980 wa s requested for $314 million.

This became necess ary because of severe weather conditions which 

affected the eastern portion of the nation in Sept ember and 

October 1979.

Several weeks ago, a second supplemental appropriation of $225

million was requested due to severe storms and flooding in the western 

portion of the nation.

Events have not been kind to the American people in the last year. 

Near ly every section of the nation has been dealt a severe blow. 

Disasters disrupt the normal functioning of go vernments and c ommuniti es and adversely affect individuals and families. Because 

events have severe ly taxed the financial resources of FEMA and other 

agencies, it is only possible to meet the immediate human needs of 

disaster victims. Public assistance funding, such as repair of 

public facilities, is receiving condi tional approval contingent on 

the availability of funds. Clearly the need for additional funding 

is great. We are close to a point wher e even human needs will

not be met.
51

OVERVIEW OF FEMA’S RESPONSIBILITIES

The re is a great deal to repo rt with respect to Fed eral activities in 

conn ection with the disaster at Mount St. Helens. I will not endeavor to 

match the eloque nce of Go ver nor Ray with the descr iption of what 

occurred nor the testim ony of Dr. Men ard with respect to the scientific 

aspects but, instead, talk abo ut the admi nistrative aspects of the disaster 

in term s of the respon sibility of the Fed era l Emergency Man agem ent 

Agency. Th at responsibility cam e into play fully whe n Gov ernor Ray 

reque sted the Pres iden t decla re a disaster in the Stat e of W ashin gton as 

a result of the eru ption and with the Pre sident ’s appr oval the same day 

of that request, and the designation of the Fed eral Emergency 

Man agem ent Agency as the coo rdin ator of Fed eral activities and as the 

par tne r with the State in dealing with the resp onse and recovery 

activities thro ugh out the are a that was affecte d.

The immed iate steps were the designation of a Fed eral Coor dinating 

Officer, Robe rt Stevens, an d a mee ting with the repre senta tives of the 

various agencies tha t ha d a part to play in dealin g with the disaster and 

with die Dire ctor of Emergency Ope rations from the State of 

Washi ngton in ord er to have as a complete collaboration as possible.

Hea dquarters was estab lished in Vancouver on May 21. Subse quently, 

there were disast er assistance centers establish ed in six other locations 

thro ughout the State whe re there had been significant damage. These 

cente rs were available to the citizens who had losses tha t could be met 

by the provisions of the Fede ral Go vernm ent’s disaster assistance 

programs.

Sena tor Magnuson. And these were FEM A offices.

Mr. M^cy. Thes e were FEM A offices with the participation of the 

State Representatives and the other Go ver nm ent agencies. FEM A 

establ ished those offices an d prov ided disa ster-----

LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Sena tor Magnuson. The line of com muni cations.

Mr. Macy. Some of thos e centers have been or will be shortly closed 

down because the volum e of business has been reduce d and it would 

be possible to take care of t he needs thro ugh mob ile unit s that will visit 

variou s comm unities.

In response to the Pre sid ent ’s requ est and Go ver nor Ray ’s agreement, 

we established a technical netwo rk of expe rts un de r Dr. Wesson of the 

USG S to provide info rma tion of a technical nature to citizens who were 

affected by the result s of the erup tion, and they prepared a series 

of -----

Senator Magnuson. Le t’s follow this line. A person tha t’s been 

dama ged or a citizen of the State woul d come in to the FEMA office 

and he may be talkin g abo ut an SBA loan un de r the Emerg ency 

Disas ter Act. The n your office r would refe r him to SBA.

Mr. Macy. T hat is co rrect.

Senator Magnuson. Or he may have a forestry pro blem , or flooding, 

then you would refer the m to the Engineers.

Mr. Macy. R efer them to the agency who has respons ibility.
52

Sena tor Magnuson. It is a clearing house.

Mr. Macy. Yes.

Senator Magnuson. You did a big business.

Mr. Macy. Yes; we ha d a s ignificant number of citizens who came to 

each of these offices.

We have had about 4,000 of them visit the offices up to the present <

time. We are finding, Mr. Cha irman, that there is a great need for 

assistance for small businesses. This has been an area of damage and I 

am sure you will hear more abo ut tha t from the representative of SBA.

But we were particularly concerned about the information with respect 

to health conditions. As a result, we issued bulletins of a technical 

nature related to health problems and we worked with the State in 

obtaining a sufficient supply of surgical masks. Some 810,000 surgical 

masks were obtained and distributed through the counties, to citizens in 

order to protect health.

I was pleased to hear from Governor Ray that the medical advice 

now is that there is not a danger of silicosis bu t the availability of the 

mask was a prec aution to provide for those who wish to use that as a 

brea thing filter.

Senator Magnuson. And you collected 810,000 masks.

DISASTER RE LIEF FU ND

Mr. Macy. 810,000 masks, largely due to assistance from the 

Dep artm ent of Defense and the Public Health Service, and the 

man ufacturer of those masks.

Another problem that came up with frequency was the difficulty in 

the main tenance of internal com bustion engines because of the ash and 

the necessity to provide additional filters in order to provide longer 

serviceability of those vehicles. One of the bulletins that was released 

gave guidance to vehicle operators as to how to deal with such 

equ ipm ent und er those conditions.

Oth er programs were those that you will hear abo ut from my 

colleagues who are here at the table. For example, the Corps of 

Engineers was active in reviewing the flood potential in the river basins 

that were affected by the eruption, bu t even more importan tly, they 

were involved in dredging the Columbia River in ord er to permit 

navigation to be restored in tha t important channel.

The activities of the Federal Government were mad e know n to the 

citizens through a variety of news releases and posters and information 

thro ugh the media.

As a result, we believe that there has been knowledge obtained by a

those that are affected and that progress toward recovery is moving 

ahead.

As far as the expenditures are concerned, Mr. Chairman, the Federal 

Emergency Man agemen t Agency receives funds from the Preside nt’s 

Disaster Relief Fund. It is the fund that will need to be replenished to 

cover the costs accrued by FEM A itself or by other agencies on 

assignments from FEMA. Th at is in addition to the incre ased 

expe nditures of individual dep artm ents in pursuing programs under
53

their own authority, such as the Corps of Engineers, the Small Business 

Adm inistration, and the Dep artm ent of Agriculture. In the proposal 

from the President, there are separate items for each of those 

departm ents. These items are listed in the document that is be fore you.

You will notice tha t the amount for FEM A is $86 million out of a 

total of $918 million that is in the Preside nt’s reque st. Those funds are 

primarily to meet the needs of the agency un de r the Pre sident’s 

Disaster Relief Fund in providing individual and family grants, 

providing funds for pub lic assistance in connection with public 

buildings of various kinds. You will note the larger requests are those 

of th e Corps of Engineers for the dredging and flood survey and flood 

fighting at $215 million and the amount for the Small Business 

Administration for $430 million.

I would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that there is serious need for a 

replenishme nt of the Pre sident’s Disaster Relief Fun d. There are two 

previous requests from the Presiden t tha t are befo re the Congress at the 

present time. One was a request for $314 million tha t was submitted in 

January to cover the very heavy disaster expenses that occurred as a 

result of storms in the Eastern part of the country last fall, which 

resulted in expenditure s in excess o f the app ropriat ion for 1980 within a 

2-month period.

The second requ est submitted in May is for $225 million, which 

largely covers flooding and other disaster con ditions tha t prevailed in 

the West, particularly in California and Arizona. Th e $86 million tha t is 

in the state ment before you in connection with Mount St. Helens is the 

third increment for tha t fun d since .the original appropriat ion for fiscal 

year 1980.

I stress that these expenditure estimates are based on very 

preliminary judgments with respect to the actual cost for the Federal 

part in the recovery from Mount St. Helens, bu t we believe, an d I 

know my colleagues in the other agencies believe, that this is the best 

estimate available at the present time an d represents the 

adm inistration’s reques t at a level of $918 million for this very 

significant emergency.

DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL

Senator Magnuson. This would be suggested in a supplemental.

Mr. Macy. Yes, sir.

Senator Magnuson. And a supplemental is for 1980 fiscal year. We 

will have to go over these items again with the agencies when we 

markup the 1981 bud get, and then the estimates may be firmer. It may 

be more. We will have a better chance to take a goo d look at it.

T his is actually an emergency, literally an emergency fund, isn’t it?

Mr. Macy. T hat is r ig ht

Senator Magnuson. Literally.

Mr. Macy. The action taken by the Congress to provide a fun d to 

mee t the Federal needs that occur when there is a natural or manmade 

disaster and clearly this particular event is definitely covered by tha t 

statute.
54

Senator Magnuson. You are coordinating you r efforts, you are still 

firm on coordination with the State people, with the local people and 

within yourselves.

Mr. Macy. That is right, among the agencies of the Federal 

Governm ent. This does not mean that FEM A is in com man d or 

exercises managerial direction over die agencies, but it is there to bring 

them toge ther so that ther e is a mutual and consistent approac h by all 

of the Fed eral agencies in carry ing out their------

Senator Magnuson. T hat was the original purp ose of p utting toge ther 

all of the agencies that dealt with disasters and emergencies und er one 

head. It used to be that the Defense Dep artm ent, Civilian Defense was 

the big agency involved in disasters. And we pu t them all together so 

that you can coordinate your efforts. I want to com plim ent you on how 

you have taken hold of this thing quickly because we are going to move 

next week on this, I hope.

Mr. Macy. I hope so, too, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Magnuson. We are going to move quickly, as quickly as we 

can. If it hadn’t been for our budgeta ry impasse, we would have moved 

much more quickly. But I understand the House is now working on 

that. I still want this und erstood, and I am sure you understa nd, that 

this is a downpayment?

Mr. Macy. Yes, and we intend to keep this com mittee and the 

Appropriatio ns Committee in the House informed as we have 

addition al information with respect to the costs necessary in order to 

achieve the Federal share of recovery.

Senator Magnuson. D o you have a question?

Sen ator Burdick. Yes, Mr. Cha irman.

Senator Magnuson. T he Senator from No rth Dak ota has a question.

RENEWAL OF PUBLIC LAW 93-288

Senator Burdick. Mr. Macy, you are aware tha t the Disaster Act has 

not been renewed, it will expire in October, and that the Environm ental 

and Public Works Com mittee has been in touch with you since the 

action take n to declare disaster by virtue of the Cubans.

Quite frankly, I thought you strained a point in including a social 

disaster when the act has historically and every other way limited these 

funds for physical disasters. Reading of the act gives us the opinion tha t 

that is exactly what it is.

Now, we would like to know, if it is the adm inistration’s intent to 

embrace physical disasters an d/ or social disasters in the future. I have 

written the Vice President, I hav e talked to your people. Could we have 

an opin ion on that one of these days?

• CUBAN EMERGENCY

Mr. Macy. You will have a response, Senator Burdick. I am fully 

aware o f your views on this matter. A conclusion was reached in the 

case of th e Cuban refugee situation that this did fall within the scope o f 

the legislation because it repr esented a bur den on the State of Florida 

in excess of its own capacity and, there fore, this fund was an
55

appropriate means for supp lementing the State’s expenditure s with 

respect to this matter. However, I am aware of y our view and certainly 

that is und er consideration.

I should add that there will be within the next few days a separate 

proposal coming forward to the Congress with respect to the necessary 

expenditure s via FEM A and other Gover nment agencies in conn ection 

with the Cuban emergency. I am not privy at this time to just what tha t 

figure will be, bu t certainly I will be available and oth er Gov ernment 

officials will be available to answer questions with respect to tha t 

submission.

Senator Burdick. Will that be ano ther claim on the disaster fund, 

then?

Mr. Macy. This would be another claim on the disaster fund as a 

supplem ent to the supplem ents that are already before you.

Senator Burdick. It has been rum ored it is around $250 million, is 

that correct?

Mr. Macy. The initial estimate is tha t the total cost to the Federal 

Government will be in the neig hbo rhood of $300 million.

Senator Burdick. $300 million.

Mr. Macy. The entire amount, however, would not be chargea ble 

against the Presiden t’s Disaster Relief Fund because several of the 12 

agencies involved in tha t operation have perform ed functions tha t are 

regularly theirs under statu te and their increased appropriation need s 

are included in that initial estim ated figure tha t has been released.

Senator Burdick. What the committee is concerned about, Mr. Macy, 

is in view of the Cuban decision, there isn’t much else tha t cou ldn’t be 

declared a natural disaster u nder that fund.

Mr. Macy. I could conjure up quite a few.

Senator Burdick. I am sure you could. But historically and every 

other way we have always used this for physical disasters, for thing s 

that happen ed in Washington and No rth Dakota.

So you will have an answer for us shortly, I hope?

Mr. Macy. Yes, we will have a respo nse for you in the early future.

Senator McClure. Wou ld my colleague yield?

Senator Burdick. I yield.

LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF PUBLIC LAW 93-288

Senator McClure. To imply that any expenditure that is une xpe cted 

and beyo nd the capability of a State to meet falls within the disaster 

fund legislation, it seems to me to be a calculated diversion of 

legislative intent. I share with my colleague the concern tha t he has 

expressed. I am not at all certain that the Congress is going to go along 

with that new theory of administration of an old law. That isn’t to say 

the Congress would not resp ond to the concern that the State of 

Florida has, as a result of the actions taken in Hav ana and in 

Washington, D.C., bu t just to simply say that we have got a disaster 

fund, and this is a disaster now and we will spend some mon ey ou t of 

it, seems to me to be perilously close to the misappropriatio n of pub lic 

funds.
56

Mr. M acy. No; I shou ld hav e extended my definition to say within 

the stated purposes of the fund , where it is a sup plem ent to resources 

made available by State an d local govern ment.

Sen ator McClure. I under sta nd that, bu t ther e are a lot of times 

States find themselves unab le to meet une xpected expenditure s tha t are 

not covered by the disaster rel ief fu nd. 4

Mr. Macy. That is true, and there are quit e a numb er of instances 

where Gov erno rs make req ues t for use of the fun d and the judgment is 

that it does not qualify.

Sena tor McClure. Tha t is a nothe r question for ano ther hearing. 4

Sena tor Burdick. I agree with my colleague tha t we are not fighting 

the nee d down in Florida. Th e quest ion is, is this the place for it? 

Historically, and every oth er way, we have dea lt only with physical 

disasters in the past. We will be awaiting your comm ents.

Senator Magnuson. We are trying to keep separ ate the natural 

disasters as vis-a-vis the social disasters. I am hopeful in this process if 

we could keep Mou nt St. Helens, and maybe two or three other 

disasters, I guess the one at Gra nd Island, Ncbr., was serious, to keep 

them separate, if you fellows wou ld help us, from the refug ee problem, 

which has no bearing on these immediate proceedin gs to begin with.

Mr. Macy. Mr. Chairman, you were speaking of the Grand Island,

Nebr., disaster, Tha t remi nds me that I have an app oin tme nt to leave 

Andre ws Air Force Base at 12:3 0 to join the Presiden t at Gr an d Island,

Nebr., to review the cond ition s. If you would excuse me in a mom ent 

or two, I would appreciate it.

Sen ator Magnuson. We will abide by you r wishes. Do you have just 

a quick ques tion?

Mr. McCormack. Yes, I do.

Mr. Macy, how long will the comm unitie s tha t have bee n impacte d, 

who have used their local fund s for cleanup, be able to receive funds 

from FEM A after the Preside nt signs the bill into law? How long will i t 

take?

Mr. Macy. I am not in a position to pred ict that with any precision, 

bu t we are organizing our adm inistrative and financial processes in 

ord er to expedite not only thos e paymen ts, but paym ents due to othe r 

State and local governmen ts for oth er emergen cies. So all I can do is 

assure you as soon as the fun ds are available, we will expedite tha t 

process.

Sen ator Magnuson. I want to get this in quick. Excuse me. How do 

you envision that will be done? Suppose FEM A gets its appropri ation, 

are you going to distribute that by gran t to the local com mun ities ?

How are you going to do it? Are you going to go thro ugh the State? -

Mr. Macy. We will go through the State. We will review with the 

State the various exp enditure s and there will be the pay men t made 

based upon a dete rmination of what the Fed era l Go ver nm ent ’s share is 

and what the cost for the particu lar recovery action mig ht be.

Sen ator Magnuson. I am sur e Congr essma n McCormac k and I are 

thin king of the same thing. We are think ing about the local 

comm unitie s, the county comm issioner, the city.

Mr. McCormack. That is ri ght
57

Senator Magnuson. Is it going to go thro ugh a lot o f agencies and 

some body is always pee ling something off the top ? It neve r gets down 

to the right peop le ha lf the time.

Mr. Macy. We wan t to mak e sure there is a minim um peel of tha t 

kind and to make certa in those------

Sena tor Magnuson. Th ere shou ldn’t be any peel at all. It sho uld get 

down to them.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MOU NT ST. HELENS

Sena tor McClure. Mr. Chairma n, woul d the Congressman yield for 

jus t a moment? We talk ed all morning abo ut the effects upo n the State 

of Washington. O f course, tha t is where the effects have been greates t 

But I certainly woul d be remiss if I did not mentio n the fact that the 

agency is pres ent in no rth ern Idaho, and we appreciate that presen ce. 

The re has been an impac t there and we have simi lar problems tha t 

many other s in the State of Wash ingto n have, although certainly no t as 

severe as the most severe in the State of Washing ton. But I want to 

second what the Go ver nor said a momen t ago, an d tha t is the disaster 

will be much worse unle ss somehow we get across, through the media, 

to the peop le of this cou ntry , that the enti re State has n’t bee n wiped 

out. One of the grea test disasters is a con tinu ing one to our tourist 

indu stry where ther e is no need for tha t dam age. They perh aps will 

find it very, very diff icul t to reach out to all of those within the touri sm 

industry who have had conv entio ns canceled, fishing trips tha t are set 

aside, the loss of a cash industry tha t has a very shor t time fram e in 

nor thern Idaho.

Somehow we have to get across to the people of Idaho and to the 

Nat ion tha t it is still a nice place to visit and tha t unless Mount St. 

Hele ns does it again, ther e is no dan ger to their health. The re was a 

story that there were 12 million fish killed in nor th Idaho. So far the 

fish and game depa rtm en t hav en’t been able to find one killed. If th ere 

are any fish up ther e bein g killed, it is by fishe rmen .

Senat or Magnuson. Well, that is goo d news.

Senat or McClure. We would kind of like to have the fishe rmen 

come and take some o f those fish. Th at con tinu ing disaster is going to 

be a harder one to get to, and the adm inistrati ve agencie s are going to 

have an extrem ely diff icult time dealing with the indirect effects of that 

kind of publ icity.

Mr. Macy. I agree with you comp letely an d one of the poi nts tha t 

comes up in con nection with every disaster is the tendency to overstate 

the exten t of the disaster. We find we can almo st always divide the 

estimated cost by at least three in getting close to what the actu al 

amoun t is.

We certainly want to assist in the recovery that is necessary as 

quickly as possible an d withdra w and not spe nd any more Fed era l 

ftinds than are abso lutely necessary.

Senator McClure. I underst and th at I ju st hop e if we can get the 

story out that the real prob lem is behin d us with respect to most of the 

area, that we have go t to clean up, there is no reason why peo ple
58

can not travel in there, the re is no reason they can not come ther e for 

vacations, there is n o reason why conv entio ns have to be canceled, then 

we will have minimized your job and minimiz ed the drain on the 

Federal Treasury , as well as minimized the effect upo n the local 

econom y.

Mr. Macy. May I add the fund s necessary un der the decla ration in 

the State of Idaho are also incl uded in the agency that I referred to.

Sen ator McClure. I am aware of that. I noti ced the Director of 

Tran spor tatio n, State of Idah o, is here, and I am sure he has an inte rest 

in how we are going to get ail tha t stu ff of f o ur highways.

Mr. McCormack. Mr. Macy, may I continue this line of questioning 

for 1 more minu te? Do I und ers tan d you will be working with the State 

and comm unitie s perh aps even in advance of the law being signed by 

the Presiden t in determin ing the amount of Federal fund ing tha t may 

be going to local cities and town s in the imp acte d areas?

Mr. Macy. In fact, Mr. McCormack , I woul d hop e tha t is alread y 

underway at the present time. Whe n the app rop riat ion is enacte d, we

will be able to start processing immediately .

Sen ator Magnuson. The Preside nt does not have to sign any laws.

Mr. McCormack. I am talk ing abo ut the appr opriation s.

Sen ator Magnuson. J ust so he doesn’t veto the app ropriat ion bill.

FEDER AL/STATE AGREEMENT

Mr. McCormack. I tru st there will be no bindin g contractua l 

obligation upo n the State at this time for any perc enta ge tha t the local 

governm ent must pay, bu t this will be nego tiated ou t in the future 

knowing in advance this is an incom plete and tem pora ry estima te of the 

costs.

Mr. Macy. The agre ement with the State called for a division of 75

Fede ral, 25 State and local. Gover nor Ray has asked tha t that be

reconsidered and it is in the process of reco nsid eration at the present 

time, the view being tha t this is a part ners hip in financing and tha t 

there should be an app rop riat e share from State and local gove rnment 

to accom pany the Federal fund s that are invested.

Sen ator Magnuson. If the local people performed the ir obliga tion up 

to the hilt, can’t that be use d as a local con tributio n?

Mr. Macy. Tha t will be viewed as pa rt o f the consi deration in 

dete rmining -----

Sen ator Magnuson. Because some of the counties and some of the

cities, their budget, they hav e use d up thei r full budget. They are going 

to have to get some more money.

Mr. McCormack. Mr. Cha irman, I have only one quick question. I

notice the Farmers Hom e Adm inistration is no t liste d on die list of 

specific agencies included in the app ropr iatio n request. I am curious to 

know if FHA has ade qua te fund ing to han dle the emergency at the 

present time or where tha t fund ing will come from if not?

Mr. Tho rnto n. Certa inly in the case of our emergency farm lend ing 

activity, tha t is a prog ram tha t has ope n-ende d fund ing. Th at is to say, 

whatever the need is, we have autho rity, standing auth ority to meet tha t 

need .
59

Mr. McCormack. You have a line of cr edi t with the Treasu ry?

Mr. Tho rnto n. Tha t is righ t.

Mr. McCormack. Mr. Mac y, then , woul d you like to have a line of 

cred it with the Treasury the same way with all of FE MA ?

Mr. Macy. I pref er the pre sen t arra ngemen t.

Mr. McCormack. Th an k you.

Thank you, Mr. Ch airm an.

Sena tor Magnuson. Don .

application process

Mr. Bonker. First, I wou ld like to take the oppor tun ity to com men d 

you, Mr. Macy, and the othe r agency head s who are repr esen ted here 

for a truly extraord inary jo b.

I have one conc ern, an d one ques tion . My conc ern is that despi te 

efficiency, with which the processing cen ters were established and 

service prov ided to peo ple who are victims of the disast er, my conce rn 

is tha t once those forms are filled out, nobody knows wha t hap pens. It 

gets into the normal proc ess and at a townh all mee ting where man y 

peo ple had attended , they expresse d the ir con cern tha t there were no 

replie s or responses or answers to questio ns like when will this be 

approve d, or if it is going to be app rove d, an d how long will it take for 

the mon ey to be fort hco min g because these peo ple need to plan? The 

peo ple who are on the spo t, while they were courteo us and help ful to 

that ques tion, would say, "W e have no idea what soev er." So I think the 

system fails at that point. I do n’t know if y ou can resp ond to it becau se 

I think once it gets into the agencies, we jus t don ’t know what hap pens.

Mr. Macy. To some ex ten t this is att rib uta ble to the appr opri ations 

pro blem tha t we have bee n discussing.

Mr. McCormack. I und ers tan d.

Mr. Macy. No t only is FEM A at a po int wher e resourc es are very 

low, bu t the same is the case for the Small Business Adm inistr ation and 

oth er agencies as well. I thin k with the degree of c auti on for which the 

bure aucr acy is not ed, they are very carefu l ab ou t making any 

com mit men ts that can not be financ ed.

As far as the seco nd po in t is c onc erne d, certa inly there is a tende ncy 

to feel that once the initial form has bee n pre par ed, that is the answer. 

In my view, it is not, that is jus t the begi nnin g, an d we need to work 

with the agencies, and we inte nd to do so, to insu re the cons umm ation 

of the action init iated by the appli cati ons comes forward with the 

necessary speed to mee t the needs o f the peo ple who are suffering from 

these conditio ns.

na tio na l flo od ins ur an ce pr og ra m

Mr. Bonker. I really thin k tha t follow up is essen tial. We need to 

app ropriat e money for the agencies to do the ir work as well. My 

ques tion conce rns the nati ona l flood cont rol insu ran ce prog ram.

The peopl e of Cowl itz Cou nty, thro ugh thei r local gove rnment, is in 

the process of secur ing regul ar, if I can call it insur ance , for tha t area. 

Now the river alin em ent has been chan ged, and we have seen rat her
60

graphica lly wh at has hap pen ed an d how vulnerable tha t area is to 

future flooding. In that process, the re has to be a 90-d ay app eal period 

which can only begin after maps hav e been prov ided by FEMA.

The peo ple there are frig htened tha t if they do no t have the 

insuran ce, they are going to be rea l victims come Oct obe r if flooding 

does occur.

They wanted me to work with the Senat or to attach a rider which 

would do away with the 90 day app eal period . I j ust do n’t think we will 

have any success in doing that, bu t if your agency could supp ly those 

food control maps by July 1, we cou ld go thro ugh the 90 day waiting 

peri od and have tha t regul ar insuranc e in place to provide maximum 

prote ction to the citizens, the residents along the river. I won der if this 

is an unf air question, but if you cou ld provide us with some assuran ce 

that you cou ld expedite the pre par atio n of those map s an d try to get 

them to Cowlitz County aro und July 1 to July 15, so we cou ld extend 

the coverage to the people in tha t area.

Mr. Macy. I pledge to do that . Yo u might be inter ested to know that 

since the volcano, we have 677 policies that have been written for 

peop le in that area. We are also in the process of receiving claims. So 

far 127 for $1.8 million of estim ated damage.

Mr. Bonker. And you can have the maps—it usually take s 4 months 

now; we are trying to reduce it to 1.

Mr. Macy. I will give you a rep ort and give the com mittee a repo rt 

on the statu s of the maps for all of the areas that are affected by 

Mo unt St. Helens.

Mr. Bonker. Thank you so much.

Senator Magnuson. T he Sen ator from No rth Dakota.

LOAN RATE

Sen ator Young. Farm ers Ho me has been charging, I think, 14- 

percen t inter est on money which is now availab le at aro und 9 percent. 

Wha t are you going to cha rge the borrowers out the re? Have you 

chan ged your loan rate?

Mr. Thornton. No, we have curre ntly pen ding a rate change which 

we hop e to annou nce this week. In the case of the emergency farm 

lending activity allude d to earlier, there is really thre e pieces to that 

loan package, if you will. Th at porti on which goes to cover actual 

product ion of physical losses can be made at 5 percen t loan rate. Over 

and above tha t for ope rating credit or for what they call adjusting 

farm ing operation, curr ently for the emergency natu ral disast er prog ram 

is 14 perc ent. We are recomm ending that be adjus ted down.

Sen ator Young. Why ha sn ’t that been done sooner? The Senate 

Agric ulture Com mitte e had a heari ng this morning which I could not 

atte nd in which they bro ug ht up this very subjec t, why you are

char ging 14 perc ent when you shou ld be charging only the 9.

Mr. Thornton. Ou r statutor y requ irem ents require us to take into 

acc oun t the Treasu ry cost o f borrowings, which have gone down. On 

the oth er hand, we do not get the official quotes of the U.S. Treasury 

until the end of the mo nth , which we had jus t gotte n, an d we

imm ediately went forw ard with our recom mend ations.
61

Sen ator. Leahy. If the Sena tor would yield, I con ducted those 

hearings and they told me as a result of those hearings, the rate may be 

adju sted by today, at the end of the week at the latest

I should also poin t out while they get the Treasury report at the end 

of the month, HU D was able to do it in mid-May.

Mr. Thornton. They have a different formula.

SUBM ITTED QUESTIONS

Mr. Macy. Mr. Cha irman, would you excuse me?

Senator Magnuson. You can be excused.

Mr. Macy. If there are further questions for me------

Senator Magnuson. We will submit them to you in writing.

Governor, do you want to testify now or do you want to pursue this?

Gov ernor Ray. I have made my general statement. Further than that, 

we would like to testify with some precision on the State’s economic 

situation, what has been extended, perhaps tha t bette r wait.

Senator Magnuson. I would appreciate it.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing bu t were 

submitted to the De partm ent for response sub sequen t to the hearing:]

64-529 0 - 8 0 - 5
62

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

Que stion: Could you briefly out lin e w hat princ ipal r ole FEM A is

playing in the aftermath of the eruption.

An sw er : FE MA ’s principal activities following the Pres idential declarati on of this major disaster have been divided into two p rincipal 

areas. They are:

A. Coo rdination. Through the efforts of Mr. Robe rt Stevens, Federal 

Coor dinating Officer, FEMA has bee n coor dinating the activities of all 

Federal agencies, whether they are acting under their own authority 

or u nder Mi ssion Assignments from FEMA, in the response and recovery 

efforts.

1. All m ajo r Federal agencies ope rat ing under authori ty have 

ident ified liaison officers who are located with the Federal Coordin ator 

in Vancouver. To facilitate close w ork ing relati ons with the

emergency offic ials of the State of Washington, this office has become

a Fe deral-State emergency center. Ame ric an Nati onal Red Cross, 

represen ting all volun teer agencies, has a liaison office located in the 

same office. Mr. Stevens has a daily F ederal-S tate-volunteer agency 

meeting to r eview the progress that has been made during the day and to 

discuss any probl ems which may have surfaced.

2. Since May 24th, under the dir ect ion of the FCO, Disa ster 

Assi stance C ente rs have been functioning in various locations throughout the State s of Washi ngton and Idah o whe re indiv iduals who have been 

adve rsely affe cted by the disaster can come and get info rmation on and 

make application for the various types of assi stance that is available 

from Federal and State sources. These center s have been l ocated in 

Kelso, Spokane, Ritzville, Mose s Lake, Yakima, Colfax, Connell, 

Centralia, and the Randle in the Sta te of Washington, and in St. Maries, 

Mos cow and Coeu r d ’Alene in Idaho. More than 6,1000 people (5,504 in 

Washi ngton; 604 in Idaho) have registered at three centers through 

June 14, 1980.

The types of assi stance availab le include:

a. low interest loans from S mall Busine ss Adm ini str ati on or 

Farmers Ho me Administration;

b. appl ication for tempora ry housing;

c. information on claim ing casual ty losses from the Internal 

Revenue Service;

d. applicat ions for grants fro m the Indiv idual and Family 

Grant Program;

e. applications and inf ormation on the ASCS Emergency Con ser ­

vat ion Measures Program and the Crop Subsidy Program;

f. applications for d isas ter and unemploy ment ass istance and job 

placement interviews from the De par tme nt of Labor;

g. advi ce on filing insu rance claims from either Flood Insurance 

Admini str ati on or the State Insur anc e Com mis sio ner’s Office;
h. applicat ions for immediate assistan ce from either the 

American Nati onal Red Cross or the Salv ation Army.

3. Toll-free "Hotlines" have been in operati on since May 23rd. 

Indiv idual citi zens or businessmen, who have ques tions regar ding the 

type of assistan ce ava ilable or ho w it may be obtained, can call 

these hotlin e numbers toll-free from anyw here in the States of 

Washi ngton, Idaho and Oregon. Over 5,000 individual calls have b een 

received.

4. Under FCO direction, a joint information cente r for news 

dissemination to the m edia has been established. Ther e is an 

automatic Broadca st Fee d whic h is capable of disseminating current 

infor mation to the electronic medi a on a twenty- four hour a day 

basis. The messag es on this ABF are chan ged frequent ly and deal 

wit h all aspects of the Disaster Respon se and Recovery Prog ram

as we ll as the act ivi tie s on the volcano. One or more daily press 

briefings are held wi th up to seven television stations and thirty 

to t hirty-five radi o and print med ia represent ati ves attending 

regularly. This cen ter is mann ed twenty-four hours a day to meet 

the intense med ia interest.

5. A Te chnica l Info rmation Net work has bee n formed to publish 

bulletins on sci entific subjects helpful to the general public. Thus 

far, eighteen bul letins have been published and distributed to a 

mailing list of mor e than 1,000 interested partie s, including Me mbe rs 

of Congress, the gov ernors of the involved States, elected off icials 

of local governments and the scientific com munity at large. This 

Network is staffed by scientists from man y diff erent disc iplines and 

agencies, includi ng the Center for D isease Contro l, National Instit ute 

of Occupatio nal Saf ety and Health, Env iro nme nta l and Protection 

Agency, U.S. Geo log ica l Survey, and the Department of Transportation.

In addition, they draw much of their inf ormation from scientific 

community at large w ith particular inputs fro m scientists from the 

universities in the affected area.

6. A sat ellite office was opened in Spokane. This outreach 

effort was supple men ted with FEMA rep resentatives who have bee n 

traveling throughout the a sh-impacted area talking with rep res entatives 

of local gov ern men ts and involved citizens to ascertain their 

specific need s and problems.

B. FE MA ’s seco nd major role is in the admi nistration of the 

authorities provid ed under the Di sas ter R elief Act of 1974 (PL 93-288). 

These responsibili tie s have been exercis ed by the Regional Dir ect or 

in Seattl e and inc lude the followi ng activities:

1. Tem por ary h ousing - through June 14, 1980, they have 

identified some 286 families that are elig ible for some type of 

temporary housing. In addition, there are 53 applications that are 

being p rocessed for an eligibility determination. As of that date, 

some 121 f amil ies have been assisted. Eighty-eight families have 

been provided temp orary housing in existing resources. Thirtythree famil ies are in motels. The other famil ies are livi ng wit h 

friends or rel atives pending the location of more p ermanent type
64

accommoda tions. These housing req uirements are in the vicin ity 

of the To utle and Cowlitz Rivers, the area that suffered serious 

impact from the flooding following the M ay 18 eruption.

2. Ass isting the State in the adm ini stration of the 

Individual and Family Grant Pr og ra m. Alth ough it is a Stateadmi nistered program, FEMA prov ides technical assi stance to the 

State in an effort to expe dite the processing of a pplications.

Thro ugh Jun e 14, the State of Wa shington has rece ived 1004 

applications for this program. Th e State of Idaho did not request 

the implementation of this program.

3. Ass ist anc e to local govern men ts under Section 306, 402 and 

419 of Public L aw 93-288. FEM A ha s the responsibility of reimbursing local governments for eli gib le costs in repairing and 

restoring d amaged public facilities as well as reimbur sing them 

for certain eligible costs incu rred in taking emergency action. In 

the State of Washington, seve n app licant briefings have been 

conducted to info rm local gov ernments as to the procedures to 

foll ow in a pply ing for Fede ral a ssistance. At these mee tin gs 

deta iled instructions have bee n given as to eligibility costs 

incurred, recordke eping and other procedural details. Similar 

meet ings wer e held in the State of Idaho. For the pa st week, 45 

different teams of Fe dera l-State enginee rs have b een visiting 

damage d areas throughout the States making estim ates of the 

eligible costs. These d amage surv eys will be compl eted w ithin 

the next four to five weeks.

4. FEMA has direc ted other Federa l agencies to provide support 

to State and local governments in many different ways. The 

Dep artment of Defense provided vit al helic opter support to the 

Stat e and sheri ffs in support of the search and rescue mission.

In addition, techni cal ass istance was provided to several local 

governm ents in the procurement of equipment requi red to restore 

essen tial utilities.

Qu estion: Health Effects: Sup ply of Masks for the P ub li c: I unde rstand that one of the major issues bet wee n FE MA and the State has 

been the availabi lity of pro tec tiv e masks for resid ents in the 

affec ted areas. I am told that the State has bee n conc erned about 

being reim bursed for these m asks by the Federal Governme nt and FEMA 

in part icular. What specific step s have you taken to resolve this 

problem in the areas affected by the buil d-up of the v olcanic ash?

(You might ask Dr. Fayg ee of the Cent er for Di sease Control if the 

masks are still necessary.)

An swer; FEMA has procured in exc ess of one m ill ion mas ks wh ich have 

been mad e available to local governments. Two hundred thousan ds of 

these w ere delivered to L ewiston, Idaho; 810,000 w ere deli vered to 

Madiga n G eneral Hospital for distri but ion to im pacted areas. The 

resp ective States have been res ponsible for the distribution.

Early last week the States were advised that inas much as an 

adeq uate supp ly of masks are now in the comme rical pipeline, local 

gove rnments should obta in the m ask s through norm al commercial sources. 

Ther e we re m any commercial outlets whe re the g enera l publ ic could
obtain these ma sks and that accordingly, the local governments should 

only distribute mas ks to their employees and cont ractors who we re 

wor kin g in the heavy ash area. Masks are eligi ble for Federal 

reimbur sement. This applies to masks which State and local 

governments have purchas ed direct ly as well as those that have be en 

distributed to them from Fed era l sources.

At this point, 450,000 mas ks are in the F eder al inve ntory in the 

States of Washi ngton and Idaho; 200,000 are located at Madigan 

Gene ral Hospital, 200,000 are located in Fort Vancouver, Was hington 

(they we re moved early F rid ay morning followi ng the third eruption) 

and 50,00 0 are in Idaho. The se stocks are bein g mainta ine d for 

emer gency dist ribution if requ ired by futur e eruptions.

Up to 50,000 masks wil l be prov ided from this invento ry to the 

Public H ealth Service for dist ribution to mig rant worker s in 

Eas ter n Wa shington to ensure adequate prot ection d uring wor k in 

the a sh covered fields.

The Tehn ical Information Netwo rk has issued several bulletins on 

the use of masks. In general, they urge they be worn any time an 

individu al is wor kin g in or driving through a "hea vy ash area." 

Tho se individuals w ho have a medical history of respira tory 

problems are urged to be particularly di lige nt about w ear ing masks.

Qu es ti on : Could you tell us what measures you have taken to assist 

local governments in securing the prope r equipment to help in the 

clea n up operation fol low ing the eruption?

An sw er : FEMA has provided techn ical a ssi stance from experienced

Corps of E ngineers pro curement officers to the cities of Yakima 

and Ritzville. They have located all of the r equi red equipment 

needed for the cleanup operations wit hin a radius of 100 miles.

In addition, the U.S. For est Service has mad e avai lable a tank 

truck to the Cit y of M orton on a loan basis until the C ity can 

acquire a piece of equ ipment on its own. A wa ter purifica tion 

unit was located for the City of To utl e though they chose not to 

utilize it. In general, all requests for assi stance have 

been met for local governments through the State Coordinating 

Officers. Several reques ts for the use of mi lit ary equipment 

have been denied when commercial equipment w as readily available.

Qu estion: What m eas ure s are you now taking to alert people and 

to co ntrol "rumor s" and quell what has been labeled as "media hype" 

about the c ondi tion of the volcano; and to pr ovi de the public wit h 

easy access to re spo nsi ble public off icials wh o can answer their 

quest ions about disast er assistance and other related matters?

How man y calls are you having on the hotlin e?

An swer: The D isa ster Information Cent er provides denial or confirmation of any rumo rs that comes to its attention. When ever 

someone belie ves that an event has taken place, the Information 

Center imme diately calls the Unive rsi ty of Washi ngton Se ismegraphic 

Station and the U.S. Fore st Service, which checks by spotter plane. 

If there is an ind ication from those two sources that an event
66

has taken pl ace there is an imm ediate attempt on the part of the 

U.S. Geological Survey to pro vide an interpretation of the event.

This information is then released to the me dia at the Volcanic 

Informa tion Center. Any required warnin g is give n to the local 

gove rnments through U.S. Fore st Service Command Center.

The Disaster Hot L ine is the pri mary means of answ ering the questions 

raised by the public. This num ber has been televised, announced 

on radio, and has been given to local, State, and Federal officials 

as a point of access. If questions delivered on the Di saster 

Hot Line cannot be answered by the personnel mann ing that line, 

the name and phone number of the individual is recorded and the 

answer s provided by the approp ria te informed source. Four thousand 

four hundred forty-nine calls have been recei ved on the Wa shington 

Disa ster Hot Line up to this date.

In ad dit ion to the rumor con trol activities of the Volcan o 

Information Center, the Technical Info rmation Bulletins include 

the be st information ava ilable from the experts on the effects 

of the volcano, such as the h eal th effects of volc anic ash on 

peopl e and animals.

Ques ti on : Obviously, the ma jor heal th and publi c hazard caused 

by the erup tion has been the b uild-u p of ash in cities, on 

crops, and on major traffic art eri es in the area. I believ e 

that it would be important to get on the record this m orn ing as 

much det ail as we can as to what specific actions FEMA is taking 

or has taken to deal with the ash problem. What steps have you 

taken to clean up the ash? Wha t is FEMA's timetable for completing 

the clea n up operation? And what specific plans do you hav e for 

dis posing of the ash once it has been removed from roads, highways, 

and other public facilities?

An sw er : The responses to previous questions have explained in

some detail what action FEMA h as taken with regard to the problems 

relate d to ash fallout. In general, a supply of mas ks has been 

assured, local governments have been a ssisted in obtaining the 

equipme nt necessary to remove the ash, and have been advised about 

the pr oces s for securing rei mbu rsement of their elig ible costs.

Dama ge surv ey teams ar e working throughout the impacted areas 

ass essing damages.

The responsibility for the removal of the ash lies with State 

and local governments. If there were a situation wh ere it was 

clearly beyond the abi lity of the State and/or local governments 

to remove the ash, FEMA woul d request another Federal agency to do 

that work. Such requests have not been necessary.

Based on reports received from arou nd the State, the ash cleanup 

from roads, streets and essent ial public facil ities is progressing 

rapidly. The work wi ll be comple ted withi n four or five weeks.

It should be understood, however, that the erup tion of Mou nt St. 

Hele ns repre sents a change in the environment of the impacted area. 

There is no feasible means of remo ving all of the ash. It will 

remai n a problem for a long per iod of time even if there are 

no m ore substantial eruptions.
Local governments have been instructed to locate adequate disposal 

sites and to cover these disposal sites with dirt and/or other 

material to keep it from being blown away.

Question: Local Government Compensation - Mr. Macy, many of the

cities and counties which provided emergency services in response 

to the eruption of Mount St. Helens are now facing very serious 

financial problems. In fact, I understand some local governments 

may be forced to cut back on services unless they are compensated 

for their relief efforts in the very near future. What steps are 

being taken to assure that these local governments are promptly 

compensated for their disaster relief efforts?

Answer: Due to the present lack of funds, FEMA is unable to

assist local governments with their financial problems in the 

public assistance efforts. FEMA's limited funds have been 

earmarked to provide essential assistance to meet urgent human 

needs - assistance to individuals such as temporary housing, 

the Individual and Family Grant Program, and the Disaster 

Unemployment Assistance Program on this and other disasters.

Question: Compensation Coverage - Specifically, which items and

services provided by local governments in response to the eruption 

will they be compensated for?

Answe r: It is difficult, if not impossible, to provide a complete

listing of those items and services for which local governments 

will be reimbursed. Basically they will be reimbursed, in 

accordance with established FEMA regulations, for those costs 

incurred in repairing and restoring damaged public facilities 

to their predisaster functional capacity. This includes the 

removal of ash-debris from roads and streets for which local 

governments are responsible, it includes certain other emergency 

costs such as overtime for law enforcement officers, the costs 

of masks and the costs of feeding and sheltering the several 

thousand stranded travelers. It should not be assumed, however, 

that the Federal Government will reimburse the State and local 

government for all costs arising from this disaster. In the 

Disaster Relief Act of 197 4 and its legislative history, the 

Congress has made it abundantly clear that it intends that Federal 

assistance supplement the efforts and resources of State and local 

governments.

Questions Submitted by Senator Burdick

Question: W ill the Ad ministra tio n request such funds as a separate lin e item, and under what auth ority w il l those funds be requested?

Answer: Requests fo r ad ditio na l funds requ ire d to respond to the in flu x of Cuban alie ns w il l be id e n ti fi e d , w ithin each agency's re ­ quest. The auth ority fo r the requests w il l be the auth orities under which those agencies are pres en tly engaged in op erations ; in most cases they are the auth orities under which the agencies normally ope rate . Funds to reimburse agencies fo r services which they are pro ­ viding under the auth ority of the Disaster R elie f Act w il l be requ es ted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Question: Given the enormous un pred ictab le expenditures associated with natural disa ster s alone (witness the reason we are here tod ay) do you consider i t advisable to expand coverage under the Disaste r R elie f
68

Act to any and a ll emergencies be they so cial or economic fo r instan ce 

ra th er than na tural?

Answer: In any emergency situ atio n, we are more concerned with the 

impact than the cause. Several c rit e ria must be met:

a. There must be an obvious and immediate need.

b. The situation must be beyond State and loca l ca p a b ility.

c. The Governor of the affe cted State must make a request fo r a 

Pr es iden tia l de clar at ion of the emergency.

I t is in str u ctive to note th at none of these c rit e ria re la te to cause, 

only to immediate eff e ct. A ll of these c rit e ria must be met fo r the 

auth ority of the Dis aster R elie f Act to be exerc ised. Norm ally these 

c rit e ria are best met by natural occurre nces. However, the re have 

been and w il l li k e ly be incide nts which are prop erly included under 

the d e fi n it io n "othe r catas tro phes" and which also meet these c rit e ria 

where the inv oc ation of the Disas ter R elie f Act is ap prop ria te. 

Cle arly , most socia l or economic situations do not fa ll in to the realm 

of the Disaster R elie f Act. For instan ce , chron ic urban problems can, 

are, and should be handled under othe r auth orities and othe r programs.

Question: I f the Adm inistra tio n wishes to expand the auth ority of the 

Act what specific le g is la ti v e proposals w il l be brought forward to 

achieve th at end?

Answer: At th is tim e, the re are no proposals to expand the auth ority 

of the Act which have been submitted by the Adm inistra tio n to the 

Congress. There has been le g is la ti o n proposed by Congressman Trent 

L ott. His b ill, HR 6643, would expand the Act 's assistan ce auth oritie s to inc lud e non-p ro fit museums, li b ra rie s , zoos, physical fitn ess, 

and h is to ri c a l fa c il it ie s .

In additio n, there have been some discussions about po ss ible le g is la ­

ti ve amendments which would either change financia l arrangements on 

exis ting auth orities or expand e lig ib ilit y requirements to includ e 

pu blic assistance pr ojec ts not envisioned as pa rt of the origin al 

Act. As yet, none of the proposals have been forwarded by the 

Admi nis tr a tio n .

Question: What do you estimate the to ta l expend itures under the 

Disaster Rel ie f Act w il l amount to by the end of FY 1980?

Answer: As of May 31, 1980, FEMA has obl ig atio ns of $265,340,000 

ag ains t the Preside nt's Disa ster R elie f Fund. In additio n, estimates 

o f requirements fo r declare d disast ers , emergencies and fir e suppression grants now to ta l $543,466,000. Po tential de clarations add 

$105,600,000 to the remaining requirements fo r open disa sters (more 

than h a lf of the actual requirements fo r pot entia l de clarations w il l 

be ca rrie d forward ag ain st the FY 1981 appro priation). The to ta l 

estimated requirements fo r the remainder of FY 1980 are therefore 

$649,066,000. Please note th at th is amount does not inc lud e any re ­

quirements fo r the Flor ida Emergency, EM 3079, as the re sult of the 

in fl u x of undocumented alie ns fo r which the President has proposed an 

add itional $245 m illio n fo r FEMA.

Question: What costs fo r services and /or d ir ect expenditures have 

been associated with the Preside nt's de clar at ion fo r areas of Florida 

affe cted by the f ir s t in fl u x of Cuban refugees?
69

Answer: Through June 7, 1980, the fo llo win g amounts, reported as 

having been committed by the agencies concerned, are su bjec t to reim ­

bursement by FEMA when ap prop ria te supporting documentation is presented and funds are ava ila ble ($ in m illi o n s ):

Department of Defense ........................................................ $51.0

General Services Ad ministra tio n ..................................... 12.9

Florida (State and lo ca l governments) ......................... 2.6

Red Cross, Sa lvation Army ................................................ 2.5

U. S. Park Police ............................................................... 0-6

Subtotal ........................... $69.6

FEMA ........................................................................................ 1-6

Total Estimate ................ $71.2

Question: What to ta l Federal costs do you expect w il l be inc urred on 

be ha lf of the refugees?

Answer: The Pre sident has forwarded a supplemental request of $381.7 m illio n in 1980 to provide resources fo r emergency food, sh elte r and 

medical care, transp ort and res ettlemen t of the aliens, in add ition 

to increased adm in is trativ e a c ti v it ie s re sultin g from the rap id 

in flu x into Key West.

Estimates fo r 1981 are not yet availa ble . The to ta l costs inc urred 

on behalf of the Cuban aliens w il l als o depend in pa rt on the fi n a l 

determination of th e ir leg al st atu s, which w ill, in tu rn , determine 

th e ir e lig ib ilit y fo r various so cia l service programs.

Question: I f the Adm inistra tio n wishes to abide by exis ting Congressional in te nt on the lim it s of the Act, what le g is la ti v e proposals 

would you suggest to c la rif y those lim its?

Answer: Surely the Adm inistra tio n wishes and intends to abide by the 

Congressional in te n t as indica ted by the Disaster R elie f Act. Fu rth er , 

there are no proposals underway to expand th at auth ority beyond the 

present in te n t. To date, the language of the Act has provided the 

necessary auth ori ty to act in circumstances meeting the es tablish ed 

cri te ria .

DEPARTMENT OF HEA LTH AND HU MA N SERVICES

Center for Disease Control

STATEMENT OF DR. WILLIAM FOEGE, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR DISEASE

CONTROL, DHHS

HEALTH SITUATION

Sena tor Magnuson. Health is a very imp ortant item. This is No. 1 

priority. We got ahold of the Director of the Center for Disease Con trol 

who is here, Dr. Foege. He immediately went into action and sent some 

people out there to work with the State health people.

PREPARED STATEMENT

Before hearing Dr. Foege, we will place his prepare d statement in the 

record.

[The statement follows:]

(71)
72

Prepared Statement of William H. Foe ge, M.D ., Director

CENTER FOR DISE AS E CONTROL

Mr. C hair m an, S e n a to rs :

I w ou ld l i k e to re v ie w th e r e c e n t a c t i v i t i e s o f th e P u b li c H e a lth - S e r v ic e 

(PH S) r e l a t e d to th e e r u p tio n o f Mount S t . H ele n s an d p ro v id e o u r a ss e ss m e n t 

o f f u t u r e n e ed s an d s t u d i e s .

The D ep art m en t o f H e a lt h an d Human S e rv ic e s h as been in v o lv e d fr om th e b e g in n in g 

wh en D r. D on al d F r e d r ic k s o n , D ir e c to r o f th e N a ti o n a l I n s t l t u t u e s o f H e a lt h , 

r e p r e s e n te d th e D epar tm ent i n th e p a r ty t h a t acc om panie d th e P r e s id e n t on h is

s i t e v i s i t l a s t mon th to Mo unt S t . H e le n s .

S t a r t i n g M on da y, May 19, 1980, e p id e m io lo g is ts a t CDC had r e g u l a r c o n ta c t w it h 

s t a t e h e a l t h d e p a rtm e n ts in W a sh in g to n , Id ah o an d M onta na; on W ed ne sd ay , May 2 1 , 

1980, th e W as hin gto n S ta te D ep art m e n t o f S o c ia l an d H e a lt h S e r v ic e s i n v ite d 

CDC p a r t i c i p a t i o n in an e p id e m io lo g ic e v a lu a tio n o f p o t e n t i a l h e a l t h e f f e c t s 

r e l a t e d t o th e v o lc a n ic e r u p tio n . Th e CDC f i e l d team i n W as hin gto n h as In c lu d e d 

p h y s ic ia n s an d p u b lic h e a l th a d v is o r s fr om th e B ure aus o f E p id em io lo g y an d S ta te 

S e r v ic e s , an d p h y s ic ia n s an d I n d u s t r i a l h y g ie n is ts fr om th e N a tio n a l I n s t i t u t e 

f o r O c c u p a ti o n a l S a fe ty an d H e a lth .

The v o lc a n ic a s h f a l l s o f May 18 and May 2 5 , 1980, have n o t b een a s s o c ia t e d 

w it h e le v a te d l e v e ls o f to x ic e le m e n ts o r fu m es o f p u b lic h e a l t h c o n c e rn .

H ow ev er , b e c a u se o f th e h ig h l e v e l s o f t o t a l su sp en d ed p a r t i c u l a t e s in th e a i r , 

th e a p p r e c i a b le r e s p ir a b le f r a c t i o n o f t h i s a s h , th e p e r s i s t e n c e o f th e a sh in 

th e e n v ir o n m e n t, an d th e p re s e n c e o f f r e e c r y s t a l l i n e s i l i c a in th e a s h (e v e n 

th o u g h a t a r e l a t i v e l y lo w p e r c e n ta g e o f 4 -6 2 in f i r s t a n a l y s e s ) , th e CDC h as 

been c o n c e rn e d ab o u t th e p o s s i b i l i t y o f s h o r t - an d lo n g -te rm r e s p i r a t o r y 

e f f e c t s , p a r t i c u l a r l y in h i g h - r i s k g ro u p s in th e p o p u la tio n . T hese in c lu d e 

w o rk e rs w it h p ro lo n g e d e x p o su re to h ig h d u s t l e v e ls (s u c h as cle ari = u p w o rk ers 

and l o g g e r s ) , an d p o t e n t i a l l y s e n s i t i v e g ro u p s in th e p o p u la tio n (s u c h a s th o s e 

w it h p re v io u s c h ro n ic r e s p i r a t o r y d i s o r d e r s ) .

Our f i e l d u n i t has wor ke d c lo s e ly w ith th e W as hin gto n S ta te H e a lth D e p art m e n t, 

and th e Mount S t. H ele ns T e c h n ic a l I n f o rm a ti o n N et w or k a t th e F e d e r a l C o o rd in a ti n g
73

Center in Vancouver, Washington. We have also consulted with and discussed 

plans for future studies with the State Health Department, University of 

Washington School of Public Health, the Washington Lung Association, groups

of pediatricians and others within the affected areas.

The main PHS activities to date have included:

1. CDC rapidly instituted an emergency hospital surveillance network, which 

is currently being redesigned and expanded, in a joint effort with the 

State Health Department, into a longer term hospital surveillance for

a variety of respiratory and other disorders. Initial impressions

were that mucous membrane and respiratory irritation did occur after

exposure to ash, but there had not been increased reports of acute, 

severe, ash-related, respiratory disorders. However, firm conclusions 

cannot be made until we have carefully evaluated a statistically

valid data base from our surveillance network for periods before and

after the ashfall and for similar periods in previous years. For 

example, In a field study last week in Moses Lake, an area with 

heavy ashfall, we reviewed hospital admissions data for“respiratory 

diseases; there were 4 admissions in the 2 weeks prior to the May 18 

eruption, and 12 during the succeeding 2 weeks. The reasons for this 

are as yet uncertain, but only by evaluating such data in detail for 

the widely affected areas will we be able to draw firm conclusions 

about the incidence of ash-related respiratory disorders.

2. Analyses of volcanic ash for free (crystalline) silica content, and 

Industrial hygiene monitoring of respirable dust exposure to determine 

the potential risk from silicosis. At the free silica content of 

4-6Z In initial samples analyzed by N1OSH, we feel it is important

to evaluate the risk for silicosis In workers exposed to high concentrations of fine particles for prolonged periods. We do not consider 

it likely that there would be a risk of silicosis in the general 

population at these concentrations. Plans are now being developed 

by NIOSH for detailed investigations of clean-up workers, and of 

workers in the logging industry.
74

3. The Food and Drug Admin istrati on (FDA) is look ing at pot enti al problems 

related to the uptake of the elem enta l con ten t of the volc ani c ash 

into the food chain. Th ey have taken samples of ash, soil, and milk 

from dairy herds in h eavily affected areas of W ashi ngt on, Idaho, and 

Montana. FDA vill con duct anima l feeding studies if ind icat ed by the 

analytical findings.

4. Regula r issuance of a twi ce weekly Mount St. Helens V olcano Health 

Report to summariz e the status of C DC studie s, and rev iew for pu blic 

health agencies, perti nen t data from EPA, FDA, USGS, and-others .

5. Detailed discussions with pulmona ry physi cian s, ped iatrici ans, 

public health scient ist s and others, to d evel op pro tocols for studies 

of high-risk groups. We vie w this an an esse ntia l part of our work 

because of the n eed for sus tained local activi ty to car ry out the 

long-term studies whi ch are needed. Plans whi ch have been discussed 

include the Ide ntifi cat ion and foll owup of a cohort of Indi vidua ls 

wi th chronic respi rat ory disorders, a review of effect s in c hildr en 

with asthma and othe r respi rat ory disord ers, a lon gltudal study of 

effects in people resid ing in the most hea vil y impa cte d areas, and 

expe rimental studies on the effect s In an imal s of b rea thi ng the 

volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens.

In the last period of volca nic activity at Mount St. Helen s, rep ort edl y there 

were a numbe r of significant eru pti ons between 1831 and 1856. As Mount St. Helens 

comes out of its dormant period of over a century, we shoul d att emp t to learn 

as muc h ae we can now about poten tial health effects, so that we will be more 

kno wle dge abl e and better pre pared for handlin g futur e erup tions , should they

occur.
75

WORK OF CEN TER AT DISA STER SITE

Senator Magnuson. Yo ur State Health Director was in the oth er day 

an d he complimented the work of the Cente r for Disease Con trol. 

The re was a little lack o f comm unication, he thou ght, but that was all 

right. You can’t tell us, I know, exactly, but you have made a lot of 

tests out there and you have spotted a lot of people in different places. 

I wish you could briefly tell us about the health situation. Because this 

is of prime importance to all of us.

Dr. Foege. llia nk you, Mr. Chairman.

CD C ACTIVITIES AN D FIND IN GS

Dr. Foege. Wc have been working with the State Health Department, 

with the University of Washington, with the Thoracic Society, and the 

Lung Association, and the findings are as follows: Our initial surveillance system of 49 hospitals in general showed fairly minor hea lth 

problems’. People were complaining of muc ous mem brane problems, 

and respiratory problem s but we have recently gone into some of the 

areas tha t had the highest ash reported. We did our first house-to-ho use 

survey in Moses Lake and we foun d that in those areas, in Moses Lake, 

particularly, during the 2 weeks following the erup tion, they had about 

a 35-percent increase in emergency room visits and about a 5.5 perce nt 

increase in hospital admissions.

The problem in being able to evaluate tha t is that many physicians 

closed their offices during that period of time and asked people to use 

the emergency room. So we have had to go back and look at actual 

records. We found that while there was a decrease in cond ition s whe n 

people could choose the time at which they wen t to the hospital, the re 

was an increase in mo tor vehicle injuries, falls that people were experiencing as they tried to clean the roofs of their houses, and an increase 

in respiratory problems. I should hasten to add the increase in res ­

piratory problems is something one could expect from having so many 

particulates in the air, it should not be confused with the stateme nts 

made by the Go ver nor on silicosis. This is a diffe rent problem.

HEA LTH EFF ECTS

We are now going into oth er areas and we have, Mr. Cha irman, a 

total of 15 people working with the State Health Dep artm ent now. We 

are going into oth er areas to evaluate the health effects. In general, the 

Governor’s statement is correct that there is a lower hazard than what 

we had anticipated, and particularly we do not see a danger for the 

general population with silicosis.

On the other hand, we are concern ed by certain occupational groups, 

cleanup workers, people who are working in the timb er indu stry, and 

we are sending peop le this week to begin working with Wey erhauser to 

look at the actual respiratory exposure to free silica while the workers 

are working in the field. We will be doin g a study of timber workers, 

their exposures and the health effects.
76

We are also, because we believe it the prudent thing to do, 

develop ing with the State health dep art me nt and the University of 

Washington, some long- term studies. It is int end ed at this time that 

there will be some long -term studies in thre e or four comm unitie s 

where abo ut a thou sand peo ple will be selecte d and followed for a 

peri od of time. Heavy emph asis will be place d on children in those 

comm unities to see if ther e are any meas urable hea lth effects on 

children.

We are also, with the Thor acic Society and the Lung Association, 

develo ping registries of adu lts with chronic respirato ry prob lems . These 

peop le will be followed to see if there is a change in their health 

condition, and we are also deve loping registries of c hild ren with known 

asthm a to see if there is a pro blem there.

In lookin g at the volcanic ash, there is a diffe renc e in the am oun t of 

free silica from sample to sample and we have taken many samples now 

from diff eren t areas to see how grea t this variatio n is, bu t in general the 

free silica is less than what peo ple had antic ipated earlier.

The re have not been pro blem s with heavy metals or oth er toxic 

substances in the ash. We are currently doing studies on the cytotoxicity 

of the ash, we are looking at the prob lem of mutagenesis, whether ash 

causes interf erenc e with norm al defen se mechanism s and what happ ens 

with trache al inhalation in anim als, a series of studi es tha t will exten d 

over a peri od of time.

DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION

In addition , we are summ arizin g the material on a two times a week 

basis and this inform ation is bein g dist ribu ted by the FEM A Cen ter in 

Vancouver. Because we are aware of wh at hap pen ed during the 183 1-5 5 

perio d, namely, that ther e were a series of e rupt ions, we have felt it is 

imp orta nt to institute long -term studies at this poi nt so tha t we do not, 

in fact, make a state men t too early on what the long -term health effects 

are.

Nonetheless, I would rep eat that our feeling is that for the general 

popu latio n, silicosis is not a con cer n tha t peop le nee d have.

Tha nk you, Mr. Chairman.

COMMUNICATION PROBLEM

Sena tor Magnuson. We wan t to complim ent you on your quick 

action and the fact you are workin g with the State and coun ty health 

people. They said there was a little problem of commun ication to begin 

with, bu t everyone was a littl e bit confu sed anyway. Th at appa rently 

has bee n solved, has it not?

Dr. Foege..I think the pro blem was the invitation actually came from 

Dr. Taylor, the State Epid emio logis t who is in Seattle, rather than from 

Olymp ia. I think there is a daily brief ing of all of the peo ple involved 

in the heal th aspects, and I thin k the commun ication prob lems have 

been solved.

Sena tor Magnuson. Do you wan t to ask a que stio n?

Mr. McCormack. I have no questions. I simply cong ratulate the 

Doc tor on the outst anding work they have done.
77

ASH-RELATED PROBLEMS

Mr. Bonker. I, too, would like to com mend the Doctor and his 

agency. Most of th e attentio n, as it relates to ash, has been on the east 

side of th e mou ntain . But Mo rton is located very close to the mounta in 

on the west side and peop le ther e have very special pro blems and grave 

conce rns abo ut hea lth- rela ted impacts of the ash. The schools have 

closed down, as many have. We have been unable to establish a 

mon itorin g station there, or any special atten tion. It is not really a 

quest ion, but a request tha t you not overlook the ash- rela ted prob lems 

on the west side of the mou ntai n.

Dr. Foege. I thin k tha t is a very good point. We have bee n 

monitori ng in Longview and Vancouver. I shou ld also mention that 

when I talked abo ut the State of Washington, we do have peop le 

mon itorin g in Oregon, Idaho, and Montan a. We also have been dealing 

with Kaiser and oth er gro ups in ord er to have populat ions available if 

there is a nother eruptio n, and if the ash goes in diff eren t directions. We 

will already in advan ce have plan ned who we will look at. But you r 

po int is a good one.

FEMA BULLETINS

Mr. Bonker. I think it would also be a good idea you send 

information out of the FEM A office as a press release. I think it woul d 

be terribly imp orta nt if FEMA bull etins went to local officials, to 

mayors. When I was in Morton, I met with school officials who seem ed 

to represent the agency most involved in clea nup and so forth, 

especially as it relates to health. I would send bulletins directly to 

school districts so they receive some attentio n. Ih a t ash in Morton, 

incidentally, is coarse and seems to be heav ier than what we foun d in 

Kelso and Longview. You sho uldn ’t overlook a commun ity that is tha t 

close to the mou ntai n.

HEALTH QUESTIONS

Sena tor Magnuson. If I was a citizen of Mosses Lake, and I had a 

health question, I may not have a heal th pro blem bu t I have a hea lth 

question, how would I get that infor mation now?

Dr. Foege. At the pres ent time, Mr. Cha irman, we have bee n 

working with the State health depar tm ent and the county hea lth 

depa rtments, and in Moses Lake, I think if a person would start with 

the county health dep art me nt and only if the quest ion can not be 

answered there , go to the State hea lth dep artm ent, I think this is the 

most efficient way to get answers.

face masks

Senato r Magnuson. How much prot ection do face masks pro vid e 

from any possible hea lth effects from the ash?

Dr. Foege. I am not sure I can answer that. The re are many stud ies 

now on protective devices for miners tha t we know how mu ch 

protec tion this will provide with the kind of exposures in mines. Th is 

particular ash turn s out to be so fine in many areas that I am not sur e

64-5 29 0 - 8 0 - 6
78

we know the answer to your question at the present time, how good

face masks will be. We think it is th e prud en t thing------

Senator Magnuson. Do you recommend people wear a face mask?

Dr. Foege. We recommend people wear a face mask in high 

exposure situations, that is, if they are doing clean up work with ash, or 

if they are working in the timber industry.

Senator Magnuson. Or if they are working cleaning up the ash?

Dr. Foege. That is right.

funding of ope rat ion

Senator Magnuson. You are not listed in the Presiden t’s request. 

This is one example why I say this is going to be a continuing 

operation, and the extra money you are spending, and you are spending 

much of y our budget, we arc going to have to pu t that in the regular 

HEW bill, rather than listed here in the emergency supp lemental. You 

may have to be listed as an emergency, bu t you are using a lot of 

people.

I suppose you are taking them from other jobs and using them. We 

will consider that, not necessarily in a supplemental, bu t when we get 

your appropriation. Tha t is a good example of why this is going to be a 

continuing operation. The Departm ent of Agriculture is going to have 

some extra money. I can name—oh, and the Engineers, you are going 

to go on dredging for a long time, are n’t you?

General Heiberg. Yes, sir.

Senator Magnuson. We might have to put some more of that in your 

regular appropriation. That is coming along fast. We only have 1 month 

before we start marking up the bill, we hope. The House is working 

very swiftly on it.

SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Thank you, Dr. Foege. We do have some additional questions which 

we will ask be answered for the record.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing bu t were 

submitted to the Dep artm ent for response subsequent to the hearing:]
79

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

HEALTH IMPACT

Q u e sti o n : What im p a c t has t h i s v o lc a n o h ad on th e h e a l t h o f 

th e p e o p le in th e re g io n ?

Ans wer : S u r v e illa n c e d a ta fr om 21 h o s p i t a l s i n W as hin gto n sho w 

an in c r e a s e i n em erg en cy roo m v i s i t s an d h o s p i t a l a d m is s io n s f o r 

pulm onary p ro b le m s i n th e mo re h e a v ily a f f e c te d a r e a s o f E a s te rn 

W ash in g to n . The in c r e a s e s c o r r e l a t e w it h th e am ou nt o f a s h f a l l in 

th e s e a r e a s . In W este rn W ash in g to n , h o s p i t a l a d m is s io n s f o r p u lm on ary pro b le m s d id n o t in c r e a s e , a lt h o u g h in th e m ost h e a v ily 

a f f e c te d a r e a s ( e .g . C e n t r a l i a ) , th e r e wa s an in c r e a s e in em er gen cy 

room v i s i t s f o r pu lm o n ary p ro b le m s.

CDC w i l l be a n a ly z in g h o s p i t a l re c o r d s i n th e more h e a v ily a f f e c te d 

a r e a s to d e te rm in e th e s p e c i f i c d ia g n o s e s , s e v e r i t y , an d p e r s i s t e n c e 

o f th e pulm onary p ro b le m s r e c o rd e d , an d to d e te rm in e to w hat e x te n t 

th e in c r e a s e d nu m be r o f h o s p i t a l a d m is s io n s o c c u rre d in w o rk e rs, 

c h il d r e n , an d o t h e r h i g h - r i s k g ro u p s.

D e ta ile d d is c u s s io n s a r e now und er w ay w it h th e W as hin gto n S ta te 

D epar tm en t o f S o c ia l & H e a lt h S e r v ic e s an d l o c a l h o s p i t a l s on a 

lo n g e r - te r m , more d e t a i l e d h o s p i t a l s u r v e i ll a n c e sy ste m . We a re 

a ls o w o rk in g w ith th e U n iv e r s ity o f W as h in g to n S ch o o l o f P u b lic 

H e a lt h to d e v elo p p r o to c o ls f o r e v a lu a tin g h i g h - r i s k gro u p s i n th e 

g e n e ra l p o p u la tio n . The N a tio n a l I n s t i t u t e f o r O c c u p a ti o n a l S a f e ty 

an d H e alt h (N IO SH ), CDC, i s d e v e lo p in g a s tu d y , to b e g in s h o r t l y , o f 

W ey erh au se r ti m b e r w o rk e rs to do cu m en t e x p o s u re s an d p o s s ib ly h e a l t h 

e f f e c t s .

Q u e sti o n : I s th e r e an y lo n g -te rm im p a c t fr om th e s i l i c a ?

Ans wer : E x p o su re to h ig h c o n c e n tr a tio n s o f r e s p i r a b l e f r e e

s i l i c a f o r p ro lo n g e d p e r io d s can le a d to th e d evelo pm ent o f th e 

i n d u s t r i a l d i s e a s e , s i l i c o s i s . P r e lim in a r y a n a ly s e s o f th e v o lc a n ic 

a sh by NIOSH d e m o n s tr a te a f r e e s i l i c a c o n te n t o f a b o u t 5%; some 

o th e r l a b o r a t o r i e s h ave ha d even lo w er p r o p o r tio n s o f f r e e s i l i c a .

At th e s e c o n c e n tr a tio n s i t i s u n l ik e l y t h a t th e r e w ou ld be a r i s k o f 

s i l i c o s i s among th e g e n e ra l p o p u la tio n . NIOSH, ho w ev er, i s s t i l l 

c o n ce rn ed a b o u t th e p o t e n t i a l f o r s i l i c o s i s amo ng w o rk ers h e a v ily 

expose d to h ig h c o n c e n tr a tio n s ( e . g . , c le a n u p w o rk ers an d ti m b e r 

w o rk e rs) an d w i l l , t h e r e f o r e , be c o n d u c ti n g d e ta i le d s t u d i e s o f th e s e 

g ro u p s.

QUALITY OF AIR

Q u e sti o n : How ab o u t th e q u a l i t y o f th e a i r now?

Ans wer : L e v e ls o f t o t a l su sp en d e d p a r t i c u l a t e s i n th e a i r , 

m o n it o re d by EPA , h ave d e c re a s e d d r a m a tic a lly a f t e r th e i n i t i a l a s h - 

f a l l s . T h ere a r e , how ever , c o n tin u in g c o n c e rn s in l o c a l a r e a s w ith 

heav y a s h f a l l and p e r s i s t e n c e o f th e a sh i n th e e n v ir o n m e n t, w here 

v e h ic u la r t r a f f i c an d o th e r a c t i v i t i e s c o n ti n u e to re su sp e n d 

s e t t l e d m a t e r i a ls .
80

INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION

Q u e sti o n : What a r e yo u d o in g to e n su re t h a t p e o p le a r e k e p t 

in fo rm ed ?

A ns w er : The CDC i s i s s u i n g tw ic e -w e e k ly Mo unt S t. H ele n s 

V olc an o H e a lt h R e p o rt s w hic h a r e b e in g d i s t r i b u t e d w id e ly to F e d e ra l 

an d S t a te a g e n c ie s an d to p h y s ic ia n s an d o th e r s in W ashin gto n S t a te . 

T hes e r e p o r t s a re a ls o b e in g r e p r i n t e d an d r e is s u e d by FEMA to t h e i r 

m a ilin g l i s t f o r Mou nt S t . H e le n s T e c h n ic a l I n fo rm a tio n B u l l e t i n s .

We a ls o have c o n ti n u in g an d c lo s e c o n ta c ts w it h th e S t a te h e a lth 

d e p a rtm e n t an d w it h a nu m be r o f c o u n ty h e a l t h d e p a rtm e n ts . M ore over , 

CDC s t a f f have p a r t i c i p a t e d i n j o i n t b r i e f i n g s o f th e p r e s s an d 

m e e ti n g s w ith l o c a l co mm un ity g ro u p s.

Q u e s ti o n : I f Iw ere a c i t i z e n , sa y in Moses L ak e, an d I ha d a

h e a l t h q u e s tio n , how c o u ld I g e t th e in fo rm a ti o n ?

A nsw er : H e a lt h q u e s tio n s sh o u ld be d i r e c te d to th e c o u n ty 

h e a lth d e p a rtm e n t. CDC f i e l d p h y s ic ia n s w o rk in g w it h th e S ta te 

h e a l t h d e p a rtm e n t w i l l s e r v e a s b ack -u p f o r q u e s tio n s w hic h can n o t 

be an sw ere d a t th e l o c a l l e v e l . We b e lie v e t h a t th e r e g u la r h e a lth 

r e p o r t s w hic h we a re is s u i n g w i l l p ro v id e l o c a l h e a l t h d e p a rtm e n ts 

w it h th e b ack gro und in f o r m a tio n w hic h th e y n e e d .

FACE MASKS

Q u e s ti o n : How much p r o t e c t i o n do fa c e m as ks p ro v id e from an y 

p o s s ib l e h e a l t h r i s k from th e ash ?

A nsw er : A l i s t o f NIOSH ap p ro v ed fa c e m as ks f o r p r o t e c ti o n 

from d u s t wa s is s u e d by th e W ash in g to n S ta te D epart m ent o f S o c ia l 

an d H e a lt h S e r v ic e s . T h is s ta te m e n t was p re p a re d j o i n t l y w it h CDC. 

T hes e m as ks sh o u ld be wor n by w o rk e rs w it h h ig h e x p o su re to r e s ­

p i r a b l e d u s t; th e a p p ro v a l i s b a se d on t e s t i n g an d p a s t e x p e rie n c e 

o f NIOSH. S u r g ic a l fa c e m as ks a r e in a d e q u a te f o r p r e v e n tio n o f d u st 

e x p o s u re , b u t may be o f b e n e f i t in m in im iz in g a c u te i r r i t a t i o n to 

s e n s i t i v e in d iv id u a ls in th e g e n e r a l p o p u la tio n .

FUNDING OF ACT IVITIES

Q u e s ti o n : Why i s i t t h a t no s t a r t - u p fu n d s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r 

a s tu d y o f b io lo g i c a l e f f e c t s o f th e ash on hu mans an d a n im a ls ?

A ns w er : CDC r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s w i l l be in W as hin gto n d u rin g th e 

week o f Ju n e 23 to m ee t w it h o f f i c i a l s o f th e W as hin gto n S ta te 

D epart m ent o f S o c ia l an d H e a lt h S e rv ic e s an d th e U n iv e r s ity o f 

W as hin gto n Sch ool o f P u b lic H e a lth to e x p lo re m ec han is m s f o r CDC to 

fu nd th r e e s tu d ie s d u rin g FY 1980. The th r e e s t u d i e s a r e :

1. R ed esig n an d expand th e e x i s t i n g h o s p i t a l s u r v e i ll a n c e 

in to lo n g e r - te r m h o s p i t a l s u r v e i ll a n c e f o r a v a r i e t y 

o f r e s p i r a t o r y an d o t h e r d i s o r d e r s .

2. I d e n tif y an d fo ll o w -u p o f a c o h o rt o f p e rs o n s who 

s u f f e r c h ro n ic r e s p i r a t o r y d is o r d e r s to d e te rm in e

i f e x p o su re to v o lc a n ic d u st a d v e r s e ly a f f e c t s th e s e 

p a t i e n t s .
81

3. Establish and follow-up on a cohort of asthmatic 

children to explore the relationship between dust 

exposure and the course of asthma.

These three studies will cost approximately $200,000. In addition, 

laboratory studies have been started in house by NIOSH to evaluate 

the radiological effects of the ash in animal systems, and the 

previously mentioned Weyerhauser timber workers.

Question: Where is CDC getting the additional funds to support 

your people in the State? What is the cost of this?

Answer: CDC is diverting human resources and funds from other 

ongoing important activities to support our efforts in Washington 

and other States affected by the eruptions.

We currently estimate our FY 1980 costs to be approximately $610,000

Question: Do you expect to request a supplemental? Where in 

your budget would you put additional funds?

Answer: We do not expect to request a supplemental for FY 80.

BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Question: What is NIEHS doing in terms of research on the effects 

of the volcano to human health?

Answer: NIEHS through its Environmental Health Science (HHS) 

Centers is conducting some research relating to the health effects 

associated with the volcanic eruptions from Mt. St. Helens. This 

work includes analysis of volcanic ash content, examination of lung 

tissue from victims of the explosion, planning of long-term 

animal and short-term in vitro studies to assess possible chronic 

health effects, and evaluation of different type face masks to 

determine their effectiveness.

The analysis of ash is being done on bulk samples from the 

different eruptions. A physical characterization of the material 

is being developed and some of the samples are being fractionated 

to separate out respirable elements. Long-term animal studies 

using this respirable material are being planned to assess lung 

effects. In vitro studies have been initiated to examine the 

possible breakdown of membrane tissue due to ash particles. A 

study on lung macrophages is being planned which will investigate 

the effect of ash particles on the lung’s defense system.

Lungs from some of the victims of the volcanic eruption are 

being examined. An analysis of lung tissue is being planned.

Ash found in the lungs will be chemically analyzed and compared 

with the bulk ash samples to determine the composition of the 

respirable portions. Efforts are being made to develop a work 

history on these victims whose lungs are being examined.

A pilot study is underway to check the fluoride content in 

material from the original explosion. Researchers are also 

looking at the effects of the eruptions on livestock and the 

atmosphere. If the volcanic activity has increased atmospheric 

acidification, an increase in the acid content of fish may be 

seen. Fish tissue is being analyzed to assess this possibility.

DEPART ME NT OF DE FENS E—CIVIL

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers—Civil

STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. E. R. HEIBERG, DIRECTOR OF CIVIL WORKS,

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

MAINTENANCE OF NAVIGATION CHANNELS

Sen ator Magnuson. Let’s g o to the Army Engineers . Tell us what you 

are doin g. I know what you are doing, bu t tell us again.

Gen era l Heiberg. Th ank you, Mr. Cha irm an. Ou r por tion o f the 

sup plem enta l totals $21 5 million, as Mr. Macy mentio ned , for the 

activit ies associated with the Mo unt S t Helens disaster.

Th e corps involvement in the Fed eral respo nse to the disaster stem s 

chiefly from two of ou r respo nsibi lities. First, the mainte nan ce o f the 

naviga tion chann els, and second, pro tect ion of the commun ities from 

severe flood threats. In add itio n, our field elements are always available 

to work un der FE MA ’s leaders hip to res pond to nat ura l disasters.

As you know, the eru pti on cause d massive am oun ts of material to 

move into the two bra nches of the To utl e and Cowli tz Rivers, and 

down into the Colum bia River. This material severely deg raded the 

flood-carr ying capacity at all thre e o f those rivers and com plete ly 

bloc ked naviation on the Colum bia River.

Por tlan d Harbor, which is the largest ha rbo r directly affected, is the 

west coast’s fourth large st seap ort in term s of tonn age. Since the pri ­

mary purp ose of t he work is for navig ation on the Col umb ia River, this 

activity, at an estimat ed cos t of $45 millio n, woul d be fun ded un de r our 

“Op eration and Mainte nan ce, Gener al” accou nt. Th e work we prop ose 

on the Cowlitz an d To utl e Rivers is prim arily in the inte rest of flood 

control. Consequ ently, this work, which we estim ate will cost about 

$17 0 million, woul d be charged to ou r “F loo d Con trol and Coastal 

Emergencies” accou nt.

COLUMBIA RIVER

First, sir, let me talk abo ut the Colum bia River. Follo wing the 

erup tion, the navigation channel sho aled to a controlling depth of only 

14 feet and the bar forme d at the conflue nce of the Cowlitz and 

Colu mbi a Rivers was ove r 9 miles long. Ocea ngoing vessels in the 

Portl and-Van couver area were trapped above the bar an d all 

commercial navigation was bro ugh t to a stand still. We imm edia tely 

dive rted our thre e Feder al west coast seagoing ho pper dred ges to the 

Colu mbi a and have ma nag ed to rest ore a pil ot channe l with those thre e 

vessels, which per mits vessels drawing less tha n 34 feet to cross the ba r 

at high tide.

(83)
84

We have removed 1.5 million cubic yards of material from the shoal 

and placed it downstream where it will not interfere with navigation.

Much remains to be done on the Columbia River. Today, the shoal 

in the Columb ia River has a volum e of 55 million cubic yards, of which 

we must remove 22 million cubic yards, or abo ut 40 perc ent of it, to 

restore the navigation channel and provide adequate river capacity. The 

daily capacity of ou r three hop per dredges that I mentioned, and three 

contract pipeline dredges that we now have on the site, totals about 

150,000 cubic yards a day. By the en d of this mon th, we expect to have 

two more contract dredges on the site and hop e to have a channel 

which will allow vessels up to 39 foot draft to cross the bar at high tide. 

Removal of the material in the Colum bia Rive r will cost about $45 

million this year. We have already diverted $10 million from oth er high 

priority projects to get started on the work and we may need to divert 

some more to keep it going, but these funds should be resto red to 

avoid unacceptable impacts later this year on the don or projects 

elsewhere.

COWLITZ RIVER

Sir, I would like to move up to the Cowlitz River.

The mate rial from Mount St. Helens severely redu ced the floodway—

Senator Magnuson. I know you are working on the Columbia River, 

bu t don’t you have to go up the Cowlitz River?

General Heiberg. Yes, sir, we will.

Senator Magnuson. You have to go up quite a way.

General Heiberg. We have to go up to the confluence with the 

Toutle to do what we must do.

Senator Magnuson. That is what we are interested in now.

General Heiberg. The channel is almost completely clogged with 

debris. The river’s reduced capacity presents an extremely hazardous 

flood thre at to Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, and smaller commun ities 

along the river. We have not yet deve loped a complete d pla n for 

alleviation of this flood threat. The most promising plan, based on our 

preliminary analysis, appears to be restoring the river’s flood-carrying 

capacity by removing the material in the channels and by providing 

several settling basins to catch additional material which will otherwise 

create future problems.

This plan also would prev ent materi al now in the Cowlitz from 

moving down river into the Columbia River. Restoration of the Cowlitz 

River channel capacities would requ ire removal of about 25 million 

cubic yards of debris at a cost of about $122 million. That is a large 

expense per cubic yard------

Senator Magnuson. In other words, your estimate of the expense o f 

putting the Cowlitz River back in shape is more than that of getting the 

Columb ia Ritfer back to normal?

General Heiberg. That is exactly righ t

Senator Magnuson. More than doubled?

Gen eral Heiberg. Yes, sir. The problem is we have to pu t tha t 

material somewhere and we antic ipate we are going to have to move it 

a grea t deal of distance; whereas in the Colu mbia, we do have a couple
85

of existing disposal sites so we can pu t the disposal mate rial close at 

hand, and the expense is no t driven up on the Columbia. Con venient 

disposal sites are not available, obviously, on the Cowlitz, it is a shallow 

stream and we have to pu t the dredge material somewhere on land.

We have not yet been able to get started on restoratio n of the 

Cowlitz since this effo rt is go ing to require dredges at least in the lower 

reach, the lower part down towa rd the Kelso end of the confluence of 

the Cowlitz and Colum bia. We will have one dredge on site this week 

and we hope to have six con trac t dredges working on the Cowlitz by 

the end of August, abo ut anoth er l 1^ months.

One of the problem s facing us is tha t the material from Mo unt St. 

Hele ns is extremely abrasive and we expect it to be very hard on 

dredging plants. We estim ate, for example, that pump s are going to 

wear ou t at about twice the normal rate.

TOUTLE RIVER

We also have a prob lem, sir, as we all know, on the Toutle River. I 

would like to move up the Tou tle River next.

Th at basin has been completely reconfigured, as has been noted here, 

by the eruption. It is unrecognizable, particularly in the upper reaches. 

We understand that the volume of debris in this basin could 

approxim ate about a cubic kilometer. We trie d to figure out how to pu t 

the cubic kilometer into term s that we could sort of grasp. The cubic 

kilometer, if you started it here at the Capitol and moved it toward the 

Lincoln Memorial, would be the height of the Washington Mo nument 

and would go from the White House, on one side, and the Tidal Basin 

on the other. I am not suggesting we do that, sir.

Sena tor Magnuson. There are some people who would like to have 

that done.

DEBRIS RETAINING STRUCTURES

General Heiberg. Ou r concern with the Toutle River is to keep this 

massive amount of material from moving into the Cowlitz and 

Columbia Rivers. Ou r preliminary plan to accomplish this objective is 

to construct five debris restraining structures. We delib erately chose that 

term "debris restraining structures." These will not be dams, these will 

be structures to slow dow n the debris, at key poin ts in the Toutle Basin, 

at an estimated cost o f about $48 million. Let me also emphasize, sir, 

this is our preliminary plan. We think this is the solution, bu t we are 

not ready to say this is the final answer yet. This work is not yet 

started, but we expect we can be well along by the end of Septembe r. 

These debris restraining structures will be temporary, with an expected 

life of about 5 years.

EXCEPTION TO REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

The appropriation language accompanying ou r requested 

supplemental would grant us temporary relief from the regulatory 

requirem ents of the Fed eral Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 as 

well as section 10 of the River and Harbo r Act of 1899. This exception
86

would allow us to con tinu e the emergency activities we now have under

way until we are able to bring these activities into compliance------

Sen ator Magnuson. You want to be exempt from pollu tion contr ol 

for the emergency?

Gen eral Heiberg. For the emergency, yes, sir.

Sen ator Magnuson. Th at is very imp orta nt, other wise—I notic ed over 

in Moses Lake, the dum pin g of this ash too close to Moses Lake and 

the pollution guys come in and say, “You can ’t dum p it there, you 

can not take it off the stree ts and pu t it there.” This exemp tion is very 

importa nt for you peop le.

Gen eral Heiberg. I comp letely agree with you, sir. Although we are 

lookin g for this exem ptio n, we will still continu e to do what we are 

req uired to do, bu t we ne ed time to do th at

CORPS RESOURCES FOR EMERGENCY WORK

Sen ator Magnuson. Do es the corps have sufficien t manpow er an d 

equ ipm ent —I know equ ipm ent is the prob lem , getting the 

dredges— available to enable you to meet the emergency needs?

Gen eral Heiberg. Yes, we have abo ut 375 of our corps people today 

working on the response to the Mo unt St. Helens disaster. If we need 

them from arou nd the coun try, we will ship them in.

The equ ipm ent is prob lematical. The cont ract dred ges had to be 

mobi lized . They were spread all over the west coast. They are coming 

in. It takes a little while to get them mobil ized and they have to be 

moved over by tugs and pu t into positio n, and we have to find disposal 

areas.

Sen ator Magnuson. In some cases the contract dredge rs had to be 

taken of f of the work they were doing in ord er to respo nd to this 

emerg ency.

Gen era l Heiberg. Exactly. The seagoing dredge s all came off active 

projects important to the west coast elsewhere.

RESTORATION OF COLUMBIA AND COWLITZ RIVERS

Sen ator Magnuson. Cong ressm an Bonker.

Mr. Bonker. The corps has jus t perf orm ed magnificently in the 

Cowlitz and Col umb ia Rivers. I really appre ciate the fine work you are 

doing . There are two misp erce ptions that shou ld be corrected, and this 

may be the opportun ity. On e is the corps had atta che d a high er priority 

to the Colu mbia tha n the Cowlitz. I know that is not the case, bu t since 

you had dredging equip me nt in place in the Colu mbia , that was a 

rum or that circulated.

Is it not true tha t the dredging equ ipm ent that is requ ired in the 

Cowlit z is of a diffe rent type and req uired a greater distan ce and effort 

to get the equipm ent in plac e than one will find on the Columbia?

Ge ner al Heiberg. Yes, that is right. The fact we were able to respond 

imm ediately on the Col um bia was, quite frankly, because we had ou r 

thr ee seagoing hopper dred ges no furt her away than steam ing distances. 

We pul led them up and moved them over. We need special equ ipm ent 

on the Cowlitz, alth ough we can use pipe line dred ges on the lower
87

stretch toward Kelso and Longview, and we are moving them in there , 

we ha d issued the notice to proce ed to brin g those pipe line dredge s 

over within a few days afte r the disaster.

Repr esentative Bonker. By and large you are using hopper dredge s 

in the Colum bia-----

Gen eral Heiberg. As we are bringing the pipelin e dredge s in, we are 

also using some of those in the Columbia becau se they are more 

appropr iate to the rem aini ng work we have. The ho pp er dredges were 

very effective in putting the pilo t channel in to get the worst of the 

problem alleviated. Rem ovin g the rest o f the material from the 

Colu mbia River is a job whic h shou ld be don e by pipelin e dredges.

Mr. Bonker. Second, it has been indicated in Cowlit z County that 

work would be term inated within 8 or 10 days unless Congress acted on 

a suppleme ntal app rop riations bill. I was info rme d by Colo nel Conn ell 

that you had sufficient fun ds in Public Law 99 to continue the work 

uni nte rru pte d on the Cowlitz.

Gen eral Heiberg. Sir, I will assure you we will continu e to do the 

work as long as we have money availab le in the vario us funds available 

to the corps. Of course, we need this app rop riat ion , the supp leme ntal 

app ropr iatio n. As far as the short-term situa tion, we will continue to do 

the work we mus t to do wha t we ha ve to do.

SCHEDULE FOR RESTORATION OF COWLITZ RIVER

Mr. Bonker. One final question.

Can you assure or can you give us some expe ctatio n tha t the 

dred ging work in the Cowlitz will be complete in time to relieve any 

press ure of flooding which will come with incr ease d preci pitation in the 

fall? It is a trem end ous conc ern to the peo ple along the river and in the 

commun ities there that it is going to take an extr aord inar y feat.

Senator, it usually takes 15 to 20 years for the corps to go thro ugh 

the necessary studies, repo rts, funding , and so forth , to com plete a job 

of this magnitude. But you are saying you can, in effect, complete the 

project within 4, 5, or 6 month s.

General Heiberg. Sir, we are aiming toward the Oct ober-Novembe r 

time period when the danger of floods rises. I belie ve we will b e able to 

find the solutions and the disposal areas, and I know we can get the 

equ ipm ent in in ord er to do the bulk of the work on the Cowlitz by 

that period of time.

I cannot give you th at assurance on the retent ion works I me nti oned 

on the Toutle. Th at is a slightly differ ent situa tion. Tha t is no t directly 

involved with floodi ng in the Cowlitz floodplain. Th at work might take 

us longer to get the righ t answ er, an d get the equ ipm ent in. As I am 

sure all you all know, it is very difficult to get equ ipm ent into the 

Toutle now because the tran spo rtation system the re has bee n pre tty 

well demolished.

Mr. Bonker. T han k you, gentlemen .

Thank you, Mr. Cha irman.

Senat or Magnuson. Wh at abo ut the Forest Service?
88

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

Governor Ray. Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, may I make one statement 

abo ut the corps?

Sena tor Magnuson. Yes, go ahead.

Governor Ray. I am aware of the problem with the disposal and was 

interested to hear your com me nt there. I also had some conversations 

with our own depa rtme nt of ecology in the State and we will be happy 

to work with you to try to find places available that are closer by so as 

to cut down both that time an d expense of having to take disposal a 

great distance.

The same thing is true with respect to the stateme nt tha t was made 

about Moses Lake, and the disposal of materials close to the lake. The 

dep artm ent of ecology is well aware of the need to find places to pu t 

these materials right away and there is no dang er of any action being 

taken against Moses Lake for that. The dep artment is willing to pu t 

aside some of the necessary requ irem ents under our State 

environm ental protection laws jus t as soon as we are convinced there is 

not an immediate detrimental impact.

Senator Magnuson. I was going to ask that, too, because he is talking 

abo ut an exemption from the Fed eral law and the State has a tougher 

ecology law than we have.

1 was glad to hear you mak e that statement, the State is willing to 

grant exemptions and give waivers.

Mr. Bonker. Yes.

General Heiberg. I appreciate your remarks, Governor Ray. We need 

to have the officials, both State and local, to work closely with us in 

ord er to find those areas.

I would like to make one oth er poi nt about this material, though. It 

is n ot all bad. I would almost like to use dred ge soil, rath er than dredge 

spoil. I have seen what the volcanic natu re of this soil can do. I hop e 

we can find some areas where it will be a big plus where we put it.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD

Sena tor Magnuson. We than k you for this report. We will be talking 

to you later. I will be talking to you about further appropriations.

I have some additional questions and Senator Hatfield has subm itted 

some questions. Would you answer them for the record?

General Heiberg. Yes, sir.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing but were 

submitted to the Departm ent for response subsequent to the hearing:]
89

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

Q u e sti o n 1. What lo s s e s an d im p a c ts have th e p o r t s e x p e rie n c e d du e 

to th e C hannel c lo s u r e ?

A nsw er . I t i s to o e a r l y to f u l l y e v a lu a te th e ec onom ic lo s s e s r e s u l t ­

in g fr om c lo s u r e o f th e C olu m bia R iv er n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l. A r e c e n t 

s tu d y o f Ore go n P o r ts i n d ic a te d t h a t c lo s u r e o f th e P o r t o f P o r tla n d 

wou ld c a u s e a l o s s o f a b o u t $4 m il l io n p e r day to th e co m m un ity. 

S i m il a r ly , c lo s u r e o f th e P o r t o f V an co uver wou ld c a u s e lo s s e s of 

a b o u t $1 m illio n to t h a t co m m unity. Th e P o r t o f P o r tla n d h as e s t i ­

m at ed t h a t th e y s u f f e r e d a c t u a l n e t lo s s e s b etw een $ 3 .5 an d $5 

m i l l i o n .

Q u e sti o n 2. Why i s th e r e s t o r a t i o n wor k on th e r i v e r c h a n n e l so 

c o s tly ?

A nsw er . A s u b s t a n t i a l p o r t io n o f th e m a t e r i a l d e p o s ite d in th e 

C olu m bia R iv e r c o n s i s t s p r im a r ily o f h e av y , c o a r s e sa nd an d g r a v e l s . 

T h is m a t e r i a l i s d i f f i c u l t to d ig an d pum p. A ls o , m o b iliz a tio n o f 

th e l a r g e nu mbe r o f c o n t r a c t d re d g e s on an em er gen cy b a s i s , some fr om 

re m o te l o c a t io n s , w i l l te n d to in c r e a s e th e c o s t o f th e w ork . Howe v e r , th e p rim a ry re a s o n why t h i s e f f o r t w i l l c o s t a b o u t $45 m i l l i o n , 

i s t h a t a v a s t q u a n ti t y o f m a t e r i a l , now e s tim a te d a t a b o u t 22 

m il l io n c u b ic y a r d s , m ust be re mov ed fr om th e r i v e r .

Q u e sti o n 3 . What im p act w i l l th e em er gen cy wor k h av e on y our o th e r 

n e c e s s a r y w ork lo ad in th e P a c if i c N o rth w e st, p a r t i c u l a r l y d re d g in g 

o f o th e r p r o j e c ts ?

A ns w er . Th e m o b il i z a t io n o f th e C orp s h o p p er d re d g e f l e e t i s 

e x p e c te d to have m in im al im p a c t. R e s to r a tio n o f p r o j e c t d im e n is io n s 

a t Co os Bay w i l l be d e la y e d an d f u l l p r o j e c t d im e n sio n s w i l l n o t be 

a c h ie v e d a t Y aquin a Ba y t h i s y e a r . At t h i s tim e , th e m o b iliz a tio n 

o f th e p i p e l i n e d re d g e s i s n o t e x p e c te d to h av e an y m ajo r im pact 

in th e P a c if i c N o rth w e st.

Q u e sti o n 4 . W il l t h i s pro gra m c a u s e a d d i t i o n a l im p a c ts on y our 

F i s c a l Y ea r 1981 d re d g in g pro gra m in th e C olu m bia R iv e r c h a n n e l 

p ro j e c t?

A ns w er . Th e a c t i v i t y we now have underw ay w i l l n o t in c r e a s e o u r 

F i s c a l Y ea r 1981 r e q u ir e m e n ts . H ow ev er , th e m a ssiv e am ou nt of 

m a te r i a l w hic h h as b een d e p o s ite d in th e T o u tle , C o w li tz an d 

Col um bi a R iv e rs w i l l c o n ti n u e to e ro d e o v e r tim e , an d th e r e i s l i t t l e 

d o u b t t h a t o u r d re d g in g re q u ir e m e n ts on th e C olu m bia R iv e r in FY 1981 

w i l l be s u b s t a n t i a l l y h ig h e r th a n o u r h i s t o r i c a l a v e ra g e . We do n o t 

have s p e c i f i c e s tim a te s o f th e a d d i t i o n a l r e q u ir e m e n ts a t t h i s ti m e .

Q u e sti o n 5. What da m ag es wou ld o c c u r i f th e le v e e sy ste m s a r e o v e r ­

to pped?

Ans wer . I t i s c u r r e n t l y e s tim a te d t h a t dam ag es c o u ld re a c h $1 b i l l i o n 

in th e L ong v ie w -K els o a re a an d $3 00 m il l io n in th e u p p e r re a c h e s o f 

th e C o w li tz R iv e r .
90

Q u e sti o n 6. I u n d e rs ta n d t h a t th e E n g in e e rs o u t o u r way b e lie v e t h a t 

i t i s u rg e n t f o r t h i s w ork to be co m p le te d a s f a s t a s p o s s ib le . Why 

i s th e c o m p le ti o n o f th e p ro p o se d wor k c o n s id e re d to be in th e u rg e n t 

c a te g o r y , a s co m pa red w ith o th e r r e s t o r a t i o n an d r e h a b i l i z a t i o n 

wor k?

A ns w er . The C o w li tz R iv e r c h a n n e l i s a lm o st c o m p le te ly clo g g ed w it h 

m a t e r i a l fro m Mou nt S t. H e le n s . Ev en r e l a t i v e l y common flo o d e v e n ts 

c o u ld o v e rto p th e e x i s t i n g le v e e sy ste m s in th e C o w li tz b a s in an d 

c a u s e c a ta s tr o p h ic dam ages, b o th to hum an l i v e s an d p r o p e r ty . The 

n e x t r a in y se a so n w i l l s t a r t in O cto b er o r Nov em be r, an d i t i s v i t a l 

to r e s t o r e a mor e a d e q u a te c h a n n e l c a p a c ity by t h a t tim e .

Q u e sti o n 7. Are th e s e s e ttle m e n t b a s in s th e sam e s t r u c t u r e s I 

h ave h e ard r e f e r r e d to a s da ms?

A nsw er . No. Th e s e ttle m e n t b a s in s a r e h o le s we p la n to d re d g e in 

th e C o w li tz R i v e r 's be d t o c a tc h m a t e r i a l b e in g t r a n s p o r te d down 

th e r i v e r . The d e b r is r e s t r a i n i n g s t r u c t u r e s t h a t we a r e c o n s id e r in g 

f o r th e T o u tl e R iv e r B a sin have been r e f e r r e d to a s dams by some 

p e o p le .

Q u e sti o n 8. Can yo u g iv e a g e n e r a l d e s c r i p t i o n o f th e s e s t r u c tu r e s ?

A nsw er . The d e b r is r e s t r a i n i n g s t r u c t u r e s t h a t we a r e c o n s id e rin g 

wou ld hav e dum ped ro c k f i l l em ba nk m en ts a b o u t 3 0 - f e e t h ig h , 

w it h ti m b e r o r g a b io n s p illw a y s . Th ey wou ld n o t h av e im p erv io u s 

c o r e s , an d wo uld f u n c tio n o n ly to r e t a r d d e b r is m ig r a tio n from th e 

T o u tl e R iv er b a s in .

Q u e sti o n 9. Are th e y p erm an en t s tr u c tu r e s ?

A nsw er . No th e y wou ld be te m p o ra ry s t r u c t u r e s . We e s tim a te 

th e y wou ld be nee ded f o r a b o u t f i v e y e a r s , u n t i l th e T o u tl e R iv er 

b a s in s t a b i l i z e s . When s t a b i l i z a t i o n o f th e a r e a s above th e s e 

s t r u c t u r e s o c c u rs , th e y sh o u ld be re m oved .

Q u e sti o n 10 . B r i e f l y , l e t me s t a t e t h a t th e r e p o r t s o f th e e f f e c t ­

iv e n e s s o f th e C orp s o f E n g in e e rs I have been r e c e iv in g have bee n 

q u i te e n c o u ra g in g . I ha d th e o p p o r tu n ity r e c e n tl y to t a l k to th e 

m an ager o f th e P o rt o f K ala m a, lo c a te d a t M il e 72 o f th e C olu m bia , 

a b o u t th e c o n s tr u c tiv e u se o f slu d g e d re d g ed from th e c o n g este d 

r i v e r . Th e P o rt o f Kalam a i s in th e p ro c e s s o f b u ild in g up th e n o r th 

p o r t a r e a , an d wou ld be v e r y i n t e r e s t e d in w o rk in g w ith th e C or ps to 

a c c e p t s lu d g e . Ha s th e C o rp s e x p lo re d th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s of c o n s tr u c ­

t i v e du mping e ls e w h e re on t h e C ol um bi a? What s te p s a r e b e in g ta k e n 

to wor k w it h lo c a l co m m u n it ie s to u se th e b y p ro d u c ts o f t h i s d i s a s t e r 

p r o d u c tiv e ly ?

A ns w er . The C orp s o f E n g in e e rs i s stu d y in g th e u s e o f many s i t e s 

f o r th e d e p o s it o f d re d g ed m a t e r i a l , in c lu d in g th e P o r t o f K ala m a's 

N o rth P o rt a r e a . The P o r t h a s s t a r t e d to p re p a re an E n v ir o n m e n ta l 

Im p act S ta te m e n t on th e u s e o f th e a r e a . Th ey a r e w o rk in g w it h th e 

r e s o u r c e a g e n c ie s to a d d r e s s e n v ir o n m e n ta l c o n c e rn s . How ev er , no 

c o n c lu s io n s hav e y e t been re a c h e d on th e u s e o f t h i s s i t e o r o th e r 

su ch s i t e s in th e a r e a .
Q u e s ti o n 11 . In a d d it i o n t o d re d g in g to a ll o w s h ip s t o mo ve th ro u g h 

th e C olu m bia an d o th e r r i v e r s , i s th e C orp s re m ovin g d e b r is in o rd e r 

to p re v e n t th e sn a g g in g o f f i s h n e ts ?

A nsw er . Th e C orp s d o e s n o t e x p e c t to re m ov e d e b r is f o r th e s o le p u r ­

p o se o f p re v e n tin g da mag e t o f i s h n e t s . O nly a l im i te d am ou nt o f 

wood d e b r is i s p r e s e n t in th e Col um bi a R iv e r d e p o s i t. How ev er , l a r g e 

q u a n t i t i e s o f d e b r is have acc u m u la te d on C orp s p i l e d ik e s t r u c t u r e s . 

T h is m a te r ia l co u ld c a u s e da mag e to th e d i k e s , an d i f i t b re a k s 

f r e e m ig h t da ma ge f i s h n e t s . An i n v e s t i g a t i o n i s underw ay to d e t e r ­

m in e i f th e m a t e r i a l sh o u ld be remov ed an d how b e s t to a cc o m p li sh 

i t s re m oval an d d i s p o s a l .

Q u e sti o n 12. Th e S u p p le m e n ta l Budget R e q u est t o t a l s $2 15 m il l io n 

f o r th e C orp s o f E n g in e e rs f o r em er gen cy a c t i v i t i e s a s s o c ia te d w ith 

th e Mount S t. H e le n s d i s a s t e r . Are th e am ounts r e q u e s te d b ase d on 

co m p le te d e n g in e e rin g s u rv e y s an d c o s t e s tim a te s f o r a l l em er gen cy 

an d r e s t o r a t i o n a c t i v i t i e s i d e n t i f i e d to d a te ?

A nsw er . Th e am ounts r e q u e s te d a r e b ased on th e e n g in e e rin g su rv e y s 

t h a t we have been a b le to ma ke to d a te . D e f i n i t i v e p la n s f o r 

r e s t o r a t i o n a c t i v i t i e s on th e C o w li tz an d T o u tl e R iv e rs h ave n o t y e t 

b een f i n a l i z e d . The c o s t e s tim a te s a r e th e b e s t e s tim a te s we can 

d e v e lo p a t t h i s tim e , and a r e b ase d on im p le m e n ta ti o n o f th e p la n s 

an d c o n c e p ts w hic h c u r r e n t l y a p p e a r to o f f e r th e g r e a t e s t p r o s p e c ts 

o f s a t i s f a c t o r i l y r e s o l v in g th e f lo o d c o n tr o l an d n a v ig a tio n p ro b le m s 

c au sed by th e e r u p tio n o f Mo unt S t . H e le n s .

Q u e sti o n 13 . I s i t y o u r te s ti m o n y h e r e t h i s m o rn in g t h a t th e 

re q u e s te d am ounts a r e a d e q u a te to m ee t th e n e e d s an d re q u ir e m e n ts 

t h a t have been i d e n t i f i e d to d a te ?

A nsw er . Y es, s i r , t h e am ounts r e q u e s te d a r e o u r c u r r e n t e s tim a te s 

o f th e t o t a l am ounts t h a t we can e f f e c t i v e l y u s e .

Q u e sti o n 14 . Do yo u h av e th e n e c e s s a r y l e g i s l a t i v e a u th o r i t y to 

c a r r y o u t th e re co m men de d e n g in e e rin g p la n s f o r r e s t o r a t i o n an d 

r e h a b i l i t a t i o n .

A ns w er . Ou r C o u n sel h a s fo und t h a t we h av e a d e q u a te a u th o r i t y f o r 

a l l th e a c t i v i t i e s we c u r r e n t ly p la n o r a r e c o n s id e r in g . Most o f 

th e s e a c t i v i t i e s a r e s i m il a r in c o n c e p t to w hat we h ave done in o th e r 

m ajo r d i s a s t e r r e l i e f o p e r a tio n s . One a s p e c t o f w hat we may d o , 

t h a t i s somew ha t u n u s u a l, i s to p r o v id e som e s t r u c t u r e s , o r f e a t u r e s , 

su ch a s d e b r is r e s t r a i n i n g s t r u c t u r e s on th e T o u tle R iv e r o r s e t t l e ­

m en t b a s in s on th e C o w li tz R iv e r , w h ic h w ou ld r e q u ir e a c o n ti n u in g 

co mmitm en t o f fu n d s in f u t u r e y e a r s t o m a in ta in t h e i r e f f e c t i v e n e s s 

u n t i l th e r i v e r b a s in s s t a b i l i z e . I f th e m o st p ro m is in g p la n s 

c u r r e n t ly u n d e r c o n s id e r a tio n a r e a d o p te d in t h e i r e n t i r e t y , we 

e s tim a te t h a t t h e r e wou ld be a c o n tin u in g re q u ir e m e n t f o r a b o u t th e 

n e x t f i v e y e a r s , o f a b o u t $ 7 .5 m i l l i o n a y e a r , to r e t a i n th e d e b r is 

tr a p p in g e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f th e s e s t r u c t u r e s . T h ere wou ld a ls o be a 

re q u ir e m e n t to re m ove some o f th e s e s t r u c t u r e s o nce th e y ha d s e rv e d 

t h e i r p u rp o se an d th e r i v e r b a s in s ha d s t a b i l i z e d .
92

Q u e sti o n 15. An am ou nt o f $45 m i l l i o n i s r e q u e s te d to r e s t o r e 

n a v ig a tio n on th e Col um bi a R iv e r . What i s th e g e n e r a l p la n f o r 

r e s t o r in g t h i s v i t a l n a v ig a tio n p r o j e c t to c o n d itio n s t h a t e x is te d 

p r i o r to th e e ru p ti o n ?

A ns w er . Th e C o rp s' th r e e w e st c o a s t ho p p er d re d g e s c u t a 2 0 0 -fo o t 

w id e p i l o t c h a n n e l th ro u g h th e s h o a l to r e s t o r e lim ite d n a v ig a tio n . 

Th e P o r t o f P o r t l a n d 's p i p e l i n e d re d g e OREGON, an d c o n tr a c t p i p e l i n e 

d re d g e s , a r e b e in g u se d to d re d g e a 3 0 0 -fo o t w id e c h a n n e l p a r a l l e l 

an d a d ja c e n t to th e p i l o t c h a n n e l. When t h i s c h a n n e l r e a c h e s n e a r ly 

f u l l d e p th , n a v ig a tio n w i l l be sw it c h e d to t h i s c h a n n e l an d th e 

o r i g i n a l p i l o t ch an n e l w i l l be w id ened an d d e ep e n ed . D re d g in g w i l l 

th e n c o n tin u e u n t i l th e f u l l a u th o r iz e d 6 0 0 -fo o t w id e, 4 0 - f o o t dee p 

c h a n n e l i s a c h ie v e d on o r a b o u t 30 No vemb er 1981.

Q u e sti o n 16. How many d re d g e s a r e now w ork in g an d wha t i s th e c u r ­

r e n t s t a t u s o f n a v ig a tio n on t h e r i v e r ?

A ns w er . C u r r e n tly , th e C o rp s ' t h r e e w est c o a s t b ase d h o p p er d re d g e s , 

th e P o r t o f P o r tla n d s p i p e l i n e d re d g e an d two in d u s tr y p i p e l i n e 

d re d g e s . On 6 Ju n e v e s s e l s up to 33 f e e t 11 in c h e s d r a f t w er e a l ­

lowed to p a s s th ro u g h th e 2 0 0 - f o o t w id e p i l o t c h a n n e l on h ig h t i d e .

Q u e sti o n 17 . When i s i t e x p e c te d to have a c h a n n e l t h a t w i l l ta k e 

c a r e o f m ost norm al t r a f f i c ?

A ns w er . D re dgin g o f th e 2 0 0 -fo o t c h a n n e l so u th o f th e c e n t e r l i n e 

w i l l c o n tin u e th ro u g h Ju n e w ith an in c r e a s in g d e p th a v a i l a b l e . I t 

i s a n t i c i p a t e d t h a t by 30 Ju n e th e 3 0 0 -fo o t c h a n n e l b e in g dre d g ed 

n o r th o f th e c e n t e r l i n e by p i p e l i n e d r e d g e s , w i l l be a v a i l a b l e .

T h is 3 0 0 -fo o t c h a n n e l i s e x p e c te d to ac co m m od at e v e s s e l s w ith d r a f t s 

up to 38 f e e t 8 in c h e s b e g in n in g 1 J u ly an d w i l l ac co m m od at e norm al 

t r a f f i c .

Q u e sti o n 18 . Wh ere a r e yo u d e p o s itin g th e l a r g e q u a n ti t y o f m a te r ia l 

remov ed from th e n a v ig a tio n c h an n e l?

A ns w er . The C orp s o f E n g in e e rs ho p p er d re d g e s a r e d is p o s in g o f th e 

m a t e r i a l in deep a r e a s o f t h e Col um bi a R iv e r o u ts id e th e n a v ig a tio n 

c h a n n e l. Th e m a jo r ity o f th e m a t e r i a l to be re mov ed by p i p e l i n e 

d re d g e s w i l l be d is p o s e d o f on C ot to nw oo d an d Howard I s la n d s w it h 

a p o r tio n o f th e m a t e r i a l to be d is p o s e d o f on th e O re go n sh o re 

dow nst re am from th e L ongvie w B rid g e . In o r d e r to s t a b i l i z e th e 

C olu m bia R iv e r n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l in th e re a c h im m e d ia te ly u p str e am 

from th e Lon gv iew B rid g e , c o n s id e r a tio n i s b e in g g iv e n to c o n s tr u c ­

t i o n o f an is la n d so u th o f th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l o p p o s ite th e P o rt 

o f Lon gv ie w tu r n in g b a s in . O th er a l t e r n a t i v e s a r e a ls o u n d er 

c o n s id e r a tio n f o r d is p o s a l o f a p o r tio n o f th e m a te r ia l to be d re d g ed .

Q u e sti o n 19. When do yo u e x p e c t to have f u l l r e s t o r a t i o n o f th e 

n a v ig a tio n p r o je c t?

A nsw er . I t i s a n t i c i p a t e d t h a t th e 4 0 - f o o t by 6 0 0 -fo o t c h a n n e l w i l l 

be r e - e s t a b li s h e d by 30 Nov em ber 1980, w it h a d d it i o n a l d re d g in g in 

th e a r e a so u th o f th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l e x te n d in g i n to a b o u t 30 

M ar ch 19 81 .
93

Q u e sti o n 20. Wh at h a s been th e im p act on th e C o w li tz an d T o u tle R iv e r 

B a sin s b e c a u se o f th e e r u p ti o n ?

A ns w er . Th e im p a c t on th e C o w li tz an d T o u tl e R iv e rs a s a r e s u l t o f 

th e e r u p tio n i s t h a t th e h y d r a u lic c a p a b i l i t i e s o f b o th r i v e r s have 

been re d u ced s u b s t a n t i a l l y . I n th e u p p e r C o w li tz R iv e r, g e n e r a l 

c a r r y in g c a p a b i l i t y ha d been re d u c e d fr om 7 0 ,0 0 0 c f s to l e s s th a n 

1 3 ,0 0 0 . T h is r e d u c tio n mak es th e d a n g e r fr om f lo o d t h r e a t d u rin g 

th e co ming w in te r m onth s s e v e re . Th e t o t a l flo o d p l a i n e n v ir o n m en t 

o f th e T o u tl e wa s d e s tr o y e d .

Q u e sti o n 2 1 . What i s th e p ro p o sed p la n o f w ork in th e b a s in s an d 

wha t i s th e e s tim a te d c o s t o f th e p ro p o se d w ork by se gm en t o r 

f e a tu r e ?

Ans w er . No d e f i n i t i v e p la n s h av e y e t b een a d o p te d . Ou r c o s t 

e s tim a te s a r e b a se d on th e m ost p ro m is in g p la n w hic h p ro v id e s t h a t 

f o r th e r e a c h o f t h e C o w li tz R iv e r fr om th e m outh to m il e 7 ,

10 m il l io n c u b ic y a r d s o f m a t e r i a l, a t an e s tim a te d c o s t o f $5 0 

m il l io n , w ou ld be re m oved. From m il e 7 to m ile 2 5 , 15 m il l io n c u b ic 

y a rd s of m a t e r i a l w ould be re m oved, in c lu d in g e x c a v a tio n o f fo u r 

s e ttle m e n t b a s i n s . We c u r r e n t ly e s tim a te t h a t wor k in t h i s r e a c h 

wou ld c o s t $ 7 1 .5 m i l l i o n . I n th e T o u tl e b a s i n , we a r e c o n s id e r in g 

c o n s tr u c tio n o f f i v e d e b r is r e s t r a i n i n g s t r u c t u r e s a t a c o s t o f 

$ 4 8 .5 m il l io n .

Q u e sti o n 22. When w i l l th e w or k s t a r t ?

Ans wer . Wo rk w i l l com mence on th e lo w er r e a c h o f th e C o w li tz R iv e r 

on 12 Ju n e .

Q u e sti o n 2 3. Why h a s t h i s w or k n o t s t a r t e d a s e a r ly a s t h a t 

in th e C olu m bia R iv e r?

Ans w er . S u i t a b l e govern m ent eq u ip m en t f o r th e Col um bi a R iv e r 4 0 - f o o t 

c h a n n e l was im m e d ia te ly a v a i l a b l e . T h is was n o t th e c a s e f o r th e 

C o w li tz R iv e r . D e ta ile d su rv e y s w ere need ed in th e u p p e r C o w li tz in 

o r d e r to have d a ta to e v a lu a te a l t e r n a t i v e s o l u t io n s a p p r o p r ia te f o r 

th e a r e a . H opper d re d g e s b e in g u t i l i z e on th e Col um bi a R iv e r a r e 

n o t c a p a b le o f o p e r a tin g in th e C o w li tz R iv e r . Flo od t h r e a t s on 

th e C o w li tz R iv e r a r e le s s e n in g a s we go i n to th e d ry p a r t o f th e 

y e a r . Th e O cto ber/ N ovem ber ti m e fr am e i s t h e s e r io u s f lo o d t h r e a t 

on t h i s r i v e r .

Q u e sti o n 2 4 . W ha t i s th e p u rp o se o f th e s e ttle m e n t b a s in s ?

Ans wer . Th e s e ttle m e n t b a s in s w i l l t r a p th e m a t e r i a l b e f o re i t m ov es 

on dow nst re am an d w i l l ma ke i t e a s i e r to u t i l i z e la n d b ased e q u ip ­

m en t f o r i t s re m o v a l.

Q u e sti o n 2 5. W he re w i l l yo u d is p o s e o f th e m a t e r i a l from th e 

C o w li tz an d T o u tle R iv e r B a sin s?

Ans wer . Th e C o rp s o f E n g in e e rs s t a f f in c o n s u l ta t io n w ith r e s o u r c e 

a g e n c ie s a r e i d e n t i f y in g a l l p o s s ib l e s i t e s a v a i l a b l e f o r d i s p o s a l 

o f th e m a t e r i a l to be d re d g ed fr om th e C o w li tz R iv e r . T hose

64-52 9 0 - 8 0 - 7
p ro v id in g th e b e s t te c h n i c a l s o l u t i o n w ith th e l e a s t lo n g -te rm 

e n v ir o n m e n ta l im pact w i l l be s e l e c t e d . Nu merou s la n d ow ners a lo n g 

th e r i v e r h ave v o lu n te e re d t h e i r p r o p e rty a s d i s p o s a l s i t e s .

C u rre n t p la n s f o r th e T o u tl e R iv e r do n o t in v o lv e d re d g in g .

Q u e sti o n 26. You s t a t e t h a t e x c e p tio n to r e g u la to r y re q u ir e m e n ts 

w i l l be in c lu d e d in th e a p p r o p r i a ti o n la n g u a g e r e q u e s t . B r i e f l y 

e x p la in why t h i s e x c e p ti o n i s n e e d e d .

A ns w er . W it h o u t t h i s e x c e p ti o n p r o v is io n f o r em er gen cy a c t i v i t i e s , 

i t m ig h t be co n te n d ed t h a t th e Gov er nm en t i s in v i o l a t i o n o f th e la w . 

D uri ng em er gen cy s i t u a t i o n s s ta n d a r d p ro c e s s in g p ro c e d u re s t h a t 

m ig h t in c lu d e p u b lic n o t i c e s , com me nt p e r io d s , an d p u b lic h e a r in g s 

wou ld be w ai ved to p re v e n t u n a c c e p ta b le h a z a rd to l i f e o r s e v e re l o s s 

o f p r o p e r ty i f ti m e i s ta k e n t o fo llo w norm al p ro c u d u re s . I t i s 

im p o rta n t to n o te , ho w ev er, t h a t a lt h o u g h an e x c e p ti o n i s p ro p o se d , 

a c c e l e r a t e d an d a b b r e v ia te d p ro c e d u re s w i l l be e x p e d itio u s ly i n i t i a t e d 

an d c o o r d in a te d w it h a p p r o p r i a te F e d e ra l an d S t a te a g a n c ie s .

Questions Submitted by Senator Hatfield

Q u e sti o n 1. When d id th e b lo c k a g e o f th e C olu m bi a R iv e r o c cu r?

A nsw er . Th e C orp s o f E n g in e e rs be ca me aw are o f th e b lo c k a g e when 

th e HOEGH MASCOT gro unded in th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l in th e Lon gv ie w , 

W ash in g to n , a re a on th e m o rn in g o f 19 May.

Q u e sti o n 2 . What wa s y o u r r e a c t i o n up on le a r n in g o f th e b lo ck ag e?

A nsw er . Upon le a r n in g o f th e b lo c k a g e , th e C orp s im m e d ia te ly 

o rd e re d o u r th r e e w est c o a s t h o p p er d re d g e s to p ro c ee d to th e sh o a l 

a r e a . I n a d d itio n , a su rv e y b o a t wa s o rd e re d to th e a r e a to d e t e r ­

m in e th e m ag n it u d e o f th e b lo c k a g e . Th e h o p p er d re d g e BIDDLE 

a r r i v e d in th e a re a on th e e v e n in g o f 19 May. Th e PACIFIC a r riv e d 

fr om Co os Bay on 21 May an d th e HARDING from E u re k a , CA on 22 May.

Q u e sti o n 3. Was th e BIDDLE a b le to d re d g e in th e c h a n n e l when i t 

f i r s t a r riv e d ?

A nsw er . When th e BIDDLE a r r i v e d a t L ongvie w , WA, l a t e on 19 May, 

th e r i v e r wa s f u l l o f wood d e b r i s , an d th e BIDDLE was fo rc e d to 

r e t i r e to a p r o te c te d a n c h o ra g e a r e a o v e r n ig h t. D re d g in g o p e r a tio n s 

w ere beg un on 20 May.

Q u e sti o n 4. How have yo u u t i l i z e d y o u r d re d g e s to r e s t o r e n a v ig a ­

tio n ?

A nsw er . Th e th r e e h o p p e r d re d g e s h ave b een u t i l i z e d to d re d g e a 

p i l o t c h an n e l 20 0 f e e t w id e th ro u g h th e 9 -m il e p lu g . I n i t i a l l y , 

th e sh o a l wa s to o s h a llo w f o r th e BIDDLE an d th e HARDING to work 

e f f e c t i v e l y , c o n s e q u e n tly th e PAC IFIC d red g ed a c h a n n e l th ro u g h 

w h ic h th e s e l a r g e r d re d g e s c o u ld f o llo w an d d e e p e n . By 23 May 

t h e s e th r e e d re d g e s ha d m an ag ed to r e s t o r e p a r t i a l n a v ig a tio n .

On 6 Ju n e , th e h o p p er d re d g e s ha d deep en ed th e p i l o t c h a n n e l 

s u f f i c i e n t l y to p ro v id e f o r p a ssa g e a t h ig h t i d e o f v e s s e l s w it h 

d r a f t s up to 33 f e e t 11 in c h e s . D re dgin g o f a d d i t i o n a l d e p th w i l l 

c o n tin u e th ro u g h Ju n e .
95

Q u e sti o n 5. How many s h ip s w ere tr a p p e d in th e C olu m bia above th e 

p lu g a t Lo ng view ?

A nsw er . T h ir t y - t h r e e v e s s e l s w ere tra p p e d u p str e a m o f th e p lu g .

Q u e sti o n 6. Do you h av e a re c o r d o f s h ip s who se p a s s a g e th ro u g h 

th e Col um bi a wa s d e la y e d a s th e r e s u l t o f th e p lu g ?

A nsw er . At th e o u t s e t , th e U. S. C o ast Gua rd l im ite d p a ssa g e to 

v e s s e l s h av in g a c o n t r o l l i n g d r a f t o f 12 f e e t o r l e s s . Th e f i r s t 

co m m erc ia l s h ip s , a s i d e fr om tu g an d b a rg e t r a f f i c , p a sse d th ro u g h 

th e c h a n n e l on 23 May 8 0 . A l i s t o f v e s s e l s p a s s in g th e b lo c k i s 

a s f o llo w s :

VESSEL PASSAGE

PAST THE COLUMBIA SHOAL AT MILE 68

C o n tr o llin g V e s s e l P a ssa g e

D ate D r a f t (F t) U£ Down T o ta l

23 May 1980 1 3 A

2A 1 - 1

25 1 2 3

26 1 - 1

27 2 1 3

28 2 - 2

29 3 - 3

30 3 1 A

31 3 2 5

1 Ju n e 1980 2 3 5

2 A 3 7

3 9 A 13

A - 7 7

5 3 3 ' A" 7 A 11

6 3 3 ’ 11"* 5 5 10**

7 3 3 ' 0"* 0 5 5**

8 ( p r o je c te d ) 3 3 ’ 0" * 7 3 10**

9 ( p r o je c te d ) 33 " 7" * 3 1

*C ha ng es in t i d e r e s u l t in d e c re a s e d c o n t r o l l i n g d r a f t a ll o w e d

U.S;. C o ast Gua rd ,. As o f 9 Ju n e , two v e s s e l s , th e LUCINA (r eq u

a 3 4 -fo o t d r a f t ) an d th e TERRESA ( r e q u i r i n g a 3 6 - f o o t d r a f t ) a r e 

re a d y to le a v e b u t re m a in tr a p p e d up r i v e r u n t i l 12 Ju n e an d 18 

Ju n e , r e s p e c t i v e l y .

* * R eq u ir e f i n a l v e r i f i c a t i o n from th e C olu m bia R iv e r p i l o t s .

Q u e sti o n 7 . How so on a f t e r d re d g in g was i n i t i a t e d d id yo u p a s s 

th e f i r s t sh ip ?

A ns w er . D re d g in g w as i n i t i a t e d on th e m orn in g o f 20 May an d v e s s e l 

t r a f f i c began m ov in g th ro u g h th e 2 0 0 -fo o t p i l o t c h a n n e l on 23 May.

Q u e sti o n 8 . How muc h m a t e r i a l m ust be re m ov ed to r e s t o r e th e 

Col um bi a R iv e r n a v ig a tio n c h an n e l?

Ans wer . Th e p ris m o f th e a u th o r iz e d 6 0 0 -fo o t w id e A O -f oot deep 

n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l c o n ta in s a p p ro x im a te ly 14 m i l l i o n c u b ic y a rd s 

o f m a t e r i a l. In o r d e r to p ro v id e an a c c e p ta b le an d s t a b le c r o s s - 

s e c tio n , an a d d i t i o n a l 8 m illio n c u b ic y a rd s a ls o w i l l have to be 

re m oved .
96

Q u e sti o n 9. At wha t e s tim a te d c o s t?

Ans wer . I t i s c u r r e n t ly e s tim a te d t h a t re m oval o f th e 22 m il l io n 

c u b ic y a rd s o f m a te r ia l w i l l c o s t $45 m il l io n .

Q u e sti o n 10. How much a d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l , a t w hat e s tim a te d c o s t , 

w i l l be r e q u ir e d f o r re m o v al to r e s t o r e th e C o lu m b ia ’ s f lo o d 

c a p a c ity ?

A ns w er . Th e re m oval o f th e 22 m i l l i o n c u b ic y a rd s o f m a t e r i a l to 

r e s t o r e th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l w i l l p ro v id e an a d e q u a te c h a n n e l 

f o r th e Col um bi a R iv e r ’ s f lo o d flo w s .

Q u e sti o n 11. Ha ve you i d e n t i f i e d d is p o s a l s i t e s f o r a l l t h i s m ate ­

r i a l an d m et a l l r e g u la to r y r e q u ir e m e n ts f o r i t s d is p o s a l? What a r e 

th e s e s i t e s an d th e c a p a c ity o f ea ch?

A ns w er . Th e C orp s h o p p er d re d g e s a r e d is p o s in g o f th e m a t e r i a l in 

deep a r e a s o f th e Col um bi a R iv e r o u ts id e th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l.

The m a jo r ity of th e m a t e r i a l to be remov ed by p i p e l i n e d re d g e s w i l l 

be d is p o s e d o f on C ot to nw oo d an d Howard I s l a n d s w ith a p o r tio n o f th e 

m a t e r i a l to be d is p o se d o f on th e O re go n sh o re dow nst re am fr om th e 

Lon gv ie w B rid g e . Th e C ot to nw oo d- H ow ar d I s la n d s i t e h a s a c a p a c ity 

o f a b o u t 20 m illio n c u b ic y a r d s . In o rd e r to s t a b i l i z e th e Col um bi a 

R iv e r n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l in t h e re a c h im m e d ia te ly u p str e a m from th e 

Lon gv ie w B rid g e , c o n s i d e r a ti o n i s b e in g g iv e n to th e c o n s tr u c tio n o f 

an is la n d so u th o f th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l o p p o s ite th e P o r t o f Lo ng ­

vie w tu r n in g b a s in . Th e C o rp s o f E n g in e e rs i s w ork in g w ith th e 

p r o j e c t sp o n s o rs to e v a lu a te th e s e an d o th e r a l t e r n a t i v e s .

Q u e sti o n 12 . I u n d e rs ta n d t h a t th e C o rp s’ ho p p er d r e d g e s , la c k in g 

pum p-o ut c a p a c ity , a r e h a v in g to d ro p t h e i r lo a d s e ls e w h e re in th e 

r i v e r . Do you a n t i c i p a t e t h e r e w i l l be a need to r e - h a n d le t h i s 

m a t e r i a l an d e v e n tu a lly d is p o s e o f i t e ls ew h ere ?

A ns w er . The ho p p er d re d g e s a r e d e p o s itin g th e m a t e r i a l in deep w a te r 

a r e a s a d ja c e n t to th e O re gon s h o re . Mo st o f th e m a t e r i a l i s b e in g 

p la c e d a s u f f i c i e n t d i s t a n c e fr om th e n a v ig a tio n c h a n n e l t h a t i t 

w i l l n o t be a pro b le m . I t i s a n ti c ip a te d t h a t som e o f th e m a te r ia l 

d e p o s ite d by th e ho p p er d re d g e s w i l l have to be re m ov ed a g a in by a 

p i p e l i n e d re d g e.

Q u e sti o n 13 . I u n d e rs ta n d th e need to m o b iliz e C orp s ho p p er d re d g e s 

to u n d e rta k e em er gen cy d re d g in g w ork . You r re s p o n s e was v e ry r a p id 

an d tim e ly . How ev er , t h i s se em s l i k e an en or m ou s am ou nt o f m a t e r i a l 

to be dre d g ed by t h r e e h o p p e r d re d g e s . Can th e y a lo n e u n d e rta k e 

su ch a ta s k ?

A nsw er . R e s to r a tio n o f th e Col um bi a R iv e r C hannel i s m ost a p p ro ­

p r i a t e l y a p i p e l i n e d re d g in g jo b . Th e h o p p er d re d g e s hav e been 

u se d to op en th e p i l o t c h a n n e l an d r e s t o r e p a r t i a l n a v ig a tio n . Th e 

m a jo r ity o f th e m a t e r i a l w i l l be remov ed by p r i v a t e in d u s tr y p i p e l i n e 

d re d g e s an d th e P o r t o f P o r t l a n d 's p i p e l i n e d re d g e OREGON.

Q u e sti o n 14. A re th e s e in d u s tr y d re d g e s n o rm a ll y r e g io n a ll y

lo c a te d ?

A nsw er . A ll in d u s tr y d re d g e s c u r r e n t l y co m m it te d to th e Col um bi a 

R iv e r a r e from th e W es t C o a s t.
Q u e sti o n 15 . A re a l l o f th o s e d re d g e s a t th e d re d g in g s i t e in 

Longvie w , W as hin gto n?

A nsw er . The P o rt o f P o r t l a n d s d re d g e OREGON s t a r t e d wor k on 

23 May . On 6 J u n e , W este rn P a c i f i c ’ s d re d g e McCURDY s t a r t e d work 

an d t h e i r d re d g e WASHINGTON s t a r t e d on 9 J u n e . T h re e a d d it i o n a l 

p i p e l i n e d re d g e s h ave b een com m itte d u n d e r th e c o n tr a c t w it h 

W este rn P a c i f i c .

Q u e sti o n 16 . What i s th e r e a s o n f o r th e d e la y ?

A nsw er . The C orp s e n te r e d in to a c o n tr a c t w ith W este rn P a c if i c 

on 23 May. T h re e o f th e d re d g e s ha d to be m o b il iz e d fr om P uget 

So un d an d two from Lo ng B each , C a l i f o r n i a . T hese c u tte r h e a d d re d g e s 

a r e n o t s e l f - p r o p e l l e d . A tu g i s r e q u ir e d to mo ve th em . S in c e 

som e m ust be moved c o n s id e r a b le d i s t a n c e s a t s e a , a s i g n i f i c a n t 

am ou nt o f ti m e i s r e q u ir e d to p re p a re f o r th e mov em en t o f th e s e 

d r e d g e s . F u r th e r , c u tte r h e a d d re d g e s h av e c o n s id e r a b le am ounts 

o f a u x i l i a r y eq uip m ent su c h a s sh o re p ip e , f l o a t i n g po n to o n p ip e , 

a n d /o r b a r g e s , e t c . , r e q u ir e d to s u p p o rt th e o p e r a tio n o f a c u t t e r ­

head d re d g e . A ll o f t h i s e q u ip m en t, d e p en d in g upon th e s p e c if i c 

n a tu r e o f th e d re d g in g w o rk , m ust be tr a n s p o r te d a l s o . T h is ta k e s 

ti m e .

Q u e sti o n 17. Can yo u p r o v id e f o r th e re c o r d th e d a te o f th e 

I n d u s tr y d re d g e s w ere o rd e re d an d th e d a te th e y b eg an wor k on th e 

jo b ?

A nsw er . The fo llo w in g t a b l e 

o f I n d u s tr y d re d g e s .

p ro v id e s th e m o b iliz a tio n sc h e d u le

C o n tr a c t

D ate

To P ro ceed 

D ate

S t a r t Work 

D re dge D ate

McCURDY 23 May 23 May 6 Ju n e

WASHINGTON 23 May 23 May 9 Ju n e

JOHN FRANKS 23 May 10 A ugust 23 A ugust

MISSOURI 23 May 29 May 19 Ju n e

OLLIE RIEDEL 23 May 6 Ju n e 23 Ju n e

Q u e sti o n 18 . Were o t h e r C orp s an d I n d u s tr y d re d g e s from o th e r 

r e g io n s o f th e c o u n tr y c o n s id e re d f o r t h i s wor k?

A ns w er . C o n ta c t was mad e w it h s e v e r a l m ajo r d re d g e-o w n in g com panie s 

w ith d re d g e s lo c a te d a lo n g th e G ulf C o ast an d th e E a s t C o a st. Th e 

N a tio n a l A s s o c ia tio n o f D re d g in g C o n tr a c to r s was a ls o c o n ta c te d f o r 

in f o rm a tio n . G e n e r a lly th e p r e p a r a ti o n an d t r a n s p o r t o f a la r g e 

c u tte rh e a d d re d g e r e q u ir e d f o r th e C olu m bia R iv e r wou ld r e q u ir e 45 

to 60 d ay s to t r a v e l fr om th e G ulf th ro u g h th e Pa nama C anal an d 

th e n c e up th e P a c i f i c C o ast to th e C olu m bia R iv e r . Th e 60-d ay 

m o b iliz a tio n se em s t o be th e m ost r e a l i s t i c ti m e r e q u ir e m e n t. Th e 

C o rp s, of c o u r s e , h a s no c u tte r h e a d d re d g e s a lo n g th e E a s t, G u lf, 

o r P a c if i c C o ast a r e a s . B oth I n d u s tr y an d C orp s ho p p er d re d g e s 

w er e c o n s id e r e d . H ow ev er , th e s e d re d g e s w ould r e q u ir e 2h to 3 w ee ks 

to m o b il iz e fr om th e G ulf an d E a s t C o ast to th e Col um bi a R iv e r . 

F u r th e r , two o f o u r h o p p er d re d g e s — th e GOETHALS an d th e LANGFITT— 

w er e en gag ed in em er gen cy d re d g in g on th e M i s s is s i p p i a t th e ti m e 

Col um bi a n a v ig a tio n was b lo ck e d an d a r e s t i l l engag ed in e s s e n t i a l 

d re d g in g on th e S o u th w e st P a s s e s o f th e M i s s is s i p p i R iv e r.
98

Q u e sti o n 19. Can you u s e m ore d re d g e s?

A nsw er . Not a t th e p r e s e n t ti m e . T h ere i s b u t a l im i te d sp a c e in 

w hic h to w ork . We b e lie v e t h a t w ith th e d re d g e s p r e s e n t l y on th e 

sc e n e an d c u r r e n t ly b e in g m o b il iz e d to th e a r e a , we h av e enough 

d re d g e s t o co m p le te th e w or k i n a tim e ly m an ner an d w ith o u t u n ­

n e c e s s a ry in te r f e r e n c e w ith e ac h o t h e r ’ s a c t i v i t i e s an d th e p a ssa g e 

o f v e s s e l t r a f f i c p a s t th e d re d g in g s i t e . A c tu a lly th e C orp s hopper 

d re d g e s w i l l n o t re m ain a t th e Longvie w s h o a l u n t i l th e C ol um bi a 

i s r e s t o r e d . Th e sm a ll c l a s s PACIFIC i s sc h e d u le d to d e p a r t 14 Ju n e 

19 80 . Th e tw o medium c l a s s d r e d g e s — BIDDLE an d HARDING— a r e 

sc h e d u le d f o r d e p a r tu r e by 4 J u l y 19 80.
DEPARTME NT OF AG RICU LT UR E

U.S. Forest Service

STATEMENT OF MAX PETERSON, CHIE F, U.S. FOREST SERVICE, 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Sena tor Magnuson. The Fore st Service had a great deal to do with 

this.

Fo r the ben efit of those who do n’t know, most of the land aro und 

Mo unt St. Helens was Fo res t Service land. The State had some lands. It 

is a national forest, the Gifford Pincho t Nati onal Forest, and the State 

has some lands up ther e.

Mr. Peterson. Yes, sir.

Sena tor Magnuson. Wer e there any private land s?

Mr. Peterson. Yes, I will use a map to describe this for the 

committee. I will go over the land owne rship with you. It is about 50 

percen t Nati onal For est within the deva stated area and about 50 

per cen t private lands.

PRE PARED statement

Mr. Chair man, in the inter est of time, since you have my state ment, 

perhap s it could be en ter ed in the record .

Senator Magnuson. We will pu t your com plete stateme nt in the 

record . Then jus t com me nt on it as you see fit.

[Th e state men t follows:]

Prepared Statement of R. Max Peterson, Chief, Forest Service

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, we appreciate the opportunity to 

appear before this committee and share with you the information we have gathered 

concerning the damage to national forest system lands and the surrounding areas 

caused by the Mount St Helens volcano eruption.

A brie f chronology of events will place the situation in perspective:

March 20.—First earthqua ke reported by University of Washington Seismic Center. 

The Forest Service closed the mountain to all use and occupancy above the timberline.

March 27.—First eruption of steam and ash. April 18—35,000 acres of Gifford Pinchot National Forest designated as Mount St 

Helens Geological Area.

May 18 —Major explosive eruption. Closed the entire forest to entry without per mi t

May 19 to pre sen t—Inter mitten t emissions of steam and ash. Throughout this period, we have been working closely with the U.S. Geological 

Survey, State agencies, local government units and others. The Mount St. Helens eruption killed 24 people. An additional 54 are still reported 

missing. Over 96,000 acres of land were devastated. This includes 51,200 acres of 

national forest system land, 7,000 acres of State land and 38,000 acres of private land. 

Timber losses on the national forest are estimated at 800 million board feet of high 

quality timber with a value exceeding $100 million. All lodging operations on the forest
100

have been halt ed unti l safety and clea n-up needs can be assessed. However, we 

antic ipate that much of this can be salvaged. Ot he r resou rce losses include:

Lakes, 169 moderate ly damaged to destr oyed, ove r 3,00 0 surface areas involved. 

Streams, over 3,40 0 miles moderate ly damaged to destroyed.

Big game killed—estimate— 2,000 blackta.il deer, 300 elk, 30 black bear, and 12 

mou ntain goats.

Heavy ana dram ous fisheries damage due to high water tem peratu re, floods, mu d an d 

debris flow.

Develop ed recre ation sites—27 destroyed.

In addi tion, we have had extensive dama ge to roads, bridges, trails, adm inistrati ve 

facilities, and priv ate impro veme nts un de r special use permits. Many pro per ty come rs, 

contr ollin g corn ers and posted bou nda ry lines were obliterated.

The volcano activity has requ ired th at we con duct an ongoing, extensive public safety 

an d imp act evalu ation program . In cooperatio n with local law enf orce men t 

ograni zation s, we have placed guard s on at least 80 access poin ts to the area. This mus t 

be con tinu ed unt il the dang er peri od ends. Heavy touri sm and many scientific studies 

are pre dicted throug hou t the active life of th e volcano. The re are imm ediate plans for 

two mobi le visitor centers. Tem pora ry exhibits are now being cons tructed. By the end 

of summer, oth er visitor sites will be locat ed and pre par ed if volcanic activity permits. 

Dama ge assessmen t work requ ired for necessa ry imm edia te access, and the prepar atio n 

of reha bilit ation plans cann ot be don e within the cur ren t 1980 approp riat ion .

The imm edi ate need to respon d to the devastation is a compreh ensi ve resource 

assessm ent. The Pacific Northwest region has form ed an inter disciplin ary team to 

analyze an d plan for the total area imp acte d by the eru ptio n, includin g non -Federa l 

lands. The y will look to the short an d long -rang e needs. Fro m this assessment, an 

actio n pla n will be developed for necess ary protection, utili zation and reh abil itati on of 

the resources. Some of the deva state d area may be left in its curre nt state, oth er areas 

can be salvag ed and made produc tive again. To conduct this assessment, access to the 

area mus t be improved. The installation of temp orary bridges an d a pro gra m of dus t 

aba tem ent is need ed to open sections o f the tran sportation system.

Mr. Chairm an, this conclude s my ope nin g remarks. I would be plea sed to answer 

whatever questions you migh t have or furnish addit ional info rma tion you may desire.

AFFE CTED LAND HOLDING S

Mr. Peterson. As you already poin ted out, Mr. Cha irman, Mount St. 

Helens is in the Gifford Pin cho t National Fores t. The map here shows 

Mo unt St. Helens in the cen ter. The area to the nor thw est shows the 

mu d flows down the two forks of the Toutle River. Th e blu e line shows 

what we are calling the devasta ted area, which includes almost 100 ,000 

acres of devastated area. Of that, appr oxim ately ha lf is natio nal forest 

land. Abo ut 7,00 0 acres of Stat e land, State of W ashington, and around 

40, 000 acres of private land.

I would like to return, if I could, Mr. Cha irma n, to the chronology of 

what hap pen ed before the volca no erupte d so we have in mind a 

picture of the events th at led up to this. Some 2 years ahea d of the 

eruptio n, the U.S. Geo logi cal Survey published a booklet called 

“Po tential Hazards of Fu tur e Eru ptio ns of Mo unt St. Helens Volcano” . 

We use d this publication at tha t time and beca me conc erne d about 

where camp grou nds were loca ted, where pub lic access to the area mig ht 

lie, and where people might be staying in the forest.

Sen ator Magnuson. Th at was a doc ument that wasn’t read very well, 

was it?

Mr. Peterson. It was rea d very much by our local peop le and by the 

State people. But, of course, two problem s that Dr. Men ard point ed 

out, it is difficult to pre dic t within plus or minus 10 years when some
101

of these things will hap pen and also the magnitude of the events are 

difficult to predict. On March 20, the first earth quakes in the Mount 

St. Helens area were rep ort ed by the University of W ashington Seismic 

Center. The Forest Service, on tha t day, closed the mountain to all use 

and occupancy above the timberline, based on this report.

CONTINGENCY PLAN

On March 27, there was the first erup tion of steam and ash. On tha t 

same day there was add ition al closure of areas by both the Forest 

Service and the State. On April 9, which is 6 weeks ahead of the majo r 

erup tion, there was a ma jor Mount St. Helens contingency plan 

deve loped which inclu ded the State of W ashington, the sheri ffs offices 

of the counties involved and so on.

You might like to see that for your record. In my view, this is the 

first case of preplanning, some 6 weeks ahead of the major e ruption.

[The information follows:]
102

/WIST HELENS 

CONTING ENCY PLAN

MT. ST . HELENS - EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTER 

AND RELATED AC TIV ITI ES 

CONTINGENCY PLAN

INTRODUCTION; On M ar ch 2 0 , 1 9 8 0 , an e a r t h q u a k e m e a s u r in g a t 

4 . 2 on t h e R i c h t e r S c a l e , wa s r e c o r d e d a s h a v in g i t s e p i c e n t e r 

w i t h i n M t. S t . H e le n s . S e i s m o l o g i s t s m o n i to r in g th e q u ak e 

r e c o r d e d a d d i t i o n a l a c t i v i t y w h ic h g av e e a r l y c l u e s t h a t som e 

v o l c a n i c a c t i v i t y wa s p o s s i b l e a t t h i s l o c a t i o n .

As q u a k e a c t i v i t i e s c o n t i n u e d , p h y s i c a l e v id e n c e o f a v a la n c h e s 

on th e m o u n ta in be ca m e a p p a r e n t an d n e c e s s i t a t e d a F o r e s t 

c l o s u r e t o p r o t e c t f o r e s t u s e r s . P e r s o n s in t h e S p i r i t Lak e 

a r e a d u r i n g t h i s i n i t i a l p h a s e e x p e r i e n c e d th e p h y s i c a l tr e m o r s 

c a u s e d by q u a k e s an d o b s e r v e d t h e m ov em en t o f t r e e s .

U .S . G e o lo g ic S u rv e y (USGS) an d th e U n i v e r s i t y o f W a s h in g to n (U 

o f W) m o n it o r e d th e a c t i v i t i e s an d a d v is e d th e D i s t r i c t R an g er 

an d t h e F o r e s t o f t h e i r m a g n i tu d e . Th e F o r e s t wa s a d v is e d 

e a r l y by USGS t h a t t h e n a t u r e an d f r e q u e n c y o f t h e q u a k e s w er e 

o f t e n a f o r e w a r n in g o f v o l c a n i c a c t i v i t i e s .

T h is e a r l y l i n k a g e b e tw e n t h e USGS an d F o r e s t S e r v i c e wa s o f an 

i n f o r m a l n a t u r e i n i t i a l l y u n t i l i t be ca m e a p p a r e n t t h a t M t. S t . 

H e le n s wa s t r u l y a w a k e n in g fr o m a 1 2 3 y e a r p e r i o d o f d o rm a n c y .

/ To c o p e w it h th e a b o v e s i t u a t i o n e v e n t u a l i t y , r e q u i r e d th e 

b u i l d i n g o f an e f f e c t i v e te am o f v a r i o u s a g e n c i e s an d o r g a n i ­

z a t i o n s , an d d e v e lo p i n g t h e l i n k a g e s n e c e s s a r y t o p r o v i d e a 

c o o r d i n a t e d e f f o r t . I t r e q u i r e d i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f i s s u e s an d 

c o n c e r n s by v a r i o u s l e v e l s o f G o v er n m en t a t C o u n ty , S t a t e an d 

F e d e r a l l e v e l s , a s w e ll a s p r i v a t e i n d u s t r y .

PURPOSE: The p u r p o s e o f t h i s d o cu m en t i s t o g i v e a b r i e f

re su m e o f th e f o r m u l a t i o n o f th e E m er ge ncy C o o r d i n a t i n g C e n te r 

to d e f i n e th e i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p o f t h i s o r g a n i z a t i o n , an d to 

s e r v e a s a c o n ti n g e n c y p l a n .

By d e s c r i b i n g th e c u r r e n t w o rk in g r e l a t i o n s h i p an d l i n k a g e s , i t 

w i l l be th e p u r p o s e o f t h i s n a r r a t i v e to e s t a b l i s h d i r e c t i o n 

f o r o r g a n i z a t i o n d e v e lo p m e n t t o h a n d le ( 1 ) a l o c a l i z e d v o l c a n i c 

e v e n t w hi ch n e c e s s i t a t e s a h ig h d e g r e e o f l o g i s t i c a l c o o r d i ­

n a t i o n in th e m ov em en t o f th e g e n e r a l p o p u l u s , an d (2 ) th e 

o r g a n i z a t i o n n e e d e d t o h a n d le a s t a t u s q u o o r m o n i to r in g 

s i t u a t i o n . T h is l a t e r s i t u a t i o n r e c o g n i z e s th e n e e d to d e v e lo p 

t h e m e c h a n ic s f o r r a p i d m o b i l i z a t i o n o f k ey i n d i v i d u a l s an d 

a g e n c i e s .

NARRATIVE: I t i s im p o r t a n t t o r e c o g n i z e t h a t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n

c o n t a i n e d h e r e i n i s b i a s e d by th e w r i t e r ' s a c c e s s t o d a t a ,
103

w o rk in g a s s o c ia te s , and w o rk in g know le dge fr o m w ith in th e 

Emerge nc y C o o rd in a ti n g C e n te r. T hus, i t may n o t r e f le c t in 

d e p th th e c o n tr ib u tio n s b e in g made by e x te r n a l s u p p o rt s e rv ic e s 

w h ic h are c o n t r ib u tin g to th e t o t a l e f f o r t . An ex am pl e w ould 

be th e c o n t r ib u tio n o f th e D epartm ent o f E c o lo g y w h ic h has be en 

con cern ed and in v o lv e d w ith m o n it o rin g th e e n v ir o n m e n t.

HISTOR IC BACKGROUND; The i n i t i a l e f f o r t s r e la te d to th e 

v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y be ga n w it h th e M arch 20, 1980 qu ak e r e p o r t. 

In fo r m a l co m m u n ic a tio n was e s ta b li s h e d e a r ly w ith th e 

U n iv e r s ity o f W ashin g to n and U.S . G e o lo g ic a l S u rv e y .

From M arch 20 th ro u g h M ar ch 26 , in fo r m a tio n was share d betw een 

th e D i s t r i c t R anger, F o re s t S u p e rv is o r, D e p u ty , F o re s t PIO , and 

th e F o re s t D is a s te r C o o rd in a to rs and U n iv e r s ity o f W ashin g to n 

and U .S . G e o lo g ic a l S u rv e y . T h is c o n s is te d o f s e is m ic d a ta , 

i t s in t e r p r e t a t io n , and im p lic a tio n s .

D u rin g t h is p e r io d , USFS made c o n ta c ts w it h M t. 

B a ke r- S n o q u a lm ie p e rs o n n e l to ta k e advanta ge o f th e e x p e rie n c e 

th e y develo pe d in 19 76 when M t. Baker ba ga n i t s v o lc a n ic 

a c t i v i t y . T h e ir C o n ti n g e n c y P la n was re v ie w e d as a fo rm a t to 

be c o n s id e re d as w e ll as what th e y had le a rn e d in m o b il iz in g 

t h e ir e f f o r t s .

C o n ti n u o u s quake a c t i v i t y began t r ig g e r in g ava la n ch e s a t M t. 

S t. H e le n s. On T uesday, March 25 , 19 80 , an are a c lo s u re was

im ple m ente d w h ic h r e s t r ic t e d a l l a c t i v i t i e s ab ov e tim b e r lin e 

and e s s e n t ia lly c lo s e d th e m o u n ta in to th e g e n e ra l p u b lic 

(R e fe r to E x h ib it No . 1 ). P re ss cove ra g e was g iv e n to in fo rm 

th e p u b lic o f th e a v a la n c h e c o n d itio n s and th e qu ak e a c t i v i t i e s 

on th e m o u n ta in . C o o rd in a tio n w ith th e p re s s was do ne th ro u g h 

th e F o re s t PIO .

D u rin g th e d a y, th e F o re s t D is a s te r C o o rd in a to r c o n ta c te d ke y 

in d iv id u a ls and o r g a n iz a tio n s and e s ta b li s h e d a 0900 m e e tin g in 

th e SO C o nfe re nce Room fo r March 26, 19 80. The purp ose o f th e 

m e e tin g was to d e v e lo p a fr am ew ork fr o m w hic h a u n it e d and 

c o o rd in a te d re sp on se c o u ld be made to em erg enc y s it u a t io n s .

USGS in fo rm e d us th a t Don M u ll in e a u x w ould re p re s e n t t h e ir 

ag en cy a t t h is im p o rta n t c o o r d in a tin g m e e ti n g . D o n's 1978 

G e o lo g ic a l S u rv e y B u lle t in 13 83 -C w h ic h he c o -a u th o re d w ith 

D w ig h t C ra n d e ll e n t it le d , " P o te n t ia l H azard s fr om F u tu re 

E ru p tio n s o f M ou nt S t. H ele ns V o lc a n o , W a sh in g to n " w ould g iv e 

him u n iq ue q u a lif ic a t io n s to assess th e c u r r e n t s it u a t io n .

By e v e n in g , th e D i s t r i c t Ran ge r and h is s t a f f had d e ve lo p e d a 

d is a s te r e v a c u a ti o n p la n and c o o rd in a te d t h is a c t i v i t y w ith 

Ska man ia S h e r if f , th e F o re s t S u p e rv is o r and s t a f f p e rs o n n e l. 

T h is p la n was re v ie w e d and appro ved by th e F o re s t S u p e rv is o r 

(R e fe r to E x h ib it No. 2 ) .

FORMULATION OF THE EMERGENCY COORDINATION COMMITTEE: On

Wed ne sd ay , M ar ch 26^ 19 80 , th e p rim a ry C o u n ty , S ta te and

F e d e ra l a g e n c ie s and ke y a d ja c e n t la n d o w n e rs met to re v ie w th e 

c u r r e n t s it u a t io n w h ic h , a t th a t tim e , in d ic a te d in c r e a s in g 

s e is m ic re c o r d in g s .

The purp ose o f t h is m ee ting was to d e v e lo p a fram ew ork f o r an 

in te ra g e n c y c o n ti n g e n c y p la n w h ic h w ould p ro v id e a c o o rd in a te d 

re sponse to an em erg ency.
104

The s p e c if ic o b je c tiv e s o f th e m e e tin g and p a r t ic ip a n t s are 

il lu s t r a t e d as E x h ib it No . 3.

A l l p re s e n t re c o g n iz e d th e ne ed to d e v e lo p an o r g a n iz a tio n 

w hic h had d ir e c t in te r lin k a g e w ith p ri m e re sponse a g e n c ie s su ch 

as S h e r if f s O ff ic e , S ta te P o lic e , S ta te H ig hw ay, D e pa rt m e nt o f 

Emerge nc y S e rv ic e s , P a c ific Power and L ig h t, D e pa rt m e nt o f 

N a tu ra l R e so u rc e s, F o re s t S e rv ic e and C ounty C o m m is sio n e rs .

The f o llo w in g s p e c if ic c o n c e rn s wer e g e n e ra te d d u rin g th e 

m e e ti n g :

1. T r a f f i c c o n g e s ti o n pro b le m s on N90 and 50 4.

2. A ir sp ac e t r a f f i c c o n t r o l.

3. S ig h ts e e in g pro ble m s - need h e lp o f m ed ia to c u t t h is 

to a minim um .

4. P o te n tia l flo o d in g was a m ajo r co n ce rn to PP&L and th e 

need to ha ve a maximum le a d ti m e p o s s ib le .

5. G e n e ra l s a fe ty o f p e rs o n n e l a d ja c e n t to a re a .

6 . The c o m p le x it y o f th e em erg enc y d e c is io n r e la te d to 

v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y .

7 . Data flo w - in te ra g e n c y c o m m u n ic a ti o n s .

8. Need to d e v e lo p ra nge o f g e o lo g ic in d ic a to r s and 

v o lc a n ic c h a r a c t e r is t ic s th a t w ould in d ic a te th e 

s e v e r ity and p o t e n t i a l i t y o f v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s .

The consensus o f th e g ro u p was to fo rm u la te a c o re gro up and 

c a l l i t th e Em erge nc y C o o rd in a ti o n C e nte r w h ic h w ould be 

lo c a te d a t th e F o re s t S u p e r v is o r 's o f f i c e . The F o re s t S e rv ic e 

was recom me nded to ta k e th e le a d r o le and ke y a g e n c ie s w ould 

e s ta b lis h a h o t lin e w ith 24 ho ur s e rv ic e to t h e ir re s p e c tiv e 

u n it s . I t was im p e ra tiv e to ha ve d ir e c t li n k a g e w it h Ska man ia 

C o un ty and C o w li tz and C la rk C ounty S h e r if f 's O ff ic e s , D e p a rtmen t o f Emerge nc y S e rv ic e s , P a c ific Power and L ig h t.

From t h is , g e n e ra te a c o n c e p t f o r m anni ng to mee t em erg enc y 

c o n d itio n s .

S p e c ific arr angem ents were made d u rin g th e m e e ti n g to e s ta b li s h 

c o n t r o l on Road 504 to S p i r i t Lake. The d is c u s s io n in v o lv e d 

th e p r in c ip a l e ffe c te d a g e n c ie s : S ta te H ig hw ay, S ta te P a t r o l, 

C o w li tz and Ska man ia C o un ty and th e S t. H ele ns D i s t r i c t R anger.

Thu s be ga n th e im m e dia te need to c o n tr o l th e g e n e ra l p u b lic 

th ro u g h a c o o rd in a te d e f f o r t .

An in d e p th d is c u s s io n on th e s p e c if ic c o n c e rn s , is s u e s and 

re com m endations w h ic h in flu e n c e th e c o m p o s it io n and subsequent 

Emerge nc y C o o rd in a tio n C e n te r O rg a n iz a tio n and i t s fu n c tio n is 

a v a il a b le f o r re v ie w in th e o f f i c i a l f i l e s a t th e G if fo r d 

P in c h o t S u p e r v is o r 's O f f ic e .

AC TIVA TION: A t a p p ro x im a te ly 1 2 :4 5 , March 27, 19 80 , a r e p o r t 

was re c e iv e d th a t an e r u p tio n had o c c u rre d and th e m ou nta in was 

v o lc a n ic a lly a c t iv e . The F o re s t th e n manned th e F ir e D is p a tc h 

roo m to c o o rd in a te a c t i v i t i e s . I n i t i a l e f f o r t s in c lu d e d a 

d is a s te r c o o r d in a to r , lo g is t ic s , re s o u rc e p e rs o n n e l to man
p h o n e s , e t c . USGS b e g a n e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e d a t a a s r e p o r t s came 

in an d c o n s u l t e d w it h t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W a s h in g to n r e g a r d i n g 

s e i s m i c a c t i v i t y .

A t a p p r o x i m a t e ly 1 : 2 0 , R an g er J o h n s o n b e g a n e v a c u a t i n g th e 

R a n g e r S t a t i o n a t P in e C r e e k . D ia lo g u e wa s e s t a b l i s h e d w it h 

S k a m a n ia C o u n ty , S t a t e P a t r o l . C o w l it z C o u n ty e s t a b l i s h e d a 

r o a d b lo c k e a s t o f C o u g ar a b o u t 1 : 5 0 p .m .

An a i r s p a c e c l o s u r e was s o u g h t a b o u t 2 : 0 0 p .m . t o r e s t r i c t 

a i r c r a f t . Th e F o r e s t A ir O f f i c e r w o rk ed w it h FAA t o r e s o l v e 

how t h e c l o s u r e w o u ld be im p le m e n te d .

C o n t a c t s w er e i n i t i a t e d t o a c t i v a t e t h e ECC o r g a n i z a t i o n . 

C o n t a c t s w er e mad e w it h DES , S h e r i f f O f f i c e r s , PP&L an d h o t 

l i n e s w er e o r d e r e d f o r t h o s e o r g a n i z a t i o n s . T h a t e v e n i n g , t h e 

p h o n e s w er e i n s t a l l e d .

Th e P u b l i c I n f o r m a t i o n O f f i c e r b eg a n b u i l d i n g an o r g a n i z a t i o n 

t o re s p o n d to t h e m e d ia an d n um er ous p u b l i c c o n c e r n s .

A t a p p r o x i m a t e ly 6 : 2 0 F o r e s t S u p e r v i s o r Bob T o k a rc z y k a s s i g n e d 

P a u l S te n k am p a s D i r e c t o r o f t h e ECC w it h Ed Osm ond a s s i s t a n t 

f o r th e n i g h t s h i f t .

C o m m u n ic a ti o n s d u r i n g t h e i n i t i a l f o u r h o u r s wa s p r o v i d e d by 

ne ws m e d ia an d c o m m e rc ia l a i r c r a f t .

I t be ca m e a p p a r e n t t h a t a fo r m a l s y s te m o f a e r i a l o b s e r v a t i o n 

an d r e p o r t i n g wa s n e c e s s a r y t o p r o v i d e s c i e n t i f i c d a t a an d 

h a z a r d e v a l u a t i o n .

A t 1 7 0 5 th e f i r s t r e p o r t s w er e r e c e i v e d fr om a F o r e s t a i r c r a f t 

w h ic h ga ve d e t a i l e d in f o r m a t i o n on th e n a t u r e an d e x t e n t o f t h e 

v o l c a n i c a c t i v i t y . B o th a F o r e s t S e r v i c e a i r t r a f f i c c o o r d i ­

n a t o r an d a U .S . G e o l o g i s t w er e in th e p la n e t o g iv e a f i r s t 

ha nd a c c o u n t o f th e a c t i v i t y .

T hu s be ga n a m et ho d t o d e a l w it h a i r c r a f t s e c u r i t y an d c o n t r o l 

an d s c i e n t i f i c o b s e r v a t i o n s . On th e g r o u n d , v e r b a l t r a n s ­

m i s s i o n s w er e lo g g e d in an o f f i c i a l r e c o r d an d m ost c o n v e r ­

s a t i o n s t a p e d . E v a l u a t i o n s w er e d one by USGS an d h a z a r d 

a s s e s s m e n ts m ad e.

D a ta r e c e i v e d wa s r e c o r d e d in an o f f i c i a l l o g . A s i t u a t i o n 

u p d a te s h e e t was d e v e lo p e d w hi ch su m m ari zed k ey e v e n t s . I t wa s 

n e c e s s a r y f o r a G e o l o g i s t to re v ie w p r i o r t o r o u t i n g so a s t o 

b e s u r e th e a c c u r a t e d a t a was p r e s e n t e d .

Th e fo rm be ca m e t h e w o rk in g c o m m u n ic a ti o n t o o l to in fo rm th e 

ECC a g e n c i e s an d o r g a n i z a t i o n s , F o r e s t p u b l i c i n f o r m a t i o n 

o f f i c e r , an d th e m e d ia .

H ot l i n e s w er e e s t a b l i s h e d f o r d i r e c t a c c e s s -----

S ka m an ia an d C la r k C o u n ty S h e r i f f

C o w li tz C o u n ty S h e r i f f

PP&L

DES

U Of W 

PGE

BASIC ORGANIZATION: W h il e th e b a s i c o r g a n i z a t i o n h a s e v o lv e d 

so m ew ha t fr om M ar ch 2 7 , 1 9 8 0 t o p r e s e n t , A p r i l 1 , 1 9 8 0 , t h e 

o v e r a l l f u n c t i o n h a s ha d o n ly m in o r c h a n g e t o d a t e :
PICTCCTCT COOKPINATINC CCTTCT OXGAWIIATIOW CHART - 4 /2 /» 0

1
107

OPERATIONAL PHASE:

The p u rp o se o f th e ECC o r g a n iz a tio n is to e x p e d it e a c o o r d ina te d em erg enc y re sponse g e n e ra te d by v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t i e s .

The o r g a n iz a tio n is composed o f ke y a g e n c ie s and o r g a n iz a tio n s 

w hic h a re mos t l i k e l y to be d i r e c t l y e ffe c te d by t h is 

ph enom enon a n d /o r ca n p ro v id e an em erg enc y s e r v ic e re s p o n s e , 

e ith e r d i r e c t ly or in d i r e c t l y , sh o u ld i t become n e c e s s a ry .

The p rim a ry o b je c tiv e s o f t h is o r g a n iz a tio n a re :

1. D ir e c t a c o o rd in a te d re sponse to m in im iz e th e p o t e n t ia l 

lo s s to human l i f e and p r o p e r ty .

2. Be d e c is iv e in d ir e c t in g manpower e f f o r t and co m m itm ent o f 

re s o u rc e s .

3. F a c il it a t e a c c u ra te and tim e ly exc hange o f id e a s and 

c o n c e rn s .

4. P ro v id e a c o n tin u u m o f d a ta flo w c o n c e rn in g ha zard a sse ssm en t, e v a lu a tio n , and d e c is io n .

5. U t i l i z e mo re e f f i c i e n t l y human and p h y s ic a l re s o u rc e s ~ 

e lim in a t in g d u p lic a t io n o f e f f o r t .

USFS DIRECTOR

The purp ose o f th e D ir e c to r is to p ro v id e command le a d e rs h ip 

and d ir e c t io n to th e o v e r a ll em erg enc y e f f o r t . The p o s it io n 

a s s u re s q u a lit y li n k a g e o c c u rs be tw een th e v a rio u s a g e n cie s and 

p r iv a t e o r g a n iz a tio n s . Dat a and s it u a t io n s a re q u ic k ly 

p ro c e s s e d , v e r i f i e d . Th e D ir e c to r e s ta b li s h e s p r i o r i t i e s and 

d ir e c t s th e l o g i s t i c a l and p o l i t i c a l ph as es o f work ta k in g in t o 

c o n s id e r a tio n th e s t a t u t o r y p u rp o s e s , g o a ls and o b je c tiv e s , and 

c o n s tr a in ts o f re s p e c tiv e o rg a n iz a tio n s and go vern m ent a g e n c ie s .

A m a jo r r e s p o n s ib ilit y is to a ssu re th e work is c a r r ie d o u t in 

a s a fe and w o rk m a n lik e m anner. C o o rd in a te s a g e n cie s and 

o r g a n iz a tio n s ' c o n tin g e n c y a c tio n s and d e v e lo p s and recom me nds 

an o v e r a ll c o n ti n g e n c y a c tio n p la n .

E s ta b li s h e s and m a in ta in s an e f f e c t iv e 2 4 -h o u r em erg enc y 

m o n it o rin g o p e ra tio n w ith q u a lif ie d in d iv id u a ls . D e velo ps 

p ro c e d u ra l met ho ds to a s s u re tim e ly and e f f e c t iv e d a ta flo w . 

E s ta b li s h e s and m a in ta in s key c o n ta c ts w ith a g e n c ie s and 

o r g a n iz a tio n s .

R e so lv e s m a n a g e ria l and o r g a n iz a tio n a l pro ble m s as th e y d e v e lo p .

C o o rd in a te s a c t i v i t y w ith F o re s t S u p e rv is o r who is in fo rm e d o f 

pro b le m s o r is s u e s o f m a jo r s ig n if ic a n c e .

U .S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Two a re as o f r e s p o n s ib ilit y ha ve been u n d e rta k e n by th e USGS in 

re sponse to th e c u r r e n t v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t i e s o f M t. S t. H e le n s : 

th e a n a ly s is o f v o lc a n ic hazard s and s c i e n t i f i c in v e s t ig a t io n s .

The s c i e n t i f i c in v e s t ig a t io n s are c o o rd in a te d by R o b e rt L . 

C h ris tia n s e n and are b e in g o rg a n iz e d in t o s e v e ra l s p e c if ic 

a c t i v i t y a re a s , o u tlin e d b e lo w :
108

O b s e rv a tio n a l V o lc a n o lo g y : M ak in g d e ta ile d o b s e rv a tio n s o f 

v o lc a n ic - v e n t a c t i v i t y and th e d is p e r s a l and d is p o s it io n o f th e 

r e s u lt in g p ro d u c ts ; m a in ta in in g c h r o n o lo g ic a l w r it t e n and 

p h o to g ra p h ic d o c u m e n ta ti o n o f th a t a c t i v i t y .

S e is m o lo g y : E s ta b li s h m e n t and m a in te n a n ce o f a s e is m o g ra p h ic 

n e tw o rk , re c o rd in g s e is m ic a c t i v i t y r e la te d to M t. S t. H e le n s , 

and p r e li m in a r y a n a ly s is o f th e s e is m ic d a ta .

D e fo rm a ti o n S tu d ie s : M easuring and re c o rd in g ch anges in th e 

p o s it io n and fo rm o f th e gro und s u rfa c e on th e v o lc a n o an d in 

i t s im m edia te v i c i n i t y .

E je c ta S tu d ie s : C o lle c tio n o f v o lc a n ic as h and o th e r s o lid 

m a te r ia ls e je c te d in v o lc a n ic e r u p tio n s and m ea su re m en t o f th e 

fe a tu r e s and p r o p e r tie s o f th e d e p o s it s th e y fo rm .

Gas and G eochem ic al S tu d ie s : C o lle c tio n and a n a ly s is o f ga se s 

and con de ns ed p a r t ic le s e m it te d by v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y , p r i n c i ­

p a lly by a e r ia l m et ho ds b u t, i f p o s s ib le , by d ir e c t s a m p lin g o f 

ga s v e n ts .

S u rfa c e -W a te r S tu d ie s : M ea su re m en t o f ch an ge s in s tre a m flo w in 

str eam s a ffe c te d by r u n o ff fr om th e v o lc a n o and th e c o lle c t io n 

and c h e m ic a l a n a ly s is o f a ffe c te d w a te rs .

Therm al E m is s io n S tu d ie s : C o o rd in a tin g a e r ia l in fr a r e d 

s u rv e y s , o b ta in in g a d d itio n a l th e rm a l m ea su re m en ts and m ak in g 

p r e li m in a r y in te r p r e ta tio n s o f th e r e s u lts in te rm s o f v o lc a n ic 

p ro c e s s e s .

The in fo r m a tio n c o lle c te d in th e s e in v e s tig a tio n s is in t e r ­

p re te d in o rd e r to p ro v id e in fo r m a tio n on th e c u r r e n t s ta tu s o f 

th e v o lc a n o fo r management d e c is io n s by th e F o re s t S e rv ic e and 

lo c a l a g e n c ie s and f o r th e a n a ly s is o f c u r r e n t o r p r o je c te d 

v o lc a n ic h a z a rd s .

A n a ly s is o f v o lc a n ic hazard s is c a r r ie d o u t d i r e c t l y a t USFS 

h e a d q u a rte rs fo r lo n g -ra n g e o u tlo o k , d a ily o u tlo o k , and fo r 

s p e c if ic ti m e s o r e v e n ts . The se e v a lu a tio n s are and w i l l be 

d is s e m in a te d th ro u g h o th e r a p p r o p r ia te a g e n cie s by t h e ir re p re ­

s e n ta tiv e s s ta tio n e d a t USFS o f f ic e s , and by ph on e c a lls to 

o th e r o f f i c i a l s who need to kn ow . P rim a ry a n a ly s e s are b e in g 

made by D. R. C ra n d e ll and D. R. M u ll in e a u x . In a d d itio n , 

C ra n d e ll is m ee ting w ith th e gro up s o f lo c a l o f f i c i a l s to 

e x p la in th e k in d s , m a g n itu d e s and lo c a tio n s o f p o t e n t ia l 

h a z a rd s .

USFS LOGISTICS

L o g is tic s is re s p o n s ib le f o r many o f th e o p e r a tio n a l, su ch as 

co m m u nic a tion to gro und and a ir a c t i v i t i e s . I t d ir e c t s and 

c o o rd in a te s th e a ir s u p p o rt s e rv ic e s w it h FAA in c lu d in g 

e s ta b li s h m e n t o f a ir s e c u r it y c lo s u re s .

I t p ro v id e s th e l o g i s t i c a l s u p p o rt fo r th e a i r arm in c lu d in g 

p h y s ic a l arr angem ents f o r p i l o t s , a i r c r a f t , f o r e s t o b s e rv e rs , 

and a t ti m e s th e p h y s ic a l c o n t r o l o f a i r c r a f t w ith in a f iv e 

m il e ra d iu s o f th e m o u n ta in . The a c tu a l a d m in is tr a tio n o f 

a ir s p a c e is work ed o u t w ith FAA on s p e c if ic needs.

T h is fu n c tio n w ork s c lo s e ly w ith U .S . G e o lo g ic a l S urv ey who 

p ro v id e s g e o lo g is ts who acco mpa ny tr a in e d a e r ia l o b s e rv e rs on 

m is s io n s to c o lle c t raw d a ta fr om th e m o u n ta in .
109

A ir c r a f t o b s e rv a ti o n s are tr a n s m it te d to L o g is tic s whe re d a ta 

is re c o rd e d on ta p es and in an o f f i c i a l lo g : A USGS g e o lo g is t 

a ls o re c o rd s t h is d a ta and makes an assessm ent o f th e in f o r ­

m a ti o n in te rm s o f s c i e n t i f i c v a lu e , v o lc a n ic ph en om en on , an 

p o t e n t ia l s ig n ific a n c e .

L o g is tic s makes o th e r arr a ng em en ts fo r p u rc h a s in g , s u p p ly , 

d e liv e r y , and p r o je c t s u p p o rt it e m s .

I t p ro c e s s e s raw d a ta and d e v e lo p s a S it u a t io n R e p o rt p e r io d ic a lly th ro u g h o u t th e 2 4 -h o u r s h i f t . The S it u a t io n R e p o rt is a 

ke y t o o l to d is s e m in a tin g in fo r m a tio n th ro u g h o u t th e ECC 

o r g a n iz a tio n .

A p ri m e fu n c tio n is to d e te rm in e th e s ig n if ic a n c e o f in com in g 

d a ta and a ssu re th e p ro p e r in d iv id u a ls a re in fo rm e d .

The u n it is a t th e d ir e c t d is p o s a l o f th e D ir e c to r who us es th e 

l o g i s t i c a l arm f o r u rg e n t d is p a tc h o f command d e c is io n s .

The o r g a n iz a tio n is p r e s e n tly com posed o f L o g is t ic C o o rd in a to r, 

A ir T r a f f i c M anager, C o m m unic atio ns, and o b s e rv e rs and 2-4 

re s o u rc e p e rs o n n e l.

Bec au se o f th e am ou nt o f raw d a ta re c e iv e d and access to 

g e o lo g ic in t e r p r e t a t io n , lo g is t ic s has a r o le in s e e in g th a t 

th e D ir e c to r is aw are o f p o t e n t ia l s a fe ty c o n s id e r a tio n s , and 

s p e c ia l re s o u rc e o r p o l i t i c a l c o n s id e r a tio n s .

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

The p rim a ry purp ose o f th e In fo r m a tio n C e n te r re g a rd in g th e M t. 

S t. H ele ns e ru p tio n is to g e t th e in fo r m a tio n to th e news m ed ia 

in a manner whe re th e y ca n u t i l i z e i t fo r t h e ir new spapers , 

r a d io and t e le v is io n r e p o r ts as needed. A f te r th e m o u n ta in 

f i r s t e ru p te d , n in e P u b li c In fo rm a tio n O f f ic e r (P IO ) p o s itio n s 

wer e e s ta b li s h e d to t r y to co ve r th e m assiv e am ou nt o f i n f o r ­

m a ti o n th a t was com in g in and b e in g d is s e m in a te d to th e news 

m e d ia . S in ce th a t tim e , (P IO ’ s) ha ve c u t back c o n s id e r a b ly . 

P re s e n tly th e re are tw o s h if t s o f tw o p e o p le and are w o rk in g 

fr o m 5 o 'c lo c k in th e m orn in g u n t i l m id n ig h t.

The o r i g in a l e f f o r t re q u ir e d w o rk in g o u t o f th e S u p e r v is o r 's 

O f f ic e . On A p r i l 4, 19 80 , th e (P IO 's ) moved th e te le p h o n e

a n s w e ri n g s e rv ic e and p re s s c o n fe re n c e s to th e S h ilo M o te l in 

V a n co u ve r. USFS and USGS have a lr e a d y had on e p re s s c o n fe re n c e 

and i t seems to ha ve w ork ed q u it e w e ll. What is ne ed ed now is 

to come up w it h a more d e f in i t i v e p la n in re g a rd s to how many 

p e o p le are ne ed ed f o r d i f f e r e n t phases o f in fo r m a tio n , 

de pe nd in g upon what th e m ou n ta in does.

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

The D epartm ent o f Emerge nc y S e rv ic e s has e s ta b li s h e d ro u te s o f 

com m u nic a tion to d is s e m in a te in fo r m a tio n to v a rio u s le v e ls o f 

g o v e rn m e n t.

A lia is o n p o s it io n is manned a t th e c e n te r to d is s e m in a te

in fo r m a tio n fr o m USFS and USGS to 

O p e ra ti o n s C e nte r in O ly m p ia . Data 

a g e n c ie s su ch as D e pa rt m e nt o f T r a n s p o r ta tio n , S ta te P a t r o l, 

D epartm ent o f N a tu r a l R e sou rc es, N a tio n a l G uard , C o un ty 

Em erge nc y S e rv ic e s , C o un ty S h e r if f s , e tc .

th e S ta te Emerge nc y 

is s e n t to a ffe c te d

64 -529 0 - 8 0 - 8
This two-way communication is a vital link in the early warning 

system and developing a quick response in case of an 

emergency. They have a responsibility to the general public to 

make them aware of potential disasters and precautions they can 

take.

Special requests and needs are processed through DES for 

logistical support. Because of the interaction of DES and 

County Sheriff offices, these positions are in direct physical 

proximity to each other.

In the event of power transmission failure, DES has the service 

of Clark County Amateur Radio Club (CCAR) or other communications which can send emergency messages. Their radio is 

manned by volunteers from CCAR Club. They operate through 

Washington Emergency Services, using 147.060-BAWFAW Repeaters. 

They then link with 3.978 frequency for National Service 

coverage.

Their function is to send out up-date situations and screen 

incoming radio data which may help evaluation of emergency 

cond itions.

CLARK, COWLITZ AND SKAMANIA SHERIFF LIAISON

An essential linkage from the ECC to the field is provided by 

two liaison positions representing three effected counties.

Hotlines have been established to assure 24-hour linkage with 

county sheriff offices. In addition, the respective Sheriffs 

have maintained personal contacts with the ECC from its 

inception.

Skamania County has maintained 24-hour manning of its hotline 

through two-12 hour shifts, and have represented Clark County 

in the coordination of activities. Cowlitz County hotline is 

manned 16-17 hours a day with Skamania County backing them up 

off-shifts.

The Sheriff's office personnel at the Coordinating Center 

disseminates information from USFS and USGS, PP&L and DES. 

This information is transmitted through hotlines to Kelso 

(Cowlitz County Sheriff) and Stevenson (Skamania County 

Sheriff).

The Sheriff is the front line and has prime responsibility in 

dealing with disasters. To date, the Sheriffs have developed 

or implemented evacuation plans (See Evacuation Plans) .

In addition to this preparation, the principal activities 

conducted by Sheriff liaisons have been:

1. Maintain quality flow of data between the organizations. 

Verifying data - Killing rumors and faulty information.

2. Coordinate logistics of roadblock and access control. 

Review road restriction at shift change 0600 and 1800 and 

make recommendation to Center Director after verifying 

field situations. Instructions for access control have 

been personally issued by the Director to assure public 

safety and uniform understanding of rules.
I ll

This coordination is an essential step for an effective

control of a ccess.

3. Screen requests for roadblock access, for USGS scientific 

community, private landowners, and industry.

4. Coordinate the movements of industrial equipment out of 

danger area.

5. Maintain public relations with media when appropriate.

6. Coordinate with State Patrol manning 504.

7. Receive information from Sheriffs for authenticity.

8. Evacuation plans have been developed by the respective 

sheriff's organization.

PACIFIC POWER AND LIGHT

The Swift Creek Hydroelectric Project of Pacific Power and 

Light Company, uppermost of three such projects on the Lewis 

River, is less than seven miles from timberline on the 

mountain. Properly operated in the event of an eruption, Swift 

Creek reservoir has the potential to impound mud and other 

volcanic debris resulting from the eruption; thereby greatly 

reducing the potential for downstream damage from these 

sources. Improperly coordinated with other agencies, the 

displacement of water impounded in the reservoir by mud or 

other debris during an eruption could result in additional 

risks.

Reporting action structure;

Reporting - coordinator reports directly to Elwood Hedberg, 

Vice President, power operations, and either through Hedberg or 

directly, to Robert Moench, Senior Vice President, engineering 

power operations. Day shift (Bacon, who can also function as 

spokesman) also reports through Director of Communications, 

Jack Mclssac, to PP&L President Eldon Drennan.

Action - A direct telephone line links the coordinating center 

with the six-state system dispatching center in Portland and 

the Lewis River dispatch center located at Merwin plant. Both 

centers have direct microwave communication with Swift control 

room.

Functions of Center;

1. There are two operators on duty at Swift. The center must 

obtain information concerning conditions on the mountain to 

enable them to evacuate, should conditions warrant.

2. Serve as company spokesman with the media.

3. Coordinate with other agencies.

4. Obtain data or other information from, and for, other 

agencies or company personnel.

5. Clear essential company personnel through roadblocks.
112

PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC

F o u n d a ti o n S c i e n c e s , I n c . , G e o t e c h n i c a l E n g i n e e r s , i s o p e r a t i n g 

fr o m t h e E m er ge nc y C o o r d i n a t i o n C e n te r t o a d v i s e P o r t l a n d 

G e n e r a l E l e c t r i c o f c o n d i t i o n s an d e v e n t s a t M t. S t . H e le n s . 

Th ey r e p o r t t o th e s h i f t s u p e r v i s o r a t T r o ja n p l a n t a b o u t e v e r y 

f o u r h o u r s o r whe n s i g n i f i c a n t e v e n t s o c c u r .

A h o t l i n e i s m a i n ta i n e d by F S I p e r s o n n e l on d u ty f o r 8 h o u r 

s h i f t s a ro u n d th e c l o c k . At p r e s e n t , s h i f t s a r e m an ne d by: D. 

H. G r is w o l d , d ay ; D a le Tim m on s, sw in g ; W. C . S i d l e , g r a v e y a r d . 

Th e wor k o f FS I p e r s o n n e l i s u n d e r th e d i r e c t i o n o f C li v e 

(R ic k ) K i e n l e , V o l c a n o l o g i s t , F S I .

Th ey h a v e b e e n s u p p l i e d w it h i n f o r m a t i o n on a c t i v i t i e s o f M t. 

S t . H e le n s by u p d a te s p r e p a r e d in t h e E m er gen cy C o o r d i n a t i o n 

C e n te r an d by o c c a s i o n a l s p o t r e p o r t s o f e v e n t s o f p a r t i c u l a r 

i n t e r e s t . T h e ir a d d i t i o n a l s o u r c e o f i n f o r m a t i o n i s P o r t l a n d 

S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y S e is m ic C e n t e r .

T h e ir b a s i c c o n c e r n i s a s h f a l l an d w in d d i r e c t i o n .

WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND WASHINGTON

STATE PATROL

Th e D e p a rt m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n (DOT) an d W a s h in g to n S t a t e 

P a t r o l (WSP) h av e a s s i s t e d t h e e m e rg e n c y c o o r d i n a t i o n e f f o r t 

s i n c e th e i n i t i a t i o n o f t h e ECC in p l a n n i n g , c o o r d i n a t i n g , an d 

im p le m e n ti n g o f ro a d s e c u r i t y m e a s u r e s .

A ls o , th e y i n i t i a t e d a p ro g ra m f o r s a f e p u b l i c v ie w in g a r e a s 

w h ic h to o k g r e a t p r e s s u r e fr o m ro a d c l o s u r e p o i n t s .

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS

G e n e r a l C om m en ts: P y r o c l a s t i c fl o w s o c c u r a t r a p i d r a t e s up t o 

7 0 - 2 0 0 m i le s p e r h o u r; t h u s i t i s e s s e n t i a l t h a t e v a c u a t i o n i s 

d o n e p r i o r to t h i s v o l c a n i c p h en o m en o n . B as ed on e v a l u a t i o n o f 

p r e v i o u s f l o w s , th e h i g h e s t p r o b a b i l i t y o c c u r s w i t h i n a r a d i u s 

t o 2 - 1 / 2 m i le s o f th e m o u n ta in an d i s c o n s i d e r e d Low Vo lum e 

F lo w .

A M o d e ra te Vo lum e Fl ow g e n e r a l l y r a d i a t e s o u t fr o m th e m o u n ta in 

f o r a p p r o x i m a t e ly 5 m i l e s . S h o u ld t h i s volu m e o c c u r , i t w ou ld 

e f f e c t an o c c u p a n t an d p r o p e r t y in th e S p i r i t L ak e a r e a . 

P r e s e n t l y HARRY TRUMAN i s th e o n ly o c c u p a n t o f th e a r e a an d h a s 

r e f u s e d to l e a v e .

H ig h Fl ow V ol um es h av e t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r p r o p e r t y d e s t r u c t i o n 

an d l o s s o f hum an l i f e i f p r e c a u t i o n s a r e n o t t a k e n .

Of m ai n c o n c e r n i s t h e tw o MAN PP&L CREW a t t h e dam s i t e . 

A d d i t i o n a l ma np ow er may be a t th e s i t e fr om PP&L d u e t o s e i s m i c 

a c t i v i t y i n t h a t a r e a . COMMUNICATION MUST be m a i n ta i n e d 1 0 0 

p e r c e n t .

Due to th e n a t u r e an d sp e e d o f t r a v e l o f PYROCLASTIC FLOWS - 

EVACUATION MUST BEGIN IMMEDIATELY a t t h e f i r s t i n d i c a t i o n o f 

p o t e n t i a l fl o w !
113

MUDFLOWS

G e n e r a l c o m m e n ts : M ud fl ow s c a n move a t s p e e d s r a n g i n g fr om 50 

m i le s p e r h o u r o r m or e on s t e e p s l o p e s t o 20 t o 3 0 m i le s p e r 

h o u r on lo w e r g r a d i e n t s . M udfl ow s mov e dow n r i v e r c h a n n e l s an d 

v a l l e y f l o o r s , an d c o u ld b e fo rm ed v e r y q u i c k l y an d w it h o u t 

w a r n in g . Th e a n t i c i p a t e d s p e e d o f m u d fl o w s o f l a r g e o r i n t e r ­

m e d i a te s i z e p r o b a b l y w ou ld n o t p e r m it e f f e c t i v e w a rn in g an d 

e v a c u a t i o n in a r e a s w i t h i n 5 0 m i l e s d o w n v a ll e y fr o m t h e v o lc a n o .

M ud fl ow s o f s m a ll vol um e a r e t h e m ost p r o b a b l e an d h av e th e 

h i g h e s t f r e q u e n c y . A re a s on th e f l a n k s o f th e v o lc a n o an d to a 

d i s t a n c e o f a b o u t 3 m i l e s b e y o n d i t s b a s e c o u ld b e a f f e c t e d . 

The y c a n be c a u s e d by t h e k in d o f v o l c a n i c a c t i v i t y t h a t i s 

g o in g on no w.

V a ll e y f l o o r s w i t h i n a d i s t a n c e o f 1 2 t o 1 5 m i l e s fr o m th e b a s e 

o f th e v o lc a n o c o u ld b e a f f e c t e d by l a r g e r , b u t l e s s f r e q u e n t , 

m u d fl o w s . M ud flow s l i k e t h e s e c o u ld b u ry r o a d s an d ma ke th em 

im p a s s a b l e , an d c o u ld c a r r y aw ay b r i d g e s an d b u ry s t r u c t u r e s in 

a r e a s th e y c o v e r . M udf lo w s o f t h i s s i z e o r l a r g e r a r e n o t 

a n t i c i p a t e d in th e im m e d ia te f u t u r e w it h th e k in d o f v o l c a n i c 

a c t i v i t y o c c u r r i n g no w.

M ud fl ow s o f l a r g e v o lu m e , b u t o f low f r e q u e n c y an d p r o b a b i l i t y , 

c o u ld a f f e c t th e f l o o r s o f th e v a l l e y s o f th e N o r th an d S o u th 

F o r k s o f th e T o u tl e R i v e r , an d th e K al am a R iv e r a t l e a s t a s f a r 

d o w n st re a m a s t h e i r m o u th s . A lt h o u g h t h e v a l l e y s o f S w i f t , 

P i n e , an d S m it h C re e k s an d t h e Muddy R iv e r c o u ld b e a f f e c t e d by 

m u d fl o w s , i t i s b e l i e v e d t h a t S w if t R e s e r v o i r i s now lo w en o u g h 

t o ac co m m oda te an y m ud fl ow o f p r e d i c t a b l e s i z e .

ASH FALL

As h c a n be e r u p t e d h ig h a b o v e th e v o lc a n o an d c a r r i e d by w in d s 

in d i f f e r e n t d i r e c t i o n s a t v a r i o u s a l t i t u d e s . D e p o s i t i o n o f 

th e a s h d e p e n d s on h e i g h t o f th e e r u p t i o n co lu m n an d w in d 

d i r e c t i o n s an d s p e e d s . A d v e rs e e f f e c t s o f a s h d e c r e a s e w it h 

d i s t a n c e fr om th e v o l c a n o , b u t i n c r e a s e w it h volu m e o f a s h 

e r u p t e d . C om pu te r p ro g r a m s a r e a v a i l a b l e t o p r e d i c t d i r e c t i o n s 

an d d i s t a n c e s o f a s h t r a n s p o r t by w in d a f t e r a m a jo r e r u p t i o n . 

F o r m e th o d s o f p r o t e c t i o n fr o m a s h f a l l , s e e p a g e s 17 an d 1 8 .

O f te n a s s o c i a t e d w it h LARGE a s h e r u p t i o n s a r e h ig h e n e rg y 

e l e c t r i c a l s t o r m s . LIGHTNING CAN BE A MAJOR HAZARD an d h as 

c a u s e d s i g n i f i c a n t l o s s o f l i f e in t h e p a s t . O p e r a t i o n s c l o s e 

to t h e m o u n ta in m u st t a k e t h i s f a c t o r i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
"ASH FALL" — C o n ti n g e n c y P la n 

MODERATE EMISSIONS

Who How

1.

2.

S i t u a t i o n U pdate s S h e e t DES

Ska m an ia

C o w li tz

C la rk

PPSL

PGE

H ot L in e

H ot L in e

W es t an d S o u th Q u a d ra n ts

Hot L in e

Hot L in e

Hot L in e

Hot L in e

a . In fo rm PP&L D is p a tc h e r PPSL 503-2 4 3 -7 0 2 3

Me rwin P la n t PPSL 2 0 6 -2 2 5 -8 1 9 1

b . In fo rm - T ro ja n PGE 5 0 3 -5 56-3 713 

E x t. 256

c . In fo rm - C o u n ti e s DES H ot L in e

3.

- F e d e r a l Em er ge nc y

M gt . A ge nc y DES H ot L in e

- Ore . S t a t e Em er ge nc y 

S e r v ic e s DES Hot L in e

- A ll S t a t e A g e n c ie s DES

1. Was h. S t a t e P a t r o l DES

2. D e p t. o f E co lo gy DES

3. D ep t. N a tu r a l

R e so u rc e s DES

4. D e p t. o f F i s h e r i e s DES

5. D e p t. o f Game DES

6. S o c ia l & H e a lt h S vcs DES

7. U t i l i t y & T ra n . Comm. DES

8 . DoT ( S ta te Hi gh wa y) DES

9. G o v e r n o r's O f fic e DES

10 . PCAA DES

11 . S t a t e P ark & R ec .

(C ity o f P o rtla n d ) DES 248-4 687

12 . M i l i t a r y D ep t. DES

13 . A rc h eo lo g y & H i s t o r i c DES

14 . S t a t e Commun. C o lle g e s DES

15. S t a t e U n i v e r s i t i e s DES

16 . L abor & I n d u s tr y DES

17. L t . Gov . DES

18. EPA DES

1 9 . US F is h & W ild lif e Svc DES

d . B u ll Run W a te rs h e d L o g is t i c s 668-8 52 8

NE Q u a d ra n t: Ya kima C ounty DES

S t a t e o f Id ah o DES

Who How

HEAVY EMISSIONS (25 m il e Zo ne)

1. In fo rm p e rs o n m an nin g Road C o n tro l

P o in ts

C o n sid e r E v a c u a ti o n

Co .

S h e r i f f

F .S .

Hot L in e 

R adio

PPSL

F .S . - Road C o n tr o l P o in ts 

S h e r i f f - Ro ad C o n tro l P o in ts 

O th e r s : ( i f a p p lic a b le )

Same a s A2 

p lu s 2 .

A d d itio n a l m u n ic ip a l s u p p l i e s : L o g is t i c s

N o te : DES w i l l in fo rm a p p r o p r ia te 

m u n ic ip a l w a te rs h e d s c o n c e rn in g 

ash f a l l . (S ee A ppe ndi x - 

M u n ic ip a l W a te rsh e d s P o t e n t i a l l y 

A f f e c te d .)

M ed ia C o n ta c ts

In fo rm o f S i t u a t i o n

3 PIO
115

T h is b u lle t in is fr om th e U .S . G e o lo g ic a l S urv e y and is f o r 

p la n n in g p u rp o s e s . I t is n o t in te n d e d to mean th a t a m ajo r 

v o lc a n ic e r u p tio n is im m in e n t.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A VOLCANO ERUPTS

MOST IMPORTANT — D o n 't p a n ic , ke ep ca lm .

I f v o lc a n ic as h b e g in s to f a l l h e a v ily :

S ta y in d o o rs

I f yo u are o u ts id e , seek s h e lt e r , su ch as a c a r o r b u ild in g

I f you can no t f in d s h e lt e r , b re a th e th ro u g h a c lo t h , su ch 

as a h a n d k e rc h ie f, p r e fe r a b ly a damp c lo th to f i l t e r o u t 

th e as h

When a ir is f u l l o f a s h , keep y o u r eye s c lo s e d as much as 

p o s s ib le

He avy f a l l s o f ash seld om la s t more th a n a fe w h o u rs , o n ly 

r a r e ly do th e y la s t a da y o r m or e.

A heavy f a l l o f as h may cause d a rk n e ss d u rin g d a y lig h t h o u rs , 

and may te m p o r a r il y in t e r f e r e w it h te le p h o n e , r a d io , and t e le ­

v is io n co m m u n ic a ti o n .

Do n o t t r y to d r iv e a c a r d u rin g a heavy f a l l o f ash . The 

cha nc e o f an a c c id e n t w i l l be in c re a s e d by po o r v i s i b i l i t y .

A t h ic k a c c u m u la ti o n o f as h c o u ld in c re a s e th e lo a d on r o o fs , 

and s a tu r a tio n o f as h by r a in c o u ld be an a d d itio n a l lo a d . Ash 

s h o u ld be remov ed fr om f l a t o r lo w -p it c h e d ro o fs to p re v e n t a 

t h ic k a c c u m u la ti o n .

V a lle y s th a t head a t a v o lc a n o may be th e ro u te s o f m ud flow s, 

w h ic h c a r r y b o u ld e rs and re sem ble w e t, flo w in g c o n c re te .

M udflow s ca n move f a s t e r th a n yo u ca n w a lk o r ru n , b u t yo u ca n 

d r iv e a ca r down a v a lle y fa s te r th a n a m udflow w i l l t r a v e l.

When d r iv in g alo n g a v a lle y th a t he ad s on a v o lc a n o , w atc h up 

th e r iv e r ch a n n e l and p a r ts o f th e v a lle y f lo o r fo r th e 

o c c u rre n c e o f m u d flo w s.

B e fo re c ro s s in g a hig hw ay b r id g e , lo o k u p s tr e a m . Do n o t c ro s s 

a b rid g e w h il e a m udflow is m oving be ne ath i t .

The danger fr om a m ud flow in c re a s e s as yo u ap pro ach a r iv e r 

c h a n n e l, and decre a ses as yo u move to h ig h e r g ro u n d .

R is k fr om m udflow s a ls o de cre a ses w ith in c r e a s in g d is ta n c e fr om 

a v o lc a n o .

I f yo u become is o la t e d , do n o t s ta y near th e r iv e r ch a n n e l — 

move u p s lo p e .

H azard s are g re a te s t a t th e v o lc a n o i t s e l f , and d im in is h w it h 

in c re a s in g d is ta n c e . D u rin g an e r u p tio n , move away fr o m a 

v o lc a n o , n o t to w a rd i t .
116

PRECAUTIONS TO DATE

F o r e s t S e r v ic e - 4 /1 /8 0

ECC - 4 /1 /8 0

Skam ania C ounty S h e r i f f

P in e C re ek R anger S t a t i o n beg an 

p h y s i c a l mov em en t o f p r o p e r ty to 

C h e la t c h ie t h i s d a y .

L o g g e rs an d c o n t r a c t o r s m ov in g 

e q u ip m e n t o u t w ith c lo s e 

c o o r d i n a ti o n w it h ECC - S h e r i f f - 

I P .

G iv en o r d e r s to N o rt h Wood U n it to 

v a c a te t h e i r r e s id e n c e s .

S t r i c t Ro ad C lo s u re s 

Im p le m en te d — R o a d s:

N90 - Lew is R iv e r

N81 8 - M e r r i l l Lak e

504 - Camp B aker

H ealy Rd e a s t o f C h e la tc h ie

N73 -

S t r i c t A ir s p a c e 

S e c u r i t y

M o n it o rin g Pro gra m

S e v e r a l A ssessm en t M e e ti n g s

E v a c u a ti o n P la n s

M ed ia E xch an ge

S t a t e o f Em erge nc y 

D e c la re d by G overn or

FAA an d FS

U o f W - S e is m ic D ata

USGS - D ata C o ll e c ti o n

DOE - A ir Q u a lity S am p li n g

DOE - W at er Q u a lity S am p li n g

N a t. G ua rd - I n f r a r e d P h o to

US F is h & W il d li f e Sv c - H a tc h e ry

T hese have b een a tt e n d e d by ECC 

mem be rs an d a f f e c t e d a g e n c ie s an d 

o r g a n i z a t i o n s . The y a re g e n e r a te d 

on an a s -n e e d e d b a s i s ( c o n t i n u i n g ) .

P re p a re d by r e s p e c t i v e C ounty 

S h e r i f f .

N um er ou s p u b li c in f o r m a tio n 

p ro g ra m s h av e b een c o n d u c te d by 

USGS, US FS, to in fo rm f o r e s t u s e r s 

o f p o t e n t i a l h a z a rd s an d c u r r e n t 

s i t u a t i o n .

A llow ed p a r t i a l a c t i v a t i o n o f 

g u a rd to a s s i s t w it h im m ed ia te 

c o n t r o l p ro b le m s . A u th o riz e d

o th e r S t a t e a g e n c ie s to a s s i s t .

EVACUATION PLAN FOR COWLITZ COUNTY

Th e fo llo w in g d a ta d e s c r i b e s th e e v a c u a tio n :

Who How

1. COUGAR

F ir e D i s t r i c t #7 w i l l 

e v a c u a te th e to w n. 

B ro c h u re s hav e b een g iv e n 

to r e s i d e n t s d e s c r ib in g 

th e p r o c e s s

C o w li tz Co . 

S h e r i f f

1. Hot L in e

2. 2PC p -’7-

30 93
FIRE ALARM w i l l s i g n a l 

e v a c u a ti o n i s in p r o c e s s .

F ir e D i s t r i c t 2 3 8 - 5 2 2 6 

2 3 1 - 4 2 3 7 

2 3 8 - 5 2 2 7 

2 3 8 - 5 2 2 4

P e rs o n n e l w i l l a ss e m b le a t 

YALE SCHOOL a p p ro x im a te ly 

f i v e m il e s w es t o f C o u g a r.

A d d it io n a l i n s t r u c t i o n s w i l l 

be g iv e n and e v a c u e e s w i l l 

p ro c e e d to AMBOY by g o in g 

s o u th on 50 3 th ro u g h 

C h e l a t c h i e .

2 . TOUTLE

F i r e D i s t r i c t #3 w i l l re sp o n d C o w li tz Co . 

and e v a c u a te th e town

Ho t L in e

A FIR E ALARM w i l l g iv e 

w a rn in g . P e rs o n s w i l l be 

c o n t a c te d by ph on e o r in 

p e r s o n . They a re to 

p ro c e e d w es t on 5 0 4 an d 

a ss e m b le a t CASTLE ROCK.

F i r e D i s t . 2 7 4 - 8 5 4 8

G e n e ra l In fo rm a ti o n : Tem po ra ry h o u si n g has bee n a rr a n g e d a t 

th e C as ca de M id dl e S ch o o l in Lo ng vie w a s w e ll a s th e Co lu m bi a 

H e ig h ts Ass em bl y o f God C hu rc h in L on gv ie w . The S a lv a ti o n Army 

ha s v o lu n te e r e d to p r o v id e fo od to th e e v a c u e e s .

In th e e v e n t o f an em er g en c y , th e C o w li tz C ou nt y S h e r i f f ’s 

O f f ic e w i l l n o t i f y p r i v a t e lo g g in g o p e r a t i o n s .

USAF P a r a r e s c u e 3 04 ARRS i s a v a i l a b l e fo r em er ge nc y a i r l i f t 

o p e r a t i o n s th ro u g h C ou nt y S h e r i f f ’s and D ep a rt m en t o f Em erge nc y 

S e r v ic e s r e q u e s t . O p e r a ti o n s ne ed to be c o o r d in a te d th ro u g h 

FAA.

L o c a l r a d io s t a t i o n s ha ve be en a l e r t e d .

Ham r a d i o o p e r a to r s an d CB’ r s a re in o p e r a t i o n .

EVACUATION PLANS FOR LOGGING OPERATIONS

To d a t e , c lo s e c o o r d i n a t i o n ha s e x i s t e d bet w ee n th e ECC an d th e 

p ri m a ry i n d u s t r i a l co m pa ni es ? e . g . , B u r li n g to n N o rth e r n , 

W e y e rh a e u se r, an d I n t e r n a t i o n a l P a p e r , a s w e ll a s s m a ll e r 

c o m p a n ie s.

T he se co m pa ni es a r e m a in ta in in g d i r e c t co m m u n ic at io n s w it h 

t h e i r f i e l d p e r s o n n e l. In th e e v e n t o f a ne ed to EVACUATE, 

th e y sh o u ld be d i r e c t l y c o n ta c te d by USFS LOG ISTI CS. R e fe r to 

p ag e 26 wh ich e s t a b l i s h e s p r i o r i t i e s f o r i n d i v i d u a l com pan y 

c o n t a c t s . S i m i l a r l y , th e DNR an d S t . H e le n s D i s t r i c t Ra ng er 

s h o u ld be in fo rm ed im m e d ia te ly o f th e s i t u a t i o n s .

At t h i s ti m e , i t a p p e a rs t h a t th e g e n e r a l p u b li c w i l l be 

e x c lu d e d fro m some o p e r a t i o n a r e a s ; b u t lo g g in g o p e r a t i o n s w i l l 

be p e r m it te d a c c e s s a s lo ng as WAIVERS a r e s ig n e d , an d 

c o n s t r a i n t s , su ch a s d i r e c t c o m m u n ic a ti o n s, a r e m e t.

DNR, w or ki ng c l o s e l y w it h t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e s h e r i f f d e p a rt m e n t 

an d a f f e c t e d i n d u s t r i e s , sh o u ld work o u t em er ge nc y EVACUATION
118

PROCEDURES f o r a l l S t a t e an d p r i v a t e l a n d s l i k e l y to be 

a f f e c t e d .

S i m i l a r l y , th e G i f f o r d P i n c h o t N a t i o n a l F o r e s t , th r o u g h th e 

D i s t r i c t R a n g e r, s h o u ld w or k o u t s i m i l a r a r r a n g e m e n t s w it h 

t h e i r c l i e n t a l on F e d e r a l l a n d s .

FOR A QUICK EVACUATION RESPO NSE, THERE WILL BE A NEED TO KNOW 

LOCATION OF FIELD OPERATIONS DAI LY.

D e p a rt m e n t o f E m er ge nc y S e r v i c e s i s in th e p r o c e s s o f 

d e v e lo p i n g a b a c k u p s y s te m u t i l i z i n g EBS r a d i o c a p a c i t y t o 

ALERT WORKERS AND GENERAL PUBLIC s h o u ld an e v a c u a t i o n be 

n e c e s s a r y .

Th e i n t e n t i s to h a v e i n d u s t r i a l o p e r a t o r s tu n e d i n t o 

e s t a b l i s h e d r a d i o p ro g ra m s h o u ld an e m e rg e n c y m e s s a g e be co m e 

n e c e s s a r y .

DES w i l l e x p lo r e t h i s p o s s i b i l i t y an d d e v e lo p a b r o c h u r e o r 

h a n d o u t to e x p l a i n t h e s y s te m t o p e r s o n s l i k e l y t o n ee d th e 

d a t a .

T h is in f o r m a t i o n w i l l be co m e an i n t r i c a l p a r t o f th e 

C o n ti n g e n c y P la n whe n d e v e lo p e d .

R e fe r to "Q u ic k C a l l Up R e s p o n s e " , p a g e 26 f o r key t e l e p h o n e 

c o n t a c t s to i n d u s t r y .

B o th USFS L o g i s t i c s an d DES w i l l c o n t a c t l o g g i n g o p e r a t o r s .

Th e DNR an d USFS S T . HELENS RANGER w i l l h av e p r i m a r y 

r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o in f o r m o p e r a t o r s on t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e a r e a s .

OPERATION OF EMERGENCY COORDINATING CENTER IN A SURVEILLANCE

MODE:

A g r e a t d e a l o f k n o w le d g e an d e x p e r i e n c e h a s b e e n g a in e d s i n c e 

t h e i n i t i a l v o l c a n i c a c t i v i t y , M ar ch 2 0 , 1 9 8 0 . Of p a r t i c u l a r

s i g n i f i c a n c e i s t h e a b i l i t y o f A g e n c ie s an d ke y O r g a n i z a t i o n s 

t o wor k in an i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y m od e.

P r e s e n t l y a l l ECC m em be rs h av e q u a l i f i e d i n d i v i d u a l s t o man on 

a 2 4 h o u rs b a s i s . T h e s e i n d i v i d u a l s know t h e s y s te m an d t h e 

v i t a l l i n k a g e a r r a n g e m e n t s w it h t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e o p e r a t i o n s .

B a se d on r e c e n t d i s c u s s i o n s w it h USGS p e r s o n n e l , i t a p p e a r s 

t h a t c u r r e n t m o n i to r in g d e v i c e s an d a s s e s s m e n t o f d a t a s h o u ld 

g i v e a 3 - 4 h o u r w a rn in g p r i o r t o a m a jo r e r u p t i o n . W h il e t h i s 

i s no g u a r a n t e e , i t d o e s se em r e a l i s t i c b a s e d on c u r r e n t 

v o l c a n i c b e h a v i o r .

T h u s , r e d u c in g th e c u r r e n t o r g a n i z a t i o n se em s r e a s o n a b l e a s 

lo n g a s a " f a i l s a f e " q u ic k a c t i v a t i o n s y s te m i s m a i n t a i n e d .

T he f o l l o w i n g i n f o r m a t i o n d e s c r i b e s t h e s u r v e i l l a n c e m ode:

A . P h y s i c a l a r r a n g e m e n t s

1 . C o n ti n u e t o u s e th e L o g i s t i c o p e r a t i o n s a s th e n e r v e 

c e n t e r i n t h e G i f f o r d P i n c h o t S u p e r v i s o r ' s O f f i c e . 

P r o v i d e mi ni m um l e v e l o f m an n in g t o a c t i v a t e s y s te m on 

2 4 - h o u r b a s i s .
119

2 . C o n ti n u e to u t i l i z e th e S. O . c o n fe re n c e roo m fo r USGS 

p e r s o n n e l and t h e i r o p e r a t i o n .

3 . Kee p Ho t l i n e phon es a v a i l a b l e fo r q u ic k c a l l up and 

e m e rg e n c ie s d is p a tc h (t h e s e ph on es w i l l n o t n o rm all y 

be man ned in a SURVEILLANCE MODE u n le s s th e r e a re 

s p e c i a l n e e d s ).

4 . M ed ia c o v e ra g e - th e F o re s t PIO w i l l c o n ti n u e to 

c o o r d in a te w it h U .S . G e o lo g ic a l S u rv ey to a s s u r e 

ti m e ly in fo rm a ti o n fl o w , and e s t a b l i s h a l o c a t i o n t h a t 

m in im iz es th e im p act on F o re s t O p e r a ti o n s .

B. M an nin g:

USFS P ro v id e 2 4 -h o u r c o v e ra g e , a t a re d u c ed ma nn ing

l e v e l , t h a t w i l l a c t i v a t e th e ECC o p e r a ti o n 

sh o u ld an em er ge nc y a r i s e .

USGS P ro v id e e s s e n t i a l p e rs o n n e l f o r f i e l d m o n it o rin g ,

s c i e n t i f i c e v a lu a tio n an d h az ard a s s e s s m e n t.

P ro v id e p e r i o d i c m ed ia r e p o r t s ---- c o o r d in a te

e f f o r t w it h F o r e s t PIO .

M a in ta in li n k a g e h o t l i n e in U n iv e r s it y o f 

W ash in g to n .

PP&L W il l c o n ti n u e to man a 2 4 -h o u r h o t l i n e a s an

in te r im m eas ure u n t i l f u r t h e r s t a b i l i t y o f th e 

s i t u a t i o n i s a c h ie v e d .

PGE W il l m a in ta in t h e i r h o t l i n e u n t i l t h e i r p l a n t i s

s h u t down f o r no rm al m a in te n a n c e .

SHERIFF S'

OFFICES W il l c o n tin u e to a s s i s t in th e ro ad s e c u r i t y 

w it h in t h e i r a u t h o r i t i e s and c o n s t r a i n t s and 

c o o r d in a te w it h o th e r s t a t e a g e n c ie s a s s i s t i n g 

w it h t h i s jo b . S h e r i f f ' s and S t a t e P a t r o l w i l l 

c o n ti n u e to c o o r d in a te t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e e f f o r t .

I t w i l l n o t be n e c e s s a ry to man th e 2 4 -h o u r h o t 

l i n e w h il e in t h i s mo de. I f a c t i v a t i o n i s 

n e c e s s a r y , th e y w i l l im m ed ia te ly r e i n s t a t e th e 

2 4 -h o u r h o t l i n e .

DES W il l m a in ta in a 2 4 -h o u r Duty O f f ic e r in Oly mpi a

who w i l l c o n t a c t th e a p p r o p r i a t e p e r s o n n e l to man 

th e ECC o p e r a tio n sh o u ld an a c t i v a t i o n bec om e 

n e c e s s a r y .

C. Sy st em to U pd at e Em er ge nc y C o o rd in a ti o n C e n te r P e rs o n n e l

an d A ff e c te d L og gi ng Co m pa ni es : z

USGS w i l l p r e p a re a d a i l y u p d a te by 0 9 00 w h il e in a 

SURVEILLANCE MODE. T h is in f o rm a ti o n w i l l be s u p p li e d to 

th e F o re s t PIO who w i l l fo rw ar d i t to DES by 1 0 00 ea ch d ay .

DES, in t u r n , w i l l se e t h a t a l l a g e n c ie s l i s t e d on p ag e s 15 

an d 1 6 , it em A .2 c o f Ash F a l l P la n a re ti m e ly in fo rm ed and 

d a ta g e t s to w or kin g l e v e l s .

USFS w i l l se e d a ta g e t s to S t . H ele n s R an ge r D i s t r i c t .
120

PP&L an d PGE w i l l p ic k up h ard c o p ie s a t th e G if fo r d 

P in c h o t S u p e r v is o r 's O ff ic e e a c h m o rn in g .

DNR w i l l se e t h a t m aj or lo g g in g co m pa ni es a r e in fo rm ed o f 

u p d a te s .

NOTE: DES ca n be re a ch ed th ro u g h 7 5 3 -5 2 5 5 .

D. FAA C o n ta c ts fo r P r i o r i t y :

FAA sh o u ld s t i l l r e q u ir e f l i g h t p la n s an d ad va nc ed 

n o t i f i c a t i o n o f 6 to 12 h o u rs fo r a l l s tu d y a i r c r a f t and 

F o re s t S e r v ic e a i r c r a f t .

USGS p la n e s and h e l i c o p t e r s sh o u ld ha ve f i r s t p r i o r i t y fo r 

g e o l o g ic a l s tu d i e s b ein g c o n d u c te d on th e m o u n ta in .

F o re s t S e rv ic e a i r c r a f t sh o u ld ha ve se co nd p r i o r i t y fo r 

p h o to g ra p h y and VIP v i s i t s u n t i l su ch ti m e t h a t f i r e se aso n 

has be en d e c la re d or f i r e p e rs o n n e l o f th e G if fo r d P in c h o t 

N a ti o n a l F o re s t deem i t n e c e s s a r y to kee p a i r s u r v e i l l a n c e 

du e to f i r e t h r e a t b e c a u s e o f a c t i v i t y c r e a te d by th e 

m o u n ta in . T h is sh o u ld a l s o in c lu d e a i r d e t e c t i o n fo r th e 

'o v e r a l l F o re s t p r o t e c t i o n f l i g h t r o u te whi ch w i l l be p u t in 

a f i r e p la n p r i o r to f i r e s e a s o n .

T h ir d p r i o r i t y sh o u ld be f o r a e r i a l o p e r a tio n s d i r e c t l y 

a s s o c i a t e d w it h m o n it o ri n g th e e n v ir o n m e n t, su ch as t h a t * 

c u r r e n t l y bei n g do ne by PGE.

Med ia nee ds sh o u ld fo ll o w p r i o r i t i e s 1 th ro u g h 3 .

FAA n ee d s to be n o t i f i e d o f any as h t h a t i s v e n te d ab ov e 

2 0 ,0 0 0 f e e t or t h a t g o es dow nwind 2 ,0 0 0 f e e t ab ov e gro und 

o v er a 20 m il e r a d iu s f o r a i r c r a f t s a f e t y p u r p o s e s .

E. I n te r im G ui de s fo r R o ad blo ck s - M t. S t . H el en s A re a :

50 4 & 50 5 S t a r t i n g on A p ril 5 fo r a p p ro x im a te ly 2 w ee ks , 

w i l l be ma nned a t th e c u r r e n t l e v e l o f p e rs o n n e l 

w it h 24 ho ur c o v e ra g e . The unm ann ed ro ad

b lo c k ad e w i l l re m ai n a t MP 3 5 . P e rs o n n e l

ma nn ing t h a t ro a d b lo c k w i l l be a m ix tu re o f 

N a ti o n a l G uar d, W as hi ng to n S t a t e P a t r o l , 

F i s h e r i e s , and Game D ep ar tm en t (W as hin gt on S ta te 

D ep ar tm en t o f T r a n s p o r ta tio n w i l l e x p lo re a 

g a ti n g o f Hig hw ay 50 4 n ear th e 36 to 42 m ark er.

C r i t e r i a o f A c c e ss: 1. W o rk er s.

2 . Ho me ow ne rs, r e s id e n c e s , 

c a b in o w n ers .

3 . Em erge nc y v e h i c l e s .

50 3 (J a c k 's S to re ) - A ll ro a d b lo c k s and b a r r i c a d e s w i l l be

man ned by th e W as hi ng to n S t a t e P a t r o l and 

N a ti o n a l G u ar d . W il l be d is c o n ti n u e d a t 1 8 0 0 , 

Apr i l 8 .

N8 18 - U .S . F o r e s t S e rv ic e w i l l s ig n N8 18 e f f e c t i v e 

A p ril 8 .

N90 - The g a te on S w if t C anal w i l l re m ain c lo s e d u n t i l

a p p ro x im a te ly A p r i l 9 an d th e n man ned 

a p p ro x im a te ly A p ril 10 and th e n a c c e s s w i l l be 

by a d is c la im e r r e l e a s e fo rm .
C r i t e r i a o f A c c e s s : 1 . W o rk e rs .

2 . C ab in o w n e rs .

3 . Em erge nc y v e h i c l e s .

N7 3 - G at e w i l l re m ai n ma nne d f o r a p p ro x im a te ly 2

w ee ks . A cc es s w i l l be by d is c la im e r r e l e a s e 

fo rm .

C r i t e r i a o f A c c e s s : 1 . W o rk e rs .

2 . C ab in o w n e rs .

3 . Em er ge nc y v e h i c l e s .

NOTE:

(1 ) Road c o n t r o l n ee d s w i l l no d o u b t ch an g e d u rin g th e 

im p le m e n ta ti o n o f th e c o n ti n g e n c y p l a n . Any ch a n g es w i l l 

r e q u i r e c l o s e an d ti m e ly c o o r d in a ti o n by a f f e c t e d 

a g e n c i e s . Road s e c u r i t y w i l l bec om e i n c r e a s i n g l y mo re 

d i f f i c u l t as snow r e c e d e s .

(2 ) A ll ECC me mb ers a g re e d th e p r e s e n t sy st em o f d is s e m in a ti n g 

in f o rm a ti o n i s g o o d , i . e . , "SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE" to m ed ia 

an d c r o s s - c o o r d i n a t i n g p la n s an d d i r e c t i o n . T h is w i l l 

c o n ti n u e to be an ECC o b j e c t i v e .

Sk am an ia C o u n ty 's W ai ve r Fo rm at w i l l be in c lu d e d in th e 

C o n ti n g e n c y P la n when i t i s a v a i l a b l e . T h is fo rm i s to be 

c o m p le te d by p e rs o n s e n t e r i n g ro ad c o n t r o l p o i n t s .

EMERGENCY ACTIVATION MODE - "QUICK CALL UP RESPONSE"

I t i s e s s e n t i a l t h a t a l l ECC mem bers co mm it th e m s e lv e s to a 1 - 2 

h o u rs re s p o n s e ti m e s h o u ld em er ge nc y m e a su re s bec om e 

n e c e s s a r y . To m ee t t h i s re s p o n s e ti m e , i t may be n e c e s s a r y to 

d e v e lo p a st a n d b y or c a l l s t a t u s f o r ke y p e o p le ; ho w ev er , t h i s 

w ou ld be a t th e d i s c r e t i o n o f ea ch ag en cy o r o r g a n i z a t i o n . 

Ea ch ag en cy m us t k ee p l o g i s t i c s d a i l y in fo rm ed o f t h e i r ke y 

(q u ic k re s p o n s e ) p e r s o n n e l 's lo c a ti o n !

D u ri n g t h i s c a l l - u p m od e, i t i s im p e r a ti v e t h a t k n o w le d g e ab le 

p e r s o n s who ha ve be en in d i r e c t s u p p o rt o f c u r r e n t a c t i v i t i e s 

by th e ke y p l a y e r s . THE ACTIVATION PERIOD SHOULD NOT BE A TIME 

FOR TRAINING.

M an nin g wo uld be s i m i l a r to a f i r e , w he re a l l ke y i n d i v i d u a l s 

re s p o n d . The f i r s t s h i f t wo uld n o rm a ll y be e x te n d e d w it h a 

DEFINITE SHIFT SCHEDULE a f t e r a 2 4 -h o u r p e r i o d .

The USFS LOGISTICS w i l l m a in ta in a minimum s i z e cr ew on a 24 

hour b a s is to i n i t i a t e th e "Q ui ck C a ll Up R es pon se " i f 

n e c e s s a r y . A g en c ie s an d o r g a n i z a t i o n s w i l l be c o n ta c te d in th e 

f o ll o w in g p r i o r i t y :
122

ACTIVATE THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL:

A. U .S . NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE ;

USFS LOG ISTICS (24 h r . ) .........................

I n f o r m a tio n ..................................................

P a u l Ste nkam p - F i r e .........................

Ji m U n te rw eg n er - P u b lic

I n f o r m a t i o n ............................. . . .

G eorg e T h e is e n - F ir e ..........................

Mike Lo wry - F i r e ...................................

Ed Osm ond - SO S t a f f ..............................

L in d a Weim er - F i r e ..............................

K en n eth Jo h n so n - D i s t r i c t R a n g e r.

Ben H u rl im an .............................................

E var K n u d ts o n .............................................

DAY

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 7 5

206 -6 9 6 -7 5 0 0

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 1 8

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 0 5

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -0 7 2 8

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 7 5

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 2 4

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -0 7 2 7

206-

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 4 4

20 6 -6 9 6 -7 5 1 6

NIGHT

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -2 3 9 7

2 0 6 -5 7 3 -6 7 6 4

2 0 6 -6 9 4 -2 2 8 2

2 0 6 -6 9 4 -9 1 1 5

2 0 6 -5 7 3 -6 5 4 3

5 0 3 -2 4 9 -8 1 0 7

2 0 6 -6 8 7 -5 5 0 7

2 0 6 -8 9 2 -0 2 6 3

2 0 6 -2 5 6 -3 5 9 1

B. USGS (2 4 Hou r C o v e ra g e ):

Roc ky C r a n d e ll .............................................

Don M u ll in e a u x .............................................

Dan M i l le r .............................................

R ic k H o b l i t t .............................................

Bob C h r i s t ia n s o n ...................................

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 6 6 8

206 -6 9 6 -7 6 6 8

206 -6 9 6 -7 6 6 8

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 6 6 3

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -7 6 6 3

C. COUNTY SHERIFF S:

C la rk C o u n ty D is p a tc h e r (24 h r s ) . 

B u s in e s s Number ...............................

2 0 6 -6 9 9 -2 2 0 7

2 0 6 -6 9 9 -2 2 1 1

C o w li tz C ounty D is p a tc h e r (24 h r s . ) 

O f f ic e ..................................................

20 6 -5 7 7 -3 0 9 0

2 0 6 -5 7 7 -3 0 9 2

Skam an ia C ounty D is p a tc h e r (2 4 h rs ) 1 -8 0 0 -5 7 2 -9 8 3 2

50 9 -4 2 7 -5 6 2 6

L ew is C o u n ty D is p a tc h e r (24 h r s . ) . 20 6 -7 4 8 -8 8 8 7

D. PA CIFIC POWER AND LIGHT;

S y ste m s D is p a tc h e r (24 h r s . ) . . .

E. DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SER VIC ES:

B u s in e s s H ours ...............................

A f te r H ou rs ........................................

5 0 3 -2 4 3 -7 0 2 3

2 0 6 -7 5 3 -5 2 5 5

2 0 6 -7 5 3 -5 9 9 0

F . WASHINGTON STATE PATROL;

(24 h r s . ) .................... 2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 1 6 2

G. WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF 

TRANSPORTATION:

D ic k Cof fm an ..................................................

Don Cox ............................................................

D ic k C a r r o ll ..................................................

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 7 6 1

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 7 6 2

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 6 2 1

20 6 -6 9 3 -5 7 8 9

206 -6 9 5 -8 8 6 4

20 6 -5 7 4 -2 3 7 0

H. PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC: 

S h i f t S u p e rv is o r (24 h r s . ) . 5 0 3 -5 5 6 -3 7 1 3 (E x t 25 6)

I . DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES: 

Ken He rm an 7 7 L 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 .

Jo h n DeMeyer - C a s tle Ro ck . . . 

N e al Sm it h .......................................................

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 6 4 4

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 6 4 4

2 0 6 -6 9 6 -6 6 4 4

2 0 6 -5 7 4 -4 9 2 8

2 0 6 -4 5 6 -4 7 0 8

2 0 6 -2 7 4 -8 5 6 7

J . NATIONAL GUARD:

( L ia is o n w /F .S . in S .O .)

K. BURLINGTON NORTHERN:

D ic k F ro h n e ..................................................

R oger Wimer ..................................................

G re g Sw an so n ..................................................

2 0 6 -6 3 6 -2 6 5 0

2 0 6 -6 3 6 -2 6 5 0

2 0 6 -6 3 6 -2 6 5 0

20 6 -4 2 5 -9 9 5 3

2 0 6 -6 36-1 076

2 0 6 -4 2 3 -5 3 5 1
DAY NIGHT

WEYERHAUSER:

Ja c k S c h o rn in g - Lon gv ie w 

Ji m Ro mb ach - Lon gv ie w . 

R oss Graha m - Lon gv ie w . 

Bob W il li a m s - Lon gv ie w

2 0 6 -4 2 5 -2 1 5 0 

E x t. 690 

2 0 6 -4 2 5 -2 1 5 0 

E x t. 676 

2 0 6 -4 2 5 -2 1 5 0 

E x t. 676 

2 0 6 -4 2 5 -2 1 5 0 

E x t. 589

2 0 6 -4 2 3 -3 5 6 1

5 0 3 -5 5 6 -3 8 0 1

2 0 6 -6 7 3 -5 3 5 6

2 0 6 -6 3 6 -2 3 2 2

INTERNATIONAL PAPER:

F ra n k Pu m pr ey (L o n g v ie w ).....................

P e te Q u a s t, Lon gv ie w ...............................

Don W ar d, Lon gv ie w ....................................

C h e la tc h ie P r a i r i e

(C lo se d 0 0 0 1 -0 6 0 0 )..........................

(Go od 2 4 - h r s .) 

2 0 6 -2 4 7 -5 4 1 1 

2 0 6 -2 4 7 -5 4 1 1 

2 0 6 -2 4 7 -5 4 1 1

2 0 6 -2 4 7 -5 4 1 9

2 0 6 -2 6 9 -4 5 9 1

2 0 6 -6 8 6 -3 3 7 1

2 0 6 -6 8 7 -3 9 0 1

ALERT MODE

L h ti l such chan ges oc cu r and w hile th e volcano is in a low le v e l 

o f a c tiv ity , th e fo llo wing per so nn el may be conta ct ed throug h 

th e numbers lis te d below . The answ ering se rv ic e w ill co nn ect 

th e c a ll in g part y to th e U. S. F ore st Se rv ice Duty O ff ic er on 

c a lls a f te r 5:00 p.m.

Duty O ff ic er Day Night

(1) U.S . Fore st Se rv ice L o g is ti cs 

Coo rd in ator

206 696-7575 

206 696-0727

206 694-6421

(2) U.S . Ge olog ica l Survey 206 696-766 3 206 694-6421
124

APPENDIX ( E x h ib its )

EXHIBIT #1

ORDER

OCCUPANCY AND USE

GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST

P u rs u a n t to 36 CFR S e c tio n 2 6 1 .5 0 ( a ) , th e f o llo w in g a c t i s 

p r o h i b i t e d on th e a re a d e s c r ib e d on th e a tta c h e d m ap , E x h ib it 

A, o f t h i s o r d e r , th e s l o p e s o f M t. S t . H e le n s ab o v e t r e e o r 

t i m b e r l i n e , a l l w ith in th e S t . H e le n s R anger D i s t r i c t o f th e 

G if f o r d P in c h o t N a tio n a l F o r e s t , u n t i l f u r t h e r n o t i c e , to 

p r o t e c t th e F o r e s t u s e r fr om a v a la n c h e h a z a r d s .

E n te r in g i n t o o r b e in g up on an y a re a w hic h i s c lo s e d fo r 

th e p r o t e c t i o n o f p u b l i c s a f e t y , 36 CFR 2 6 1 .5 3 ( e ) .

P u rs u a n t to 36 CFR S e c . 2 6 1 .5 0 ( e ) , th e fo llo w in g p e r s o n s a re 

exem pt fr om t h i s o r d e r :

(1 ) Any F e d e r a l , S t a t e , o r l o c a l o f f i c e r , o r memb er o f an 

o rg a n iz e d re s c u e o r f i r e f i g h t i n g f o r c e in th e 

p e rf o rm a n c e o f an o f f i c i a l d u ty .

Done a t V ancouver , W ash in g to n

ROBERT D. TOKARCZYK

F o r e s t S u p e rv is o r

G if f o r d P in c h o t N a tio n a l F o r e s t

V io la t io n o f th e s e p r o h i b i t i o n s is p u n is h a b le by a f i n e o f n o t 

mor e th a n $ 5 0 0 .0 0 o r im p ri so n m e n t f o r n o t m or e th a n s i x m onth s 

o r b o th . T i t l e 16 USC S e c tio n 551.

126

EXHIBIT #2

SPECIAL VOLCANIC ERUPTION 

DISASTER PLAN

ST. HELENS RANGER DISTRICT 

GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST

INTRODUCTION;

On March 20 , 19 80 , an e a rth q u a k e , m ea su re d a t 4.2 on th e R ic h te r 

S c a le , was re c o rd e d as havin g i t s e p ic e n te r w it h in Mt. S t. Helen s 

S e is m o to li g is ts m o n it o ri n g th e qu ak es ha ve rec o rd e d a d d itio n a l 

eart h q u ak es o f a t l e a s t th e same m ag nitud e every da y s in c e th e 

f i r s t quak e. Tr em or s le s s th a n 3.0 on th e R ic h te r S c a le are 

o c c u rri n g a t ab out 1 m in ute i n te r v a ls sin c e th e f i r s t quak e.

The U. S. G eo lo g ic al S e rv ic e sa ys th a t eart h q u ak e s s im ila r to 

th e se u s u a ll y pre ced e some k in d o f v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y . T hi s p la n 

d e s c rib e s th e a c ti o n to be ta k e n and th e c o n ta c ts to be made in 

th e event o f an e r u p ti o n .

RESPONSIBILITY:

D i s t r i c t Ra ng er

The D i s t r i c t Ran ge r o r h is a c ti n g is r e s p o n s ib le f o r :

a. The w e lf a re and s a fe e v a c u a ti o n o f d i s t r i c t em pl oy ee s and 

t h e i r f a m ilie s , th e g e n e ra l p u b lic , v i s i t o r s , re s id e n c e s w it h in 

th e d i s t r i c t , and o p e r a to rs on go ve rn m en t c o n tr a c ts .

b . In fo rm in g th e F o re s t S u p e rv is o r o f in d ic a to r s o f th e im pe nd ­

in g e r u p ti o n , and a c tio n b ein g ta k en to p ro v id e f o r ev a cu a ti o n 

o f a l l people w it h in th e to n e o f in flu e n c e o f th e e ru p ti o n .

c. Ke eping th e S h e r i f f 's o f Sk am ania and C ow li tz Co un ty in fo rm ed

d. Ke ep ing th e P a c i f i c Power 6 L ig ht Company in fo rm ed.

e. Ke eping th e U .S . G e o lo g ic a l S e rv ic e in fo rm ed o f th e s ta tu s of 

th e e ru p ti o n and a c tio n bein g ta k e n .

f . Making re co m m en da tion s to th e F o re st S u p e rv is o r on c lo s u re s 

o f th e M ou nt ai n, Ca mpg roun ds , Roa ds , e t c . , and im p le m en ta ti o n of 

't h e c lo su re .

g. E s ta b li s h in g a v o lc an o w at ch by which th e volc ano wou ld be 

obse rv ed r e g u la r ly d u rin g d a y lig h t hours fro m gr ou nd s t a t i o n s .
h. Assessing damage to all improvements and to the basic

resources.

i. Providing on-the-ground information to the news media.

Skamania County Sheriff

The deputies working under the Cooperative Work Agreement with

Skamania County will do the following:

a. Keeping the cabin owners at Northwoods, Spirit Lake, and

Swift Campground informed of the earthquake situation and evacuation plan.

b. Assisting the district wit h implementing road closures.

c. Providing communications with the County Sheriff for emergency evacuation needs such as Life Flight or Search 5 Rescue

helicopter from the 304th Air Force Reserve.

c. Supervising the orderly evacuation of all private citizens

when it becomes necessary.

Timber Sale Assistant

a. Notifying all operators working on Forest Service contracts

and private lands. Will require telephone calls and field co ntacts. (A contact plan is maintained within the Sale Admi nistr ation section.) Contacts will be made when the eruption appears

sly and evacuation is deemed necessary.

Resource Assistant

a. Assisting the District Ranger as Disaster Coordinator.

Keeping the Forest Disaster Coordinator informed on the situation.

Reviewing and updating this plan.

b. Evacuating all visitors from Forest Service recreation sites

that are considered to be in potential hazard zones.

c. Signing potential hazards to forest visitors such as the

caves, mountain slopes, etc. during the earthquakes.

d. Signing road hazards or road closures.

e. Keeping P.P.S L. , Burlington Northern, and other landowners

informed of the location and timing of the potential eruption.

Working with the news media.
128

g. Informing employees and families of the situation and potential hazards.

Fire Management Officer

a. Notifying all residences at Pine Creek when evacuation is 

necessary.

b. Maintaining radio communication with personnel that are in 

the field.

c. Making requests for aircraft utilized for observing the 

mountain.

d. Organizing the orderly evacuation of the Vehicles Fleet.

e. Maintaining a radio log of all communications concerning

*v e pre-eruption activity.

_. Maintaining communications with the Volcano Watch.

Silvicultural Assistant

a. Notifying all thinning and tree planting contractors of

'the potential hazard at pre-contract meetings, and when evacuation is deemed necessary for safety.

Individual Employee

a. Provide for the safety and welfare of your immediate family. 

Prepare a box or suitcase containing emergency provisions to 

sustain your family in the event that evacuation is necessary. 

(Clothing, toothpaste, towel, soap, precious items that you 

can't leave behind, etc.) You may have to leave in a moments 

notice.

b. You may be requested to assist in the notification of others, 

z the driving of a government vehicle.

WARNING SIGNS PRECEDING AN ERUPTION

The earthquakes will increase in magnitude and frequency as an 

eruption approaches. The first visible signs will probably be 

the appearance of clouds of water vapor or abnormal melting of 

snow.
129

When the earthquake fre que ncy of the larger quak es reac hes one 

per two hours, a volcan o watch will be est abl ish ed at Eagl e Cliff, 

and the Spirit Lake Wor k Center will be evacuated.

VO LCANO WAT CH

** 'ring wea the r that will permi t the direct viewin g of the mou nta in 

-..opes, one person in a v ehi cle w ill obse rve the slopes_ of _ the 

volcano. Initial obs erv ati ons will be made fro y^E agl e Clif f d>ti l 

snow conditions will per mit access to Ma rbl e Mountain. The 

obs erver will need a pair of bin oculars and a Fores t Service 

‘radio.

The observer will look for the following:

Clouds of white steam or smoke rising above the volcano.

A g low in the sky above the volcano at night.

The darkening of the snow on the slopes.

Wat er building up in the ravines on the mou nta in slopes.

Mud flows in Pine Creek and Swift Creek.

EVA CUA TIO N

In the event that a mudsl ide or tephra .eruption occurs on the 

south side of the mountain, it may be necessary to e vacuate the 

^ine Creek A dmi nis tra tiv e Site and other publi c residences around 

the Swift Reservoir.

The geologists feel that flooding could occur, causing danger to 

bridges and to the reservoir. They suggest we stay out of the 

valle y bottoms, and par ticularly avo id going below the dam. For 

this reason, our eva cua tio n_r out e w i l l b e acro ss Eagle Cliff 

Bridge, and up road N90 to road N714 and N73 to the Wind River 

Ranger Station...

The evacuation warnin g will be con tin uou s sou nding of the fire 

alarm, and also a continu ous ring on the telephone.

The residences at Pine Creek should h ave the person al subsisten ce 

gear pack ed and ready to go at a momen ts notice. Individual emoyees will be ass ign ed govern men t veh icl es to drive. The Di strict Range r will app oin t a lead er and someon e to bring up the
rear erf the convoy.

It is important that all persons report to the Wind River Ranger 

Station for accountability and further demobilization. The Wind 

River District will be working with the County Sheriff on a plan 

for feeding and housing your families.

The deputy sheriff will direct the evacuation of the public from 

Swift and Northwoods areas to the same location.

The Spirit Lake evacuation will be activated by Chuck Tonn or 

Jim Nieland. They will inform the people at Harmony Fall, St. 

Helens, and Spirit Lake Lodges of the evacuation plan. The 

Skamania County Deputy will inform the Spirit Lake Cabin owners 

when to evacuate.

"hey will travel highway S04 to Toutl e River and regroup at the 

school. They will contact the Forest Supervisor by telephone of 

their condition, numbers, and location. The Forest Supervisor 

will give them instructions on w here to go for temporary housing 

and food.

IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN ERUP TIO N OF ASH AND PUMICE, STAY INS IDE , 

SEAL UP THE WINDOWS, AND DO N OT TRY TO EVACUATE!!!

PUBLIC INFORMATION

The latest information will be called in to the Forest Information Officer who will make the decision on releasing it to the 

news media. The news media will be calling and visiting the 

rang er station. The important thing to rem ember is to speak from 

"■sets rather than assumptions. We are Forest Land Managers and 

not geologists. We can tell them wh at has happened, how it is 

effecting our lives and work areas, but direct them to the U.S.G.S 

for assumptions about what the mou ntain is doing.

There will be occasions when news media person s will require a 

Forest Service person along with them. First prio rity should be 

given to the assignment of the following employees to act as 

field P.I .O. ’s.

Dave Seesholtz

Chuck Tonn

Jim Nieland
The District Ranger, Disaster Coordinator, or acting District 

Ranger should handle telephone calls from the media.

VISITOR USE IMPACTS

Disasters usually attract huge crowds, and there will be problems 

handling increased traffic. We need to coordinate with the W as hington State Department of Transportation and the State .Police on 

the control of traffic into the St. Helens area. It may become 

necessary to block State Highways 503 and 504 somewhere beyond 

the Forest Boundary to all but authorized traffic. The Wind River 

Mead ow Creek Road N73, Lewis River Road N90, Randle-Lewis River 

Road 125 could also require control. The district will seek help 

from the County Sherif f on traffic control.

KEY CONTACT LIST

U. S. Geological Survey

Denver Office:

Don Mullineaux (303) 234-3312

Rocky Crandell (303) 234-2834

Rick Hobbit (303) 234-3546

If you cannot reach anyone at these numbers, call one of the 

following numbers and leave a message: (303) 234-3721

Seatt le:

Craig Weav eT

University of Wash ington (Seismotologist) 

Steve Malo ne

North County Ambulance:

Tom M cDowell

Skamania County Sherif f 6

Department of Emer gency Services 

Bill Closner

(303) 234-3819

(206) 543-8020

(206) 543-7010

(206) 247-5555

(509) 427-5047
132

P a c if ic Power 5 Li gh t C o. :

Lee Cr oth ers

Bob Love

A rie l S ta ti on

F o re s t S u p e r v is o r 's O ffic e 

F o re s t S u p e rv is o r:

R o b ert T okar cz yk 

Dep uty F o re s t S u p e rv is o r:

Duane Tuc ke r

S t. H el en s D i s t r i c t R anger: 

Ken Jo hnso n

D is a s te r C o o rd in a to r:

Ed Osmond

P u b li c In fo rm a ti o n O ffic e r 

Jim U nte rw eg ner

(S 03 ) 243-4 795 

(5 03) 238-2 881 

(2 06) 686-3 390

(206 ) 696- 75 70

(206 ) 696-7 571

(206 ) 69 6- 75 24

(206 ) 69 6- 75 05

T his do cu me nt was:

P re p are d by: / s / KEN JOHNSON 3 /2 6 /8 0

S t . H el en s D i s t r i c t Ran ge r

C o o rd in ate d w ith : / s / BILL CLOSNER__________ 3 /2 6 /8 0

Sk am an ia Cou nt y S h e r i f f

Ap prov ed by : / s / ROBERT TOKARCZYK___________ 3 /2 6 /8 0

G if fo rd P in c h o t F o re s t S u p e rv is o r
133

EXHIBIT #3

MT. ST. HELENS CONTINGENCY PLANNING

0900 - March 26, 1980 

Gifford Pinchot National Forest 

GENERAL WELCOME: Forest Supervisor, Robert Tokarczyk 

Official Recorder, Maggi Courville

INTRODUCTION OF PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR ROLES

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND

CLARIFYING OBJECTIVES: Facilitator - Ed Osmond

PURPOSE: Based on current and anticipated earthquake

activity, develop the framework for a Mt. St. 

Helens contingency plan, by -Governmental agencies 

. and -private companies responsible -for manage ment 

activities adja cen t and down-valley .from -the 

volcano for responding -to-various kinds and scales 

of eruptions, Including possible restrictions on 

access, use and evacuations.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 

OF MEETING:

1. Update all participants on current situation.

2. Review all actions taken to date:

By all agencies

for example, Forest Service

- Area closure

- Road 504 warning closure

3. Familiarization of participants of the 

possible effects of volcanic activity.

4. Joint discussion and identification of 

concerns and issues that need to be resolved 

(establish linkage).

for example:

- Communication linkage

- Agency roles

- Assumpt ion strategies

- Media relations

5. Develop strategies for prep aration of 

contingency plans for coping with the effects 

of an eruption.

6. Others (?)

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE:

1. Current situation and potential volcanic 

activities - USGS, Don Mullineaux.

2. . Over view of action to date -

- USFS, Ken Johnson

- Other Agencies
3

134

Re vie w agency an d p r i v a t e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s - 

A ll

4 . . I d e n t if y ke y is s u e s , an d c o n c e rn s ..

5 . D ev el op s t r a te g y , f o r c o n ti n g e n c y plan~~.

6 . D efi n e -I n te ri m d i r e c t i o n

7 . F u tu re e f f o r t s (c o n ti n g e n c y p la n s )

8 . Su mm ari ze

EXHIBIT >4

MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS

W as hi ng to n D ep ar tm en t o f S o c ia l and H e a lt h S e rv ic e s - O ly m pi a - 

206 -7 53-5 953

1. Ken M er ry

20 6- 753-5 953 

206-3 52-8 265 (Home,

C o w li tz Cou nt y H e a lt h D epart m ent - Lo ng view E n v ir o n m en ta l 

H e a lt h - 20 6-4 25 -7 40 0

1. Bob Buckm en, S u p e rv is o r 

20 6-4 25 -7 40 0 

206-2 74 -4 87 6 (Home)

2. B i l l H a rp e r, D ir e c to r 

206- 42 5- 740 0 

20 6-4 25-7 531 (Home)

— In c lu d e s

K els o - S u b su rf a c e C o w li tz R iv er 

Lo ng view - C o w li tz R iv e r

C a s tle Rock - W e ll s, s u r s u r f a c e C o w li tz R iv er 

Ka lam a - Ka lam a R iv er 

Wo odlan d - Le wi s R iv er

Lew is Cou nt y H e a lt h D epart m ent - C h e h a li s - 206-7 4 8 -9 1 2 1 , E x t. 

223 o r 1-8 00-5 62-6 130

1. Ja c k M o rri s, D ir e c to r 

206-7 48-9 121, E x t. 238 

20 6- 74 8- 637 5 (Home)

2 . P h il B rin k e r, E n v ir o n m e n ta l H e a lt h S p e c i a l i s t 

206-7 48-9 121, E x t. 233

20 6- 75 4- 81 96 (Home)

P ie r c e Co un ty H e a lt h D ep ar tm en t - Tacoma - 20 6- 593- 47 60

1. A1 L ars o n , S u p e rv is o r 

20 6- 59 3- 47 60 

20 6- 47 2- 74 35 (Home)
135

2. Don Oliver, Director 

206-593-4760 

206-564-5132 (Home)

3. Derek Sandison, Supervisor 

206-593-4760 

206-472-6538 (Home)

— Includes:

Tacoma - Wells and Green River

Ashford - Mulles Creek

Elbe - Well and stream

Eatonville - Well and Michelle Creek

SW Washington Health Department - Vancouver (for Clark, 

Skamania and Klickitat Counties) - 206-695-9215

1. Tom Barton, Director 

206-695-9215 

206-573-7283 (Home)

2. Bob Larsen, Sanitarian 

206-695-9215 

206-887-4852 (Home)

— Includes:

Carson - Bear Creek

Camas - Wells, Jones and Boulder Creeks 

Klickitat - Klickitat River 

White Salmon/Bingen - Buck Creek 

Stevenson - Lebong Creek * Not filtered

PUD of Skamania County (for Carson) - Stevenson - 206-427-5126

1. Bill Yee, Manager 

206-427-5126 

206-427-5882 (Home)

Yakima Health District - Environmental Health - 509-575-4265

1. Denny Knight, Director 

509-575-4055 

509-966-1805 (Home)

2. Ken Wilson, Environmental Health Specialist 

509-575-4268

509-248-6377 (Home)

— Includes:

Yakima - Naches River

Portland Bureau of Water Works - 1800 SW 6th Avenue - Portland

1. Carl Geobel, Administrator 

503-248-4178 

503-656-4724 (Home)

2. Paul Norseth, Chief Engineer 

503-248-4408 

503-244-9463 (Home)

3. Bull Run Head Works 

503-668-8528 (24-hours)
136

4. Bur ea u o f W ater Works R ad io Room 

50 3- 24 8- 48 74

Hood R iv er Cou nt y H ealt h D ep art m ent - Hood R iv er - 509-3 86-1 115

1. S c o tt F it c h , S a n ita ria n 

50 9- 38 6- 11 15 

50 9- 38 6- 40 43 (Home)

— In c lu d e s :

Hood R iv er

EXHIBI T #5

USGS PROCEDURE FOR HAZ ARD S WARNING

Warnings of volcani c hazards will be c omm uni cat ed from the USGS to othe r 

agencies throug h the US FS office in Van couv er. These wa rnings wil l have 

three orders of increasing urgency, as follows:

1. Not ifi cat ion of a change in seis micit y or erupti ve behavior.

2. Notific ati on of changes in behav ior that warran t pl aci ng other a genc ies 

on a VOLCANO ALE RT status. Such changes include o ne or more of the 

following:

a. Sig nificant increase in freque ncy and magn itu de of eart hquak es, 

and/o r progression of earthquak es upw ard in volcano.

b. Large increases in f requency and volume of erup tive ac tiv ity and 

of height o f eru ptive columns.

c. Large increase in ground til t sign ifyi ng up lif t o r swe lli ng of 

the volcano.

3. Notifi cat ion of a change in behavi or that w arra nts issuance of a 

VOLCANO CRISIS (Quick Call Up Response) war nin g to other agencies.

Examples of such a chang e are:

a. Appearance of mol ten rock in an ash- erupti on colu mn above the volcano, 

a lava flow, or a gl ow visible at night in the sky above the volcano.

b. Ver y loud explosions.

c. One or more large lan dslides o f rock or ice that reach bel ow timberline.

A warning in the V OL CANO CRISIS categ ory will be fol low ed as soon as 

possible by a "N oti fic ati on of Eru pti on and Haza rd" (see at tach ed fo rm), 

whi ch will describe the na tur e of the event and possib le danger areas.

Notificat ion will also b e giv en w hen VOLCA NO AL ERT or CRI SIS co nditi ons can 

be terminated.
USGS NOTIFICATION OF ERUPTION AND HAZARD

(T he a b s e n c e o f in f o r m a tio n b e lo w me an s i t i s n o t y e t a v a i l a b l e )

An e r u p t io n i n th e fo rm o f _________________ _________________________________________

Was r e p o r t e d a t v e n t lo c a t e d _____________________ _ _________________________________

G iv e ti m e ________________________

D oe s e r u p t io n in c lu d e new m o lt e n rock ? ________________

I f a p y r o c l a s t i c flo w was o b s e r v e d , g iv e l o c a t i o n _______________________________

I f e r u p t io n i s (p u m ic e) a s h , g i v e e s t im a te d h e ig h t

D ir e c t i o n o f w in d a t v a r io u s h e i g h t s

a c c o r d in g t o l a s t f o r e c a s t

5 0 ,0 0 0 f t

3 0 ,0 0 0

2 4 ,0 0 0

1 8 ,0 0 0

1 2 ,0 0 0

1 0 ,0 0 0

5 ,0 0 0

S p ee d _________

D ir e c t i o n o f o b s e r v e d a sh mov em en t ___________________

I f m u dfl ow or la n d s li d e was o b s e r v e d , g iv e l o c a t i o n ___________________________

E stim a te d s i z e an d sp e e d o f m u dfl ow _______________________________________________

I f la v a flo w was o b s e r v e d , g i v e l o c a t i o n an d d i r e c t i o n o f mov em en t _ _ _ _ _

A reas an d tim e s o f a n t i c i p a t e d h a za rd _____________________________________________

(s u c h a s : w in d d i r e c t i o n s and s p e e d s

i n d i c a t e t h a t a sh w i l l r e a c h X v l l l e _____________________________________________

in 2 h o u r s , or m udf lo w w i l l r ea c h

Zbu rg a t 4 : 3 0 p .m .) ___________________________________ _ ______ __

O th er p e r t in e n t in f o r m a t io n :

O b s e r v a tio n r e p o r te d b y :

T h is fo rm f i l l e d o u t b y :
138

MT. ST. HELENS CONTINGENCY PLAN

APRIL 19 80

Pr ep ar ed By:

Re vie w By:

C on tinge ncy - P la n n in g ECC - USFS^ '

y / r /

D ir e c to r o f Emer ge nc f' f f

C oord in ati on C en te r - USFS Coor&i

Skamania Cou nt y S h e r if f

f A ^ j e P ^ L . _ 6 . e , i <\so

Jepartm ent, o f Em ergenc y S e r v ic e

» <yXZ f

P a c if ic Power and L ig h t f /

- z L a U J / - t w i . i ? ) 1^9-Q

P ortl an d g e n e r a l E le c tr j

Appro ved By:

G if fb rd P in ch o t Fore st
139

ADVANCE PRECAUTIONS

Mr. Peterson. On April 18, we desig nated Mount St. Helen s as a 

geologic area, recognizing special features, the need to pro tect those, 

and the need to use care with peop le going into that area.

On Apr il 30, still almost 3 weeks ahea d of the maj or erup tion , there 

was a Go verno r’s executive orde r which con trolled the land outside the 

natio nal forest. We could only control beginni ng at the forest 

boundaries , which we felt was too close for peop le to come.

Coincidental ly, jus t abov e Mo unt Baker, is almost exactly where tha t 

big flow went. On the map , it is shown with the blue line to the 

north west. I would like to publicly ackno wledge the coop eration, not 

only of USGS, but the State of Washington, the sh eri ffs office, and 

every one else who got together and worke d ou t this elab orate 

conti ngen cy plan which was pu t in effect ahe ad of time and closed a 

big part of this area. Ha d it not been for people going arou nd the 

barr icad es and doing oth er thing s to get inside of the area, we would 

have lost considerably less peop le.

In all fairness, thoug h, we did not expect the blast area to reach as 

far nor th as it did. We ha d what was called a red area, which was the 

high haza rd area, base d on the USG S publica tion of where the 

pyrocl astic flows wo uld go. This blast area reached a full 12 miles north 

of Mo unt St. Helens an d took timb er down that far away. I passe d 

aro und some black and white photo s you might be inte rest ed in. They 

show tha t every tree was blow n down by the bl as t

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

I’d like to review brief ly with you the situa tion . The re were 169 lakes 

th at were eithe r modera tely dama ged or destro yed. The area to the 

nor th is a very high-use recre ation area which has many high mou ntai n 

lakes. The re are over 3,0 00 miles of stream s tha t are eith er marginally 

dam age d or destroy ed. We estim ated that several tho usa nd deer, elk, 

bear , an d mou ntain goat s were killed. The re is heavy anad ramo us fish 

dama ge, due to high temp eratures, floods, mu d and debris flows. We 

lost a recreation site th at previou sly had bee n closed. We had to 

aba ndon our Mo unt St. Helens Range r Station which is on the 

southea st corn er of the map. Our Spiri t Lake work center was also 

destroyed .

The best we know now, the eruptio n has killed 24 people with an 

addition al 54 still rep ort ed missing. The list is still being worke d on by 

oursel ves and by the Red Cross and by the State to furthe r reduqe that 

numb er missing to find ou t for sure if th at is a corr ect numb er.

In looking at the specific damage tha t we nee d to be concerned abo ut 

immedia tely, we have ha d extensive damag e to roads, bridges, trails, 

admin istrative facilities, and also priva te improve men ts und er pe rm it 

inside the forest bou nda ry. Many pro perty corner s, propert y lines, so 

on, have been obli tera ted. I think you have prob ably seen the ash. Fo r 

those who have not seen it, I have bro ught a small ja r with me. It is 

very fine,ash that collects on roads from 2 to 8 inches. It drifts into 

drain age structures and has to be remo ved. This is a majo r pro blem for
140

What we are concentrating on right now is the short-term 

rehabilitation problem within tha t big area and work with the State to 

cond uct an ongoing extensive public safety prog ram to try to prevent 

people coming into this area and being killed by future eruptions. We 

had a significant amo unt of problem s with people who wanted to get 

into the area for various purposes. We expect heavy tourism and many 

scientific studies thro ughout the sum mer and the years ahea d. We want 

to make the area available for people to see and to be stud ied within 

the limits of safety, fhis sum mer we plan to provide temporary 

exhibits, portable exhibits, and mobile facilities so that the area can be 

viewed from a safe distance. This activity will be tied in, at all the 

times, to USGS’s monitoring and warning center.

SALVAGE AND REHABILITATION

We have formed an interd isciplinary team to analyze the area; to 

look at what part of the area we should be salvaging timber, for 

example. We think there are about 800 million board feet of timber, 

valued at over $100 million. We expect to salvage about half of that. 

The area north of Mount St. Helens has large mu d and pyroclastic 

flows. We expect it will be left the way it is for visitors and scientific 

study. It is too dangerous and the continuing ash makes it almost 

impossible to do anything with. We will concentrate on the northeast 

where there is heavy tim ber down and there is a dan ger of substantial 

fire and insect problem if we don ’t do something.

In the President’s request, there is some $23 million in supplemental 

funding to handle this work this year. We inten d to use two additional 

sources of funds. We requested from the Department of Tra nspo rtation 

the use of emergency funds for constructio n of roads and bridges. 

There is a provision in the National Forest Man agem ent Act of 1976 

using a timber salvage fund which is made up of receipts from salvage 

timber to do the administra tive job of preparing sales. Tha t fund has 

some money in it already from previous salvage sales. We intend to use 

that fund to do the tim ber salvage work. We will begin that effort as 

soon as we can.

Finally, Mr. Cha irman, I am sure you are aware we have a large 

numb er of unanswered questions at this point. For example, we are not 

sure how to salvage the timber. Some roads are available in the 

northeast area which we will use. In oth er locations it would appear 

desirable to use helicopters for logging. Conventional helicopters, 

though, may create a clou d of dust that will dam age the helicopters as 

well as cause problems with workers. We are looking at other methods. 

For example, we have under developm ent a helistat, a large ballo on 

that will have four helicopters and heavy lift capacity. The helic opters 

could stay more than 100 feet off the ground and not stir up a cloud of 

dust and ash and destroy the eq uip me nt We are looking at tha t as one 

possibility. Unf ortu nate ly, that piece of equipment is not expected to be 

available until 1982.

That concludes my sta teme nt
141

TIMBER SALVAGE FUNDING

Senator Magnuson. D o you have enough timber salvage money now? 

Mr. Peterson. We have enough money in the tim ber salvage fund to 

begin this operation and we think to last us through this year.

Senator Magnuson. At least until your regular appropriation bill 

shows up; is that correct?

Mr. Peterson. That is c orrect

Sena tor Magnuson. I expect if you are sho rt on this salvage 

matter—and this is a ma tter of some concern—t hat you will come to us 

in 1981 and ask us for sufficient funds.

Mr. Peterson. We will do that, Mr. Chairma n. We will begin work 

now using salvage funds.

Senator Magnuson. I c an’t gua rantee you will get it but you can ask.

Mr. Peterson. Yes, sir.

Senator Magnuson. The re have been a lot of questions on salvage. 

You r state ment is you can salvage abo ut a half o f it.

Mr. Peterson. Ih at is our best estimate now, Mr. Chairma n.

Senator Magnuson. Is that the timb er that is down?

Mr. Peterson. T hat is the timber tha t is down; yes, sir.

Senator Magnuson. What about the timber that floated down the 

river? Tha t is being salvaged by individuals, isn’t it?

Mr. Peterson. One of the significant questions is how to determine 

who owns the timber. No t much of it is national forest timber.

Senator Magnuson. When I was out there, we were flying aro und 

tha t day, there were some that had little barges, little pickups, they 

were getting all the logs in. I guess it is finders-keepers, isn’t it?

Mr. Peterson. Well, there are some logs associated—some of it is 

branded, some of it belongs to private individuals. Very little of that 

was national forest timb er.

SUBMITTED questions

Sena tor Magnuson. Thank you, Mr. Peterson, for appearing today . 

We do have addition al questions which we will submit for your 

responses for the record.

[The following questio ns were not asked at the hearing, bu t were 

subm itted to the Department for responses subsequen t to the hearing:]

64 -5 29 0 - 8 0 - 1 0
Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

Actual and Projected Costs

Question: How much of your $25 million supplemental request 

is for actual expenses to date on the Mt. Saint Helens disaster, and 

how much is projected needs for the balance of the current fiscal 

year?

Answer: As of the end of May 1980 - $1,000,000

Projected Needs - b ,500,000

Total $7,500,000

Ongoing Program

Question: How have you funded your activities to date, and what 

has been the effect on your ongoing programs? Will the supplemental 

fully repay the funds you have had to borrow from other activities?

Answer: The activities to date have been partially funded from 

service-wide savings in other programs. The Region has utilized manpower from other programs to the extent possible. The activities, 

especially on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, have certainly 

demanded the full attention of that Forest. A complete assessment 

of the impact on this other programs has not been completed. The 

supplemental will repay the funds we have had to borrow from other 

activities to the extent necessary.

Distribution of Funds

Question: Your initial justification did not indicate how the 

requested $25 million would be apportioned among your principal 

activities. How much are you budgeting for your comprehensive resource assessment, how much for reseeding and reforestation, how 

much for timber salvage, how much for immediate road and bridge 

repairs, and how much for other activities related to this 

catastrophe?

Answer: We will provide for the record a budget line item 

chart which shows the distribution of the $25 million. (The information follows.)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

FOREST SERVICE

1980 Mt. Saint Helens Supplemental

Thousands

FOREST MANAGEMENT PROTECTION AND UTILIZATION:

FOREST RESEARCH:

Land and Resource Protection Research:

Fire and atmospheric sciences research 50

Forest insects and disease research ..

Renewable resources evaluation ...... 100

Renewable resources economics .......Surface environment and mining ....... - Total, Land and Resource Protection 

Research ............ ................ 150

Renewable Resource Management and

Utilization Research:

Trees and timber management research . 275

Forest watershed management research . 335

Wildlife, range, and fish habitat

research ............................ 180

Forest recreation research ..........

Forest products utilization research .Forest engineering research ......... ...... 160

Total, Renewable Resource Management

and Utilization Research ............. 950

TOTAL, FOREST RESEARCH .................. 1,1QQ

STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY COOPERATION: 

Cooperative Land and Resource Protection:

Forest insect and disease management 

Rural fire protection and control ....

Total, Cooperative Land and Resource 

Protection ...........................
FOREST MANAGEMENT PROTECTION AND UTILIZATION—

continued

STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY COOPERATION— 

continued

Cooperative Renewable Resource Management

and Utilization:

Rural forestry assistance ............

Urban forestry assistance ............

Assistance in management, planning, and 

technology implementation ...........

Total, Cooperative Renewable Resource

Management and Utilization ............

General Forestry Assistance:

Gifford Pinchot Institute for Conservation Studies ........................

FIRESCOPE ............................

Special projects .....................

Total, Ceneral Forestry Assistance .....

TOTAL, STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY

COOPERATION .............................

NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM:

Land and Resource Protection:

Minerals area management .............

General land management activities ....

Special uses— non-recreation .......

Land classification, adjustments, and

surveys ...........................

Fire, administration, and other

maintenance ........... '...........

Payments to Employees' Compensation

Fund .. ............................

Forest fire protection ...............
Thousands

FOR EST MANAGEMENT PROTE CTI ON AND UTILIZATION— 

continued

NAT ION AL FORE ST SYS TEM— con tinued

Land and Resource Protec ti on — continued

Figh ting forest fires ................

Cooper ati ve law enf orc eme nt ..........

Forest road m aintenance .............. 20,450

Forest trail mai nte nance ............. ....... -

Total, Land and Res our ce Pro tection .... = = = £Lt Z22i

Renewable Res ource Manag eme nt and

Util iz at io n:

Sales adm ini str ation and managem ent .. 1,200Refor est ati on and stand imp rovement .. 100Recre ati on use ........................ 740

Wil dli fe and fish h abi tat managem ent . 50

Range Ma na ge me nt .......................

Soil and water man age ment ............ ....... 75

Total, Ren ewable Res our ce M ana gem ent 

and Uti liz ati on ........................ 2,165

TOTAL, NAT ION AL FOREST SYS TEM ............ 25,000

TOTAL, FORE ST MAN AGEMENT PRO TECTION AND 

UTILIZ ATI ON ................................. 25,0 00

CONSTR UCT ION A ND LAND ACQUISITION: 

Con str uct ion of Facilities:

Rese arch constru cti on ................Constr uct ion for fire, administration,

and other pur poses ..................

Rec rea tio n use areas construct ion ....

Forest road constru cti on ...............

Forest trail con str uction ..............

Forest roads pur chaser con str uction ....
CONSTRUCTION AND LAND AC QU ISITIO N— c o n ti n u e d

P o l l u t i o n a b a te m e n t .........................................................

L an d a c q u i s i t i o n , W ee ks A c t ...................................

TOTAL , CONSTRUCTION AND LAND AC QU ISI TION . . .

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS .................................................

AC QU ISITION OF LANDS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS, 

SPEC IAL ACTS ..............................................................................

AC QU ISI TION OF LANDS TO COMPLETE LAND 

EXCHANGES ..................... ................................................................

RANGELAND IMPROVEMENTS ......................................................

CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF RECREATION 

FA CIL IT IE S ...................................................................................

TIMBER SALVAGE SALES ...........................................................

RIGH TS-OF-WA Y ..............................................................................

PERMANENT APPR OP RIAT IONS , WORKING FUNDS:

E x p e n s e s , B ru s h D i s p o s a l ...........................................

L i c e n s e e P r o g ra m s : Sm ok ey B e a r .........................

W oo ds y Ow l ...........................

R e s t o r a t i o n o f F o r e s t L an d s a n d Im p ro v e ­

m e n ts ...........................................................................................

R oads a n d T r a i l s f o r S t a t e s , N a t i o n a l

F o r e s t s F und (10% F u n d ) ...........................................

T im b e r P u r c h a s e r R o ad s C o n s t r u c t e d by t h e 

F o r e s t S e r v i c e ...................................................................

S u b t o t a l , P e rm a n e n t A p p r o p r i a t i o n s , W o rk in g 

F u n d s ................................................................................................
Thousands

PERMANENT APPROPRIATIONS, PAYMENTS TO STATES 

AND COUNTIES:

Payment to Mi nn es ot a...... ..............

Payments to Counties, National Grasslands. Payments to School Funds, Arizona and

New Mexico .............................

Payments to States, National Forests Fund.

Subtotal,,Permanent Appropriations, Payments 

£o States and Counties ..................

TOTAL, PERMANENT APPROPRIATIONS ...........

COOPERATIVE WORK, FOREST SERVICE (Trust 

Fund) ............... .....................

TOTAL, REGULAR FOREST SERVICE ..... ........ 25,000Highland Scenic Highways .................. -

Rural Community Fire Protection Grants, FmHA c= =_ _ ^ _= = _. 

TOTAL, FOREST SERVICE ..................... 25,000
148

Vis ito r Center

You r budg et request includes funding for plan ning and d esigning 

a visi tor cent er in the Mt. Saint Hele ns areas.

Question: How urgent is this project in the context of this 

supplemental request?

Answer: beginning comprehensive planning at this point in time

is e ssen tial to gather scientific, photographic, and othe r data upon 

which an interpretive program can be based. We have already deve loped interpre tive objectives for the Mt. Saint Hele ns area. Funding 

will permit us to complete adequa te planning for a lon g-t erm interpretive program.

Quest ion: How essential is some visitor center w hen compared 

to ot her immedi ate needs?

Answer : One of our important management responsi bilities is 

to provi de for public safety of visitors in the Mt. Saint Helens 

area. Interpretive program wil l compliment law e nforcement efforts 

by explai nin g the need for limiti ng access in the area. Limi ting 

access is g enerally disliked by the public. Whe n the reasons for 

clos ures are not u nderstood people tend to ignore them, causing 

untol d law enforcement problems and avoidable rescue operations.

The h uman drama associated wit h the Mt. Saint Helens area brings 

addi tional interpretive needs. Families are concerned wit h how we 

are han dli ng sites where friends and relatives died. Throu gh our 

interpre tive program we can sho w some sensitivty and unde rstanding 

of their needs.

Quest ion: Is there any plan to incorporate a Geolog ica l Survey 

obs ervatory in your v isitor center planning?

Answer: Our immediate plans are to interpret USGS activities 

by plac ing their monit oring instrum ents in our (temporary) mobile 

visitor centers.

In the future, as the activity stabilizes, a USGS obser vatory 

could be incorpo rated into any permanent inte rpretive facility or 

fac ilities.

Question: The Com mittee will need to k now exactly how much you 

pla n to spend on designing and construc ting a vis itor center. We 

will need more detai led justification. Plea se supply that for the 

reco rd as quickly as possible.

Answer: Until we can enter the area and our planni ng for 

lon g-t erm interpr etive facilities is complete d, our costs for VIS 

facilities are only preliminary estimates. Our tent ative estimate 

of $54 0,OUU in fiscal year 1980 and $11,500,000 in fisc al year 1981 

wou ld allow us to plan, design, and const ruct the n ecessary interpret ive facilities (if it is believed safe to do so at that time).

State and P rivate Forestry A ssista nce

Quest ion: We see no reference to any State and private foresty 

ass istance in your justification. Why isn't there any specific appro pri ati on request for this type of assistance, which would seem to 

be an urgent need in view of the impact of the v olc ano on state and 

privat e forest holdings?
149

Answer: While it is true that the v olcano has crea ted serious

impacts on Sta te and private forest lands, a specific app rop ria tio n 

request was not made because it was felt that the State w oul d be able 

to provide this assistance out of Federa l funds bein g req ues ted by 

the Governo r of the State of Washington for disa ster relief.

Question: What kind of sup plemental funding could be used

quickly and effec tively to provide needed State and private ass ist ­

ance unde r your existing au tho rities?

Answer: Preli minary estima tes are that $2.0 and $4.5 million 

are need ed respectively in fisc al year 19bU and fiscal yea r 1981 to 

assist the State of Washington to meet the addi tional demands created 

by the des tru cti on of existing State and private forest land s and 

watersh eds. Specifically, the funds woul d be used as follows:

(1) Conduct comp rehensive dama ge appraisals and prepare 

treat ment plans for timber and w atershed dire ctly 

affected by the rece nt volc anic a ctivity.

(2) Asse ss the potential for further destruction and losses 

of lives, property, and resou rces resu lting from subsequent fires, floods, and insect or disease outbreaks.

(3) Provide technical ass istance and treat ment prescrip tions 

to noni ndustrial private landowners involved in salvage 

logging and timber har vesting operations.

(4) Provide technical assistance in Fore st Products Utiliza tion 

to the industries and agen cies involved in t imber salvage 

to insure the h igh est feasible reco very of wood products. 

These activities will include the location and installation 

of remote sawin g opera tions, and the development of harvesting and transport ati on systems to meet this uni que situation. 

Application of ong oin g harvestng and sawmill improvement 

program s wil l be int ensified to facilitate m axi mum feasible 

yields from dama ged timber.

(5) Rapidly develop a large scale refo restation pro gram through 

the purch ase and collec tio n of tree seeds, incr eased nursery 

production, and expand ed tree dis tri bution a nd planting 

systems. Pro vide the additional technical ass ist anc e and 

management pla nni ng required by such a program.

(b) Plan and par ticipate in an inten sive int eragency fire 

prevention program. Develop special presup pre ssi on 

plans to cope w it h the ma ssive hazards and risks 

created by the large amounts of dead and dyi ng timber. 

Implement organi zat ion al and e quipment need s for fire 

suppression efforts at far higher than normal levels.

(7) Provide tech nical and financial ass istance to prevent 

the build-up of bark beetle in Douglas fir stands adjacent to the blas t area. Monito r insect populati on
150

and disease potential on all public and priv ate lands 

in order to maintain alert readin ess for future 

outbreaks.

App roximately 15U square miles of blast area surface is af fec ted 

by the depo siting of volcanic ash, sediment from erosion, and 

debris through wate r courses into majo r stre am c hannels throughout 

the watershed. Immediate stab ilization of this materi al and the 

newly develop ed water courses will prevent further and continuing 

damag e to mu nicipal w ater supplies, shippi ng chann els and fish 

habitat. In addition, five debris structures are prese ntly being 

cons tructed by the C orps of En gineers with ex pect ations of sta bil izing the blast area surface and removal of debris from the stream 

courses. This wor k will require $10 million of immediate 

purchase, seeding, and planting of grasses and shrubs; and $15 

millio n for the removal of deb ris fr om critical a reas of ma jor 

streams. It will take place on Federal, State, and private 

la nd s.

The Fores t Service is coordina tin g the request wit h the Soil 

Conser vat ion Se rvice under the a uthori tie s of Section 403, Agricultural Credi t act of 197tt (formerly Sec. 216).

Res ear ch

Question: how much of your supplemental request is de voted to

rese arch n eeds and for a ssessing the magnitude of damage a nd reha bilitation requirements?

Answer : A total of $1.1 mil lion is requested for assessment 

purposes. The a ssessment will det ermine the best app roaches for:

(1) identifying effects of the e rupti on on fo rest and range values,

(2) eva lua tin g the magnitude and importance of these effects, and 

(J) mit iga tin g important adverse effects. The a sses sment also will 

desc ribe the extent and location of the effect s of volc anic activity 

and esta blish baseline for moni tor ing ecos ystem changes.

Tim ber Salvage Sales

Question: Your jus tification states that the timber salvage 

pro gram can be handled w ith in existi ng funding authorities. Please 

expan d on that. Don't you have a massive timber salvage task ahead 

of y ou that woul d require sup ple mental funding?

Answer: The Gifford Pinchot National Forest has fundin g in the 

Salvage Sale Fu nd provided by the Nati onal F ores t Mana gem ent Act. 

Porti ons of the "seed money" app rop riated by the C ongr ess can be 

transferred from other Forests if necessary. This source of funding 

will provide the necessary funding to begin sale preparation. As the 

damaged timber is harvested, a portion of the receipts will be deposited in the salvage fund to co ver the cost of the administr ati on and
additional sale preparation jobs. Because of the magnitude of the 

salvage, the sales of salvage timber will largely displace the regular timber sale program on the Forest for the next several years. 

Thus, the funds programmed for regular sale preparation and administration will be available for the salvage job. Between the available salvage funds and regular appropriations, we estimate there is 

adequate funding to cover the cost of preparing and administering the 

salvage program.

Funding — Construction Cost vs. Operating Costs

Question: Your entire supplemental request is lumped under one 

new budget activity in your operating account. Why is it that you 

have not budgeted specific funding for your construction needs as

well as your operating costs?

Answer: The purpose of the supplemental, in addition to

funding current operating costs, is to assess the damage and prepare 

current and long range resource plans. During this period, the construction needs will also be determined.

Damage Estimates

Question: Do you now have any fairly reliable estimate on the 

total damage that has been caused to date by the Mt. Saint Helens 

eruption? Any estimates on the total rehabilitation costs to the 

Forest Service?

Answer: No reliable estimates are available as to the total 

damage caused by the Mt. Saint Helens eruption, because we have not 

been able to get into the devastated area nor make detailed orthographic photos. Preliminary estimates of the damage caused by the 

May lb eruptions are based on information received from aerial observers and rescue personnel who have flown over the area. None of 

the specialists who made these estimates have actually seen the 

devastated area. However, these estimates should give a good indication of the magnitude of the resource damage incurred:

TIMBER

Three billion board feet of timber valued at approximately 

$400,000,000 was damaged or destroyed. All logging operations on the 

Forest have been halted until safety of operations and clean-up needs 

can be assessed. National Forest losses were well in excess of one 

billion board feet with 800 million possibly salvageable.
152

watershed & soil

La ke Damage

Dam age C ate g o ry

Num ber 

o f Lak es

S u rfa c e

A cre s

1. D e str o y ed 2 6

2 . S e v e re Damage (v e ry lo n g -te rm ) - 

S p i r i t La ke 1 1,2 62

3 . Hea vy Damage (lo n g - te r m ) 26 255

4 . M o dera te - L ig h t Damage 

( s h o r t- te r m ) 140 1,8 00

Th e s e v e re an d hea vy da mag e c a te g o ry la k e s a r e choked w it h 

woody d e b r is an d se d im e n t. A ll a q u a tic l i f e h a s u n d o u b te d ly bee n 

d e s tr o y e d in S p i r i t Lak e ( s e v e r e da mag e) and i t may ta k e a d ecade o r 

more — d ep en d in g on su b s e q u e n t v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y — f o r i t to a g a in 

be co me a b i o lo g i c a l l y p r o d u c tiv e bo dy o f w a te r . S m all n ic h e s of 

a q u a tic l i f e may s t i l l s u r v iv e i n th e heav y dama ge c a te g o ry la k e s . 

H e a v il y dama ged la k e s i n th e M t. M a rg are t B a ck c o u n tr y a r e a may 

r e t u r n to a p ro d u c ti v e s t a t e w ith in a d e c a d e . Mo st m o d e ra te ly to 

l i g h t l y dama ged la k e s sh o u ld r e tu r n to n a t u r a l c o n d itio n s w ith in 

s e v e r a l y e a r s .

S tr e am Damage

M il es o f S tr eam s 

C la s s

Dam age C ate g o ry I & I I I I I IV

1. D e str o y ed (b y m udflow s) 28 7 65

2 . S ev ere Damage 9 8 35

3 . He avy Damage 40 62 195

4 . M odera te - L ig h t Damage 40 0 62 9 1,9 00

an d 135 m il e s o f p e r e n n ia l istr e am s w ith in th e G oa t R oc ks W il d e rn e ss

C la s s 1 an d 11 s tre a m s in c lu d e th e m ajo r s tr e a m s o f th e F o re s t

— C is p u s, L ew is , Muddy and T o u tl e R iv e rs — an d t h e i r p r i n c i p a l 

t r i b u t a r i e s . T hes e s tre a m s s u p p o rt anad ro m ous and r e s i d e n t t r o u t 

f i s h e r i e s a s w e ll a s p ro v id in g w a te r f o r r e c r e a t i o n an d dow nst re am 

h y d r o e le c t r i c , m u n ic ip a l and i n d u s t r i a l u s e s .

C la s s I l l str e a m s a r e sm a ll p e r r e n n i a l str e a m s t r i b u t a r y t o th e 

C la s s I an d I I str e a m s and a r e im p o rta n t i n m a in ta in in g dow nst re am 

w a te r q u a li t y an d a q u a tic l i f e .

C la s s IV str e a m s a r e s m a ll , i n t e r m i t t e n t s tr e a m s .
153

The North Fork and South Fork of the Toutle River, Pine Creek 

and the Muddy River have been destroyed by mudflows from Mt. Saint 

Helens. Severe damage categroy streams — located in the headwaters 

of Coldwater Creed and the lower reaches of the Spirit Lake tributaries — are undoubtedly almost devoid of aquatic life. Only scattered niches of aquatic life probably survive in the heavy damage 

category streams. Most moderately and lightly damaged streams will 

probably recover rapidly from the impacts of the ashfalls.

Numerous private domestic water supply systems have been 

developed on small streams flowing from the National Forest.

Typically the drinking water is not treated, i.e., filtered or 

disinfected. Turbidity values will be above levels established 

by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Act 

(P.L. 92-523). Turbidity problems will occur during periods of ashfall and during rainy periods until the sediment (ash) is flushed 

out of the streams.

Much of the sediment in the stream systems will eventually be 

deposited in hydroelectric impoundments — Riffe Lake (Mossyrock 

Project — Tacoma City Light) on the Cowlitz River and Swift Reservoir (Swift Project — Pacific Power and Light) on the Lewis 

River. The major sediment impact to the Swift Project will occur 

as the Muddy River and Pine Creek systems re-establish channels by 

eroding through the mudflows that block them. This same formative 

process will take place on the North and South Fork of the Toutle 

River. It is estimated that 1,100,000 cubic yards of sediment will 

be dumped into the reservoirs reducing the storage capacity by 690 

acre feet.

Destruction of the top 1,300 feet of Mt. Saint Helens also means 

the loss of glaciers and ice and snow field. During the summer 

months, these areas contribute important streamflows for beneficial 

downstream uses, including fisheries and power generation. Ashfalls 

have blanketed most of the Cowlitz River, including the Cispus and 

Toutle Rivers, and the Lewis River watersheds. Thin deposits of ash 

may increase snowmelt rates, thereby tending to reduce the amount of 

snow water available for late summer stream flows. Heavy ash deposits may reduce snowmelt rates by serving as an insulating blanket 

and thereby tending to prolong the snowmelt period. What the net 

effect on streamflow will be is not known.

FISH AND WILDLIFE

1. Big Game - 59,520 acres of deer and elk habitat were 

severely damaged by complete or near complete loss of vegetation.

Nearly all of this was summer range. However, some mudflows affected 

winter range in the Muddy River and Pine Creek areas south of Mt. Saint 

Helens.

62,080 acres are estimated to be moderately damaged by ashfall 

over 8", overstory vegetation is intact and recovery should be complete within 2-3 years.
154

The

to be:

nu mbe r o f b ig Game k i l l e d d u r in g th e e r u p tio n i s e s tim a te d

On FS (2 ,000 b l a c k t a i l d e e r On a l l (6 ,0 0 0 b l a c k t a i l d e e r

la n d s ( 300 e lk la n d s (5 ,2 5 0 e lk

o n ly ( 30 b la c k b ear ( 200 b la c k b e a r

( 12 m ounta in G oats ( 100 m o u n ta in g o a ts

( 15 c o u g ar

Th e e n t i r e m o unta in g o a t p o p u la tio n i n th e M t. M arg are t 

b a c k c o u n tr y a r e a i s b e li e v e d to have been l o s t . T h is p o p u la tio n was 

t r a n s p la n t e d s e v e r a l y e a rs ag o by W ash in gto n D ep art m en t o f Game.

2. S m all Game an d Mongame W ild lif e

T h o usa nds o f s m a ll e r a n im a ls w ere l o s t . A s m a ll p ta rm ig a n 

p o p u la tio n w hic h was r e s id e n t to th e u p p er s lo p e s o f Mt. S a in t H ele n s 

may be c o m p le te ly gone.

S e v e r a l th o u san d a c r e s o f o ld gro w th D o u g l a s - f i r , w e s te rn 

hem lo ck , and A lp in e f i r s ta n d s w ere d e s tr o y e d . H a b ita t d i v e r s i t y 

w ith in th e 59,5 20 a c re d e v a s ta ti o n a r e a was re d u ce d to b a re ro c k , 

b a re g ro u n d , o r a r e a s w it h e x te n s iv e down m a t e r i a l .

b i r d , r e p t i l e , a m p h ib ia n , and sm a ll mammal p o p u la tio n s w ith in 

th e a r e a , w her e more th a n 4" o f a s h f e l l , a r e e x p e c te d t o be s e v e re ly 

a f f e c te d f o r a t l e a s t two to f i v e y e a r s . T h ere a r e a p p ro x im a te ly 

159,3 60 a c r e s w it h he av y a sh a c c u m u la ti o n s o u ts id e o f th e d e v a s ta te d 

a r e a .

3 . An ad romou s F i s h e r i e s

Th e N o rt h Fork o f th e T o u tle R iv e r was c o m p le te ly d e s tro y e d by 

m assiv e f l o o d s , mud an d d e b r is flo w s , an d w a te r te m p e ra tu r e s t h a t 

w er e r e p o rte d a t 100 F. Th e u p p e r p o r tio n o f th e S o u th F o rk o f th e 

T o u tl e R iv e r ha d s i m il a r im p a c ts . The G re en R iv e r had l e s s s e v e re 

da m ag e. How ev er , i t i s l i k e l y t h a t a l l f i s h w it h th e d r a in a g e w er e 

k i l l e d by h ig h w a te r te m p e ra tu r e s , a s h , o r d e b r is t o r r e n t s .

Th e a n n u a l o n -F o re s t anad ro m ous f i s h e r i e s v a lu e l o s t i s 

e s tim a te d to b e:

S te e lh e a d

Coho 

T o ta l

V alu es on a l l

RECREATION

In th e d e v a s te d a r e a , 27 d ev elo p ed r e c r e a t i o n s i t e s wer e 

d e s tr o y e d . A t o t a l o f 4 ,2 8 0 PAOT c a p a c ity o f d e v e lo p e d s i t e s wa s 

l o s t . A noth er 500 PAOT c a p a c ity i s in a h ig h h a z a rd zo ne t h a t w i l l 

n o t be ope ne d t h i s y e a r . C a p a c it y f o r 4 8 0 ,0 0 0 RVD o r 7 0 0 ,0 00 PAOT/

- $ 1 0 6 ,0 0 0 

- 1 8 b ,0 00

$ 2 9 2 ,0 0 0 a n n u a lly

la n d s w i l l be much h ig h e r .
d ays w i l l be l o s t t h i s y e a r due t o F o r e s t c lo s u r e s . Th e v a lu e o f 

r e c r e a t i o n im pro vem en t d e s tr o y e d i s e s tim a te d to be $ 1 ,7 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

An e s tim a te d $25,0 00 p e r y e a r i n r e c r e a t i o n r e c e i p t s w i l l be l o s t 

fr om th e d e s tr o y e d an d c lo s e d s i t e s . Th e S ta te D ep art m en t o f N a tu ra l 

R e so u rc e s r e c r e a t i o n s i t e l o s s e s am ou nt ed to som e $1 .7 m il l io n .

ROaDS

W it h in th e b l a s t an d m ud flow a r e a s , a p p ro x im a te ly 63 m il e s o f 

ro a d v a lu e d a t $1O,OUU,OOO w ere t o t a l l y o b l i t e r a t e d . A p p ro x im ate ly 

154 m il e s o f pa veo an d 1 ,5 60 m il e s o f g r a v e l- s u r f a c e d F o r e s t dev elo p m en t ro a d s w er e c o v e re d w ith on e to e ig h t in c h e s o f a s h an d 

pum ic e. F o r e s t ro ad l o s s e s on p r i v a t e la n d s am ounte d t o a b o u t $ 5 .8 

m i l l i o n .

bRIDbES

Sev en perm anen t ro a d b r i d g e s , f i v e lo g s t i n g e r ro a d b r i d g e r s , 

an d f i v e t r a i l b r id g e s a r e know n to be d e s tr o y e d . The v a lu e o f th e 

17 b r id g e s i s e s tim a te d to be $1U,OUO,OUO. An a d d i t i o n a l $ 2 ,9 0 0 ,0 0 0 

i n b r id g e lo s s e s was e x p e rie n c e d on p r i v a t e la n d s .

TRAILS

N in e ty -s e v e n m il e s o f t r a i l v a lu e d a t $ 1 ,2 0 0 ,0 0 0 w er e 

o b l i t e r a t e d i n th e b l a s t a r e a . An e s tim a te d 30 m il e s o f F o r e s t 

t r a i l w i l l r e q u ir e a sh re m o v a l.

ADMINISTRATIVE FA CILIT IES

Th e S p i r i t Lak e Work C e n te r wa s t o t a l l y o b l i t e r a t e d . I t ha d 

c o n s i s t e d of 15 b u ild in g s (1 1 ,3 0 0 s q u a re f e e t ) a t a v a lu e of 

$ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

Th e S a in t H ele n s R an g er S t a ti o n A d m in is tr a tiv e s i t e a t P in e 

C re ek h as bee n aban doned and p ro b a b ly w i l l n o t be re -o c c u p ie d e x c e p t 

a s a da y u se wo rk c e n t e r . Th e s i t e c o n s i s t s o f 19 p erm anent b u ild ­

in g s o f 2 4 ,2 8 0 sq u a re f e e t . E sti m a te d v a lu e o f f a c i l i t i e s t h a t w i l l 

n o t be u se d du e to th e h a z a rd s in v o lv e d i s $ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

SPECIAL USES

P r iv a te im pro vem ents on fo u r F o r e s t S e r v ic e s p e c i a l u se p e rm it 

s i t e s aro und S p i r i t L ak e t h a t w er e l o s t a r e e s tim a te d to hav e a v a lu e 

o f a p p ro x im a te ly $ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

LANDLliNES AND LAND STATUS

A p p ro x im ate ly 130 p ro p e rty c o r n e r s , 204 c o n t r o l l i n g c o r n e r s , an d 

66 m il e s o f p o s te d F o r e s t boundary l i n e w ere o b l i t e r a t e d . C o st o f 

su rv e y an d m onum en ta to n h as a v a lu e o f a p p ro x im a te ly $ 9 0 0 ,0 0 0 . R est o r a t i o n o f la n d l i n e s an d p ro p e rty c o r n e r s on S t a t e an d p r i v a t e 

la n d s w i l l c o s t an a d d i t i o n a l $ 4 8 6 ,0 0 0 .
156

A large lane exchange involving Sections 17 and 19, T9N, R5E, 

owned by Weyerhaeuser Company was in the final stages. These two 

sections of land were devastated, although the Forest Service land 

offered in exchange was not. The land exchange patterns and packages will have to be re-evaluated before any value of lost opportunity here can be calculated.

No estimate of rehablitation costs will be made until a 

determination is made of how much of the area will be preserved and 

what needs to be done on the balance of the area.

Rehabilitation Program

Question: If there are no further significant eruptions, do you

have any idea how long it will take to mount and carry out an effective rehabilitation program designed to restore the timber, wildlife, 

soil and water resources of the region?

Answer: Estimates are that it will take about five years to 

carry out an effective rehabilitation program if there are no further 

significant eruptions.

Geologists cannot predict what Mt. Saint Helens will do next.

The volcano is still very dangerous.

Salvage Sale Revenues

Question: What revenues do you anticipate will be generated by 

the timber that can be salvaged?

Answer: Due to the uncertainties involved in roading, logging, 

timber degrade, and possible continued eruptions by the volcano, any 

estimate now could be highly inaccurate. However, old growth timber 

of similar quality adjacent to the damaged timber is selling in excess of $3u0 per thousand board feet.

Line Item Summary

Question: Please provide a detailed breakdown of your 

supplemental budget request indicating how your funding is allocated 

among the traditional budget activities and subactivities and, where 

appropriate, for the specific functions involved. Also indicate 

what funding should be made available under your construction 

account.

Answer: The enclosed budget line item chart also shows this 

breakdown.
157

Question: Please explain why you are requesting that your

entire supplemental be made available through fiscal year 1981.

answer: With the end of fiscal year only three months away, 

it would be more economically efficient not to rush into contracts 

in order to get the funds obligated by September 30. We would 

need the continued use of the funds for contract supervision and 

also to finance work than is not contracted out.

Emergency Funding Authority

Question: The Forest Service does have emergency funding 

authority available for the purposes of firefighting and emergency 

rehabilitation of burned over areas. Does any of this emergency 

funding authority extend to situations other than wild fires such as 

the Mt. Saint Helens disaster?

Answer: The Forest Service funding authority for firefighting 

is authorized by 31 USC 534 and is limited to fighting forest fires 

in an emergency situation on or threatening National Forest System 

lands.

The authority for the rehabilitation of burned over areas is 

authorized by Title II of the current Interior and Related Agencies 

Appropriation Act, PL 96-126. This is an annual appropriation act 

which appropriates sufficient funds to liquidate obligations incurred 

in the previous fiscal year for forest firefighting and rehabilitation of burned over areas.

Therefore, none of the existing emergency funding authorities 

extend to Mt. Saint Helens or similar situations.

Question: Would such emergency funding authority be helpful to

the Forest Service in coping with natural disasters — volcanic eruptions, flooding, severe draught, earthquakes, and the like — on 

national forest lands?

Answer: The Forest Service does not need emergency funding for 

coping with National disasters. We have authorities for emergency 

timber salvage, firefighting, emergency watershed restoration, 

insect and disease control, and general forestry assistance, which 

covers any contingencies.

Question: Please submit to the Committee suggested bill

language that would provide such emergency funding authority for 

problems other than forest fires. Along with that, indicate how the 

emergency funding authority would be invoked and how the funds utilized for such emergencies would be repaid.

Answer: Since the Forest Service does not need additional 

emergency funding authority, suggested bill language is not being 

proposed.

6 4 -5 2 9 0 - 8 0 - 1 1
158

Questions Submitted by Senator Hatfield

Havi ng viewed firsthand the tragic aftermath of the Mt. Saint 

Helen s eruption, I have many concerns. They range across the breadth 

of geophysical, ecological, env ironmental and econo mic impacts asso ­

ciate d w ith the eruption. Howe ver, my major interest is that we 

appr oach the Mt. Saint Helens phe nomena in its entirety and not in a 

piecemeal fashion. We need to consider, in concert, the importance 

of the area in gaining new und ers tanding of the earth's forces, in 

its pot ential beneficial aspe cts associated wi th the event, in its 

impacts to local and State governments, and in the des tructive nature 

of the eruption to important resources.

Question: Alon g this line, 1 am interested in how long it w ill 

take to gathe r on-site inform ati on which will indicate those areas 

important for research projects, visitor interpretation, timber salvage, soil erosion control str uctures and potential geo-thermal activities. Are inventories underway to identi fy the various values 

and oppo rtunities in the impact ed area and alte rnative uses complementary to those values?

Answer: An interdisciplinary team has been assigned to make a 

comprehe nsive resource ass essment to de velo p a n a cti on plan. On-site 

ass essment has not been poss ible to date because of the extreme 

hazards involved. Adverse weath er has hampered doin g the kinds of 

aeria l photography needed for detailed inventory work. However, the 

team is devel oping some alt ernative plans, based o n the best informati on available, for various values and opportun ities in the impact ed area.

Question: How long will it take to com plete the inventories so 

we know what the o pportunities are and whe re they lie?

Answer: We hope to have tentative plans dev eloped in late June. 

The date of completion of inventories cannot be predicted at this 

time. Conti nuing volcan ic activity precludes putting any people in 

the area to make the kin ds of analyses needed for a complete 

ass essment.

Question: What cos ts are associated with c arrying out the 

inven tory in the remain der of fiscal year 1980? In fiscal year 1981?

Answer: The cost for fiscal y ear 1980 is $ 675,000 and the cost 

for fiscal year 1981 is $200,000.

Question: What problems do you foresee for off-site impacts 

such as stream s iltati on and erosion cause d by c ondi tions within the 

devastated area?

Answer: The best assessment we have of such damage is from a 

preli minary and unveri fie d May 27, 1980, dama ge appr aisal by the 

Giff ord Pincho t Nat ion al Forest.
159

Stream damage and consequences are quoted as follows:

Stream Damage

Miles of Streams

Damage Catefory

Class

I & II III IV

1. Destroyed (by mudflows) 28 7 65

2. Severe Damage 9 8 35

3. Heavy Damage 40 62 195

4. Moderate - Light Damage 400 629 1,900

and 135 miles of perennial streams within the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Class 1 and II streams include the major streams on the Forest 

— Cispus, Lewis, Muddy and Toutle Rivers — and their principal 

tributaries. These streams support anadromous and resident trout 

fisheries as well as providing water for recreation and downstream 

hydroelectric, municipal and industrial uses.

Class III streams are small perennial streams tributary to the 

Class I and II streams and are important in maintaining downstream 

water quality and aquatic life.

Class IV streams are small, intermittent streams.

The North Fork and South Fork of the Toutle River, Pine Creek 

and the Muddy River have been destroyed my mudflows from Mt. Saint 

Helens. Severe damage category streams — located in the headwaters 

of Coldwater Creek and the lower reaches of the Spirit Lake tributaries — are undoubtedly almost devoid of aquatic life. Only scattered niches of aquatic life probably survive in the heavy damage 

category stream. Most moderately and lightly damaged streams will 

probably recover rapidly from the impacts of the ashfalls.

Numerous private domestic water supply systems have been 

developed on small streams flowing from the National Forest. 

Typically the drinking water is not treated, i.e., filtered or disinfected. Turbidity values will be above levels established by the 

Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Act (PL 92- 

523). Turbidity problems will occur during periods of ashfall and 

during rainy periods until the sediment (ash) is flushed out of the 

streams.

Much of the sediment in the stream systems will eventually be 

deposited in hydroelectric impoundments — Riffe Lake (Mossyrock 

Project — Tacoma City Light) on the Cowlitz River and Swift Reservoir (Swift Project — Pacific Power and Light) on the Lewis River. 

The major sediment impact to the Swift Project will occur as the 

Muddy River and Pine Creek systems re-establish channels by eroding 

through the mudflows that block them. This same formative process 

will take place on the North and South Fork of the Toutle River.

It is estimated that 1,100,00 cubic yards of sediment will be dumped
160

into the reservoirs, reducing the storage capacity 690 acre ieet.

It would cost approximately $5,500,000 to remove the additional 

sediment.

Destruction of the top 1,300 feet of Mt. Saint Helens also 

means the loss of glaciers and ice and snow fields. During the 

summer months, these areas contribute important streamflows for 

beneficial downstream uses, including fisheries and power generation. Ashfalls have blanketed most of the Cowlitz River, including 

the Cispus and Toutle Rivers, and the Lewis River watersheds. Thin 

deposits of ash may increase snowmelt rates, thereby tending to reduce the amount of snow water available for late summer streamflows. 

Heavy ash deposits may reduce snowmelt rates by serving as an insulating blanket and thereby tending to prolong the snowmelt period. 

What the net effect on streamflow will be is not known.

Question: Have estimates been made of the cost of control 

structures to reduce off-site impacts?

Answer: Mo estimates of need or of cost have yet been made.

The damage and rehabilitation assessment, when complete, will provide the data from which reasonable estimates may be made as to 

the cost of any required sediment control structures. If such 

structures are required, they will most likely be needed downstream 

from National Forest land. The determination of need and the planning and design of such structures will necessarily be coordinated 

with State and local government entities.

Question: I hear estimates of one billion board feet of trees 

have been killed. How long may these trees be left lying before 

they are no longer suitable for wood products?

Answer: We estimate 1.6 million board feet of merchantable 

timber on National Forest land was blown down by the volcanic blast. 

We anticipate that about 800 million board feet can be salvaged. 

There well be some deterioration of sapwood, but the bulk of the 

volume will be usable if salvaged within four to five years.

Question: Do you expect insect and disease epidemics to 

originate from the down trees? Could such an epidemic be confined 

to the impacted area and be kept out of the surrounding timber 

stands?

Answer: If the damaged and weakened timber is suitable for 

beetle attack we can expect attacks by the Douglas-fir bark beetle 

and silver fir beetles. These attacks will not take place until the 

spring of 1981 and epidemic outbreaks, if they develop, will not occur until the spring of 1982. We believe that if such epidemics 

develop, they can be confined to the impact area and the weakened 

timber immediately surrounding it.

Question: What insect and disease suppression alternatives are 

available to minimize the outbreak potential?
161

Answer: Prompt detection and removal of infested timber is the

preferred alternative. Other alternatives available for use on a 

limited scale include the use of behavioral modifying substances 

(pheromones) and chemical insecticides.

Question: Are funds needed this fiscal year and in fiscal year 

1981 for insect and disease suppression activities?

Answer: No additional suppression funds are needed in fiscal 

year 1980 or fiscal year 1981. However, we estimate that an additional §133,000 will be needed for monitoring activities to determine the condition of the damaged timber and to evaluate the insect 

and disease population trends in fiscal year 1981.

Question: Obviously, the public will be anxious to view the 

most severe example of volcanism in the continental U.S. in this 

century. What plans have been made to provide public viewing and 

interpretation of the area?

Answer: We have immediate plans for two mobile visitor centers, 

one to the north and one to the south of the volcano. These sites 

are close to Interstate 5 and will be installed before the July 4 

weekend. Temporary exhibits are now being constructed. The Forest 

Supervisor's office and each Ranger Station will have lobby displays. Seasonal interpreters are hired and are being trained to 

conduct interprative programs- An important element of the interpretive program will be an extensive public safety message. Longterm interpretive data gathering and planning will be started.

By September 30, three additional vista sites will be 

operational with interpretive instruments in place. Additional 

interpretive exhibits will be completed. A color brochure will be 

available to interpret the volcanic activity and public safety.

Question: When do you expect the area to be safe for public 

access?

Answer: The Geologic Survey will make no predictions. Mt.

Saint Helens is a very dangerous volcano and may remain so for 

months, years or decades according to their testimony.

Question: What facilities are necessary to adequately handle 

the expected public influx?

Answer: We will develop a complete assessment of the facilities 

necessary to interpret past and present volcanic activity. Through 

comprehensive planning, we will suggest appropriate management activities for the present (while the volcano is still active) and the 

future (after the situation stabilizes).

Our preliminary assessment indicates at least two centers of 

interpretive activity, one towards the north and one towards the 

south of the volcano. A network of trails through the damanged areas 

will eventually be an integral part of the interpretive facility.
162

Overlooks on heavily traveled roads will provide an opportunity 

to develop 10-12 small road side interpretive exhibits.

Question: Do you have an estimate of public facility needs for 

fiscal year 19bl?

Answer: Until we can enter the area and complete our damage 

assessment, we can only estimate public facility needs for fiscal 

year 1981. We know there is need to install temporary bridges and 

construct bridges approaches outside the devastated area.

There will be additional needs for dealing with ash and its 

effects on the Gifford Pinchot, Wenatchee, and Colville National 

Forests in Washington and Idaho. Estimated costs of $1,500 per 

mile for dust abatement and ash removal will require approximately 

$4,500,000 in fiscal year 1980 and $20,500,000 in fiscal year 1981. 

More than 15,000 miles of forest roads have been impacted.
DEPARTME NT OF AG RICU LT UR E 

Soil Conservation Service

STATEMENT OF NORMAN BERG, CHIEF, SOIL CONSERVAT ION SERVICE,

USD A

COORDINATION WITH FOREST SERVICE

Sena tor Magnuson. How do the Soil Cons ervation Service and the 

Forest Service coordinate their activities?

Mr. Berg. We have excellent autho rity, Mr. Cha irman, in the 1978 

Farm Credit Act, Public Law 95-334, section 403, tha t allows the 

Departm ent to move very rapidly on this sort of a problem . However, 

we need to identify j ust exactly the exte nt of w hat should be done and 

how best to do it. We certainly------

Senator Magnuson. Don’t you work with the Forest Service?

Mr. Berg. Yes.

Senator Magnuson. You are all in the same departm ent, the 

Departm ent of Agriculture?

Mr. Berg. There are fou r agencies represented here from the 

Depar tment of Agriculture: Fores t Service, Soil Con serv ation Service, 

Admin istra tor Fitzg erald represe nting the Agricultural Stabilization and 

Conservation Service.

Sena tor Magnuson. W hat will be don e with the $20 million?

Mr. Berg. Mr. Thornton is the Farm ers Home Adm inistration. We 

are working with the State and local peop le through the Federal 

Emergency Man agem ent Agency, known as FEM A and with the Corps 

of Engineers and with oth er agencies who are in place at the local level, 

to assess what the damage has been and try to come up with a plan for 

a coordin ated response that will most effectively meet the needs of that 

area. As the Go ver nor has pointed out, it breaks dow n into three 

problems: how to deal with the blast area and the flow resulting from 

that, the mud flow, and the ash fall. And to the east of that area, there 

are very significant acreages of agricultural land, includin g forest areas, 

range land, and croplan d that have been affected. We are working in 

concert with the State agencies and local people. We are trying to find 

what best to do in tha t particu lar area.

Something very significant in our opinion is, what effect would this 

have on the long-range productivity of the soil? Most of this area was 

form ed originally from that kind of deposit. Over a long range of time 

it can be helpful, but righ t now it is a very serious prob lem. Irrigation 

facilities need to be rehabilitated in many areas. The re is roughly 

1,200,000 acres of range land that is going to be impacted quite 

severely. We need to assess that. I agree with the General from the 

corps that we need to exam ine the possibilities of retention facilities to 

(163)
164

do what we can to hold back the very damaging precipita tion flows th at 

will occur later this winter. We need to build these now. The re are 17 

tributaries to the Cowlitz River tha t need to be looked at very rapidly. 

There are mud flows that need to be seeded. We asked the expe rime nt 

stations what is the best seeding rate if we are ready to move on that. 

We have their recommendations. Most of this is testing based on the 

best experience we have had in the past, testing some of the things that 

are, at this time, really unknown.

I am reminded that no t too long ago, about this time of year, the 

Teto n Dam in Idaho produced an enormous catastrophe to that area. I 

think the agencies sitting at this table learned a great deal from that 

type of emergency. We moved in; our peop le worked literally arou nd 

the clock, 7 days a week. As necessary, we move people in from other 

parts of the country. I think we have dem onstrated that local, State, and 

Federal people can work together in concert with the private people to 

do what can be done with the best knowledge available.

As I said, we do have a good authority in the Dep artm ent of 

Agriculture to deal with this. Th e $20 million will be made available as 

rapidly as we can come up with plans of work tha t are acceptable 

within ou r area.

Senator Magnuson. There have been some recent reports that apples 

and pears are dropping off the trees. Do you know anything abou t 

that?

Mr. Berg. Yes, we heard that. It is a problem that needs to be 

further analyzed. I think the State and local people have that in hand. 

The re are three agencies of the Department of Agriculture that are in 

every county in your area. These are county extension agents, Soil 

Conservation Service and the local conservation district, and the 

Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation people with their local 

county committees. The Farm ers Hom e Administration have offices 

througho ut that area. These people are available; they are citizens of 

the community; they are as conc erned as anybody can be. We place a 

great deal of reliance on wha t shou ld be done and wha t the situation is 

by working back through our State people in Spokane and our countybased people in each of the counties. So to that exte nt-----

Senator Magnuson. A nd the State agriculture departm ent?

PREPARED STATEMENT AND SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Mr. Berg. Yes, we are making our people available to do whatever is 

bes t within our responsibility. Mr. Chairma n, I would like to insert my 

statement for th e record.

Senator Magnuson. Wi tho ut objection, it will be prin ted in full in 

the record, together with the questions and answers subm itted for the 

record.

[The statement and questions and answers follow:]

Prepared Statement of Norman A. Berg, Chi ef , Soil Conservation Service

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this committee to discuss what the Soil 

Conservation Service (SCS) can do to help with the aftermath of the volcanic eruptions 

of Mount St Helens.
165

I have been reading reports and talking to some of those who have had a first hand 

view of this disaster, and I find the size and scope of what has happened to be almost 

beyond human comprehension. The total impact and changes in the environment of 

the areas concerned and the impact and magnitude of the ash “ fall ou t” over a multiSlate area has not been determined. The immediate and long-term effects o f the 

eruption are being assessed and they are like ly to be enormous.

Preliminary damage estimates indicate significant loss and damage to agricultural 

lands and crops, to watersheds and stream systems, irrigation developments, and other 

conservation systems. SCS has suffered losses to snow survey equipment, vehicles, and 

physical facilities, including our plant materials center, due both to the immediate blast 

of the eruption and to the resulting fall out o f the ash. We do not have adequate 

estimates of these damages or the total cost of the work SCS will be responsible for in 

providing technical assistance and in mitigating the threat to human life and property. 

We are reasonably sure that the eventual cost of this work will be significantly greater 

than the S3 million requested under conservation operations and the $20 millio n 

requested under section 403 emergency watershed protection authorities. Damage 

estimates and their effects are furthe r complicated by possible additional damage at any 

time. The Forest Service has already indicated to us that they w ill need about $25 

million of our emergency watershed protection funds to complete work where they 

would be responsible. The requested amounts, together with currently available funds 

will enable us to begin responding to this situation as soon as an assessment of damage 

and a plan o f work are completed. Addition al funding needs, beyond the amounts 

included in this supplemental, w ill be decided upon at that time.

Some projected actions are:

(1) The seeding of eroding slopes and ash deposits with quick growing vegetation. 

This will be most difficu lt and costly on the steep slopes covered with deep ash 

deposits. It will be somewhat easier to achieve on the mud flats, and it is believed that 

this area should receive highest priority for technical and financial assistance in the 

next few weeks and months. Ongoing program and emergency authorities could be 

used for this purpose. A longer range, carefully planned seeding fo r the steeper ashcovered slopes appears prudent. This could be a part o f total watershed or river basin 

planning to assure supportive corrective measures.

(2) The outlets of many of the smaller streams discharging in to the rivers are 

plugged with mud and debris and are causing drainage and erosion problems and 

flooding hazards. Emergency assistance could be carried out by SCS to remove these 

stream plugs if funds and manpower are made available.

We have efforts underway to identify the specific needs which SCS will have to 

address and the resources which will be required to take care of these needs. When 

these details become available, they will be supplied to the committees. Meanwhile, 

what we are asking for is to increase the funds we have available to meet this 

emergency based essentially on the known magnitude of the disaster and the need to 

respond to these dangerous conditions as soon as a coordinated plan is developed.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement I will be happy to answer any questions 

I can.
166

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

Q u e sti o n : What ty p e o f a s s i s t a n c e i s th e S o i l C o n s e rv a ti o n 

S e rv ic e now p r o v id in g la n d o w n ers w hose a g r i c u l t u r a l la n d s w ere 

dama ged as a r e s u l t o f th e Mo unt S t . H e le n s V olc an o?

Ans wer : L o c a l SCS p e rs o n n e l a r e p r o v id in g t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e 

to la nd o w n ers a s a r e s u l t o f th e M ou nt S t . H ele n s V o lc an o . T e c h n ic a l a s s i s t a n c e i s b e in g p ro v id e d t o h e lp th e la n d o w n er i n c o r p o r a te 

th e ash i n t o th e s o i l by c h is e l i n g an d d is c in g an d i n th e r e s e e d in g 

o f h a y la n d , p a s tu r e la n d , and o t h e r a r e a s now b a r re n a s a r e s u l t o f 

th e v o lc a n ic a c t i v i t y . SCS p e r s o n n e l a r e s e r v in g on S t a t e an d l o c a l 

em er gen cy b o a r d s , and a re a s s i s t i n g F e d e r a l, S t a t e , an d l o c a l ag en ­

c ie s an d i n d iv i d u a ls w ith th e a sse ss m e n t o f da m ag es to a g r i c u l t u r a l 

la n d .

Q u e s tio n : What i s y o u r p r e lim in a r y a sse ss m e n t o f th e da mag e to 

a g r i c u l t u r a l la n d s from th e v o lc a n o ? Why i s i t im p o rta n t to r e p a i r 

t h i s s p e c i f i c da ma ge? What a r e th e im p lic a tio n s o f n o t r e p a i r i n g i t 

im m e d ia te ly ?

A ns w er : Damag e to a g r i c u l t u r a l la n d i s e s p e c i a l l y s e r io u s in 

th e c o u n tie s n e a r th e v o lc a n o b u t i s p r e s e n t th ro u g h o u t e a s te r n and 

c e n t r a l W ash in g to n . Dam age to e x i s t i n g c ro p s i s s t i l l b e in g 

a s s e s s e d , b u t p r e l i m i n a r i l y , i t a p p e a rs t h a t th e h ay c ro p was damag ed th e m ost w ith a p p ro x im a te ly 6 0 ,0 0 0 a c r e s lo d g e d , c o v e re d , and 

r o t t i n g . A pple o rc h a rd s a r e s u f f e r i n g an u n u s u a lly heavy a p p le d ro p 

w it h some d ro p re a c h in g 100 p e r c e n t. Whea t l o s s e s a p p e a r to be 

m in im a l, h o w ev er, th e f u l l r e s u l t s w i l l n o t be known u n t i l a f t e r th e 

h a r v e s t . Some lo s s e s in l e n t i l s an d p e as a r e e x p e c te d . Damag e to 

n a ti v e ra n g e la n d s i s s t i l l b e in g a s s e s s e d . Damage to h a r v e s t i n g , 

m a c h in e ry , v e h i c l e s , an d o t h e r eq u ip m en t i s e x p e c te d to b e h ig h .

D e la y s in ta k in g c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n w i l l a c c e l e r a t e th e ec on om ic 

l o s s . The a s h , a s i t i s f lu s h e d o f f th e fa rm la n d by w in d an d r a i n , 

te n d s to c o l l e c t and h a rd e n i n low a r e a s o f f i e l d s m ak in g i t a lm o st 

u n fa rm a b le . A ir and w a te r q u a l i t y a r e d e t e r i o r a t i n g d u e to th e a sh . 

W ate r q u a l i t y w i l l c o n ti n u e to d e t e r i o r a t e u n t i l c o r r e c t i v e a c tio n s 

a r e ta k e n . C o rre c tin g da m ag es to a g r i c u l t u r a l la n d s i s t e c h n i c a ll y 

t i e d to th e s u s ta in e d b e n e f i t s o f str e a m c le a n o u t i n th e u p str e am 

w a te rs h e d s and d re d g in g o p e r a tio n s i n th e dow nst re am w a te rw a y s.

Q u e sti o n : W it h in w hat ti m e fr am e can th e n e c e s s a r y c o n s e rv a tio n 

t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e b e p ro v id e d to c l e a r up th e da mag e?

Ans wer : Alm os t im m e d ia te ly fo llo w in g th e e r u p ti o n , som e r e ­

lo c a t in g o f p e rs o n n e l v i a d e t a i l s wa s acc o m p li sh e d w i t h in th e S t a te 

o f W ash in g to n . Mo re p e r s o n n e l a r e need ed i n p o r tio n s o f th e S t a t e . 

F o ll o w in g a u th o r i z a t io n i t w ould ta k e 2 to 4 w ee ks to h i r e a n d /o r 

t r a n s f e r th e n e c e s s a ry am ou nt o f p e rs o n n e l i n to th e a r e a .

M os t o f th e c u r r e n t w ork i s in a s s e s s in g da mag es an d e a r ly 

p la n n in g o f r e s t o r a t i o n m e a s u re s . Some str e a m r e s t o r a t i o n w or k i s 

u nderw ay. To c o r r e c t kno wn da m ag es may r e q u ir e 18 m onth s to 2 

y e a r s . F u r th e r v o lc a n ic e r u p tio n c a u s in g i n t e n s i f i e d o r w id e r 

s p re a d da mag es co u ld le n g th e n ev en f u r t h e r th e n eed ed ti m e f o r r e s ­

t o r a t i o n .

Q u e sti o n : How h a s th e S o i l C o n s e rv a ti o n S e r v ic e d e li v e r y s y s ­

tem a t th e c o u n ty o f f i c e l e v e l b een f u n c tio n in g in p ro v id in g te c h n i -
167

cal assistance to landowners? What has been the volume of requests? 

Have you been able to meet the requests to date?

Answer: The Soil Conservation Service delivery system is ideal 

for providing technical assistance to landowners in this type of 

crisis; however, more personnel are needed to handle the requests 

for technical assistance in the immediate future. The volume of 

requests is building and will reach a peak by late summer and fall. 

The immediate concern of most residents was to first take care of 

their homes and families; and they are now requesting technical assistance for their problems associated with their land. That activity is expected to build throughout the summer. We do not have sufficiently trained personnel in place to handle the workload, nor do 

we have adequate funds for the placement of sufficient personnel to 

meet the needs.

Question: How will these additional conservation operations 

funds accelerate the availability of financial assistance from other 

Department of Agriculture of Soil Conservation Service programs?

Answer: With the provision of technical assistance to determine the best corrective actions to be taken for each problem area, 

a restoration plan, including costs can be developed to support 

applications for financial assistance. Also, it is essential that 

additional expert assistance be available to implement the financial 

assistance programs, such as the Emergency Conservation Program of 

the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. Without 

adequate conservation technical assistance being available, there 

would be no point in making the financial assistance available.

In addition, for those individuals who do not request or qualify for Federal financial assistance to rectify certain damages, the 

Soil Conservation Service may still be able to provide the technical 

assistance that is needed to carry out the work with private or 

State funds.

Question: What types of emergency measures will be financed 

from the $20 million supplemental? Does this sum appear to be sufficient at this time?

Answer: Measures to be financed include debris removal from 

tributaries to the Cowlitz River. The Corps of Engineers is expected to work on the mainstreams and SCS will open clogged channels 

of side inlet streams.

Another type of measure will be the establishment of vegetative 

cover on mud flow areas. In some areas, debris basins will also be 

installed to prevent downstream sediment.

Question: How serious are the problems of runoff and soil erosion in the Mount St. Helens area? To what extent can the emergency 

measure funds alleviate the problem and safeguard lives and property?

Answer: The potential problems of runoff and soil erosion in 

the Mount St. Helens area are substantial. Thousands of acres are 

completely barren; there are numerous vertical head cuts, clogged 

streams, and volcano caused impoundments of water, mud, and debris.

This highly erosive situation is in an area of especially high 

precipitation which is frequented by winter rains on frozen soil
168

an d su b se q u e n t e x c e s s iv e w a te r r u n o f f .

A m a ssiv e am ou nt o f r e v e g e ta tio n w ork n eed s to b e done t h i s 

sum mer to h e lp h o ld th e s o i l i n p la c e an d re d u c e dow nst re am f lo o d 

p o t e n t i a l . The a sh te n d s to h a rd e n an d be co me im p erm eab le , w h ic h 

in c r e a s e s th e am ou nt o f ru n o f f s in c e th e m o is tu re i s n o t a ll o w e d to 

so ak i n to th e s o i l .

In th e Mount S t . H ele n s a r e a , t h e r e c o u ld be s e r io u s f lo o d in g 

i f im m edia te a c t i o n i s n o t ta k e n . The C o w li tz R iv e r , w hic h p r i o r to 

th e v o lc a n ic a c t i o n ha d a c a r r y in g c a p a c ity o f 70 c u b ic f e e t p e r 

se c o n d , now h a s a c a p a c ity o f o n ly 10 c u b ic f e e t p e r se cond d ue to 

th e a s h , mud , an d d e b r is in th e r i v e r c h a n n e l. A s u b s t a n t i a l nu m be r 

o f r e s id e n c e s a r e i n p o t e n t i a l flo o d p a th s on th e C o w li tz an d T o u tl e 

R iv e r s . S m all t r i b u t a r i e s a r e a lr e a d y flo o d in g b e c a u se o f d e b r is 

b lo c k a g e .

In a r e a s w h ere mud fl o w s have o b l iv i a te d str e a m c h a n n e ls , l a r g e 

volu m es o f se d im e n t w i l l be ero d ed d u r in g r e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f th e 

str e a m re g im e . T h is sed im en t w i l l f i l l dow nst re am r e s e r v o i r s , str e a m 

c h a n n e ls , ro ad d i t c h e s , e tc .

Q u e s tio n : We u n d e rsta n d t h e r e i s a re q u ir e m e n t f o r 20 p e r c e n t 

l o c a l c o s t s h a r e f o r th e em er gen cy a s s i s t a n c e . T h is i s n o t i n th e 

l e g i s l a t i o n . Who im po se d i t ? What w i l l be th e im p act?

Ans wer : The 20 p e rc e n t c o s t s h a r e f o r n o n ex ig en cy s i t u a t i o n s 

was ad ded by th e D epart m ent d u r in g th e re v ie w an d r e v is io n o f th e 

c u r r e n t ly p e n d in g r e g u la ti o n s . U n d o u b te d ly , t h i s re q u ir e m e n t w i l l 

p re v e n t som e l o c a l s p o n s o rsh ip o f som e nee ded m e a su re s. S p o n so rs 

a re e n t i t l e d t o u se in - k in d s e r v i c e s ‘a s p a r t o f t h e i r c o s t s h a r e , 

w h ic h may re d u c e th e d e tr im e n ta l im p a c t o f th e 20 p e r c e n t r e q u ir e ­

m en t .

Th e im p a c t o f th e 20 p e r c e n t c r i t e r i a in th e S t . H ele n s a r e a 

co u ld c r e a t e a h a rd s h ip i n co m m u n it ie s w her e l o c a l fu n d s a r e p r e s ­

e n tly e x h a u s te d .
Agricultu ral Stab ilizatio n and C onser vat ion Service

RAY FITZGERALD, ADMINISTRATOR, AGRICULTURAL STABILIZA TION AND

CONSERVATION SERVICE, USDA

TREATMEN T OF DAMAGED FARMLAND

Mr, Fitzgerald. Mr. Cha irman, I represent ASCS. We are requesting 

$20 million primarily for the purpose of treating farm land damaged by 

the eruption of Moun t St. Helens on May 18.

These funds are needed to repair the dam age from the May 18 

eruption through regular emergency conservation practices which are 

available, and two special practices which have alre ady been approved 

for the State of Washington . On most of the lands, we think the ash 

will have to be inco rporate d into the soil eith er through shallow or 

deep tillage. There are other problems. For example, where alfalfa is 

down, it may have to be removed from the land before the ash can be 

inco rporate d into the soil. If other major pro blems develop, our county 

committees will be able to deal with them.

debris removal

Of the $20 million which we are requesting, an estim ated $14.5 

million in cost-share assistance is intend ed for incorpo ratio n of ash into 

the soil on 1,665,000 acres in Washington. These figures include residue 

removal on 70,500 acres. In addition, an estimated $350,000 would be 

allocated to Washington for removing debris from the farmland and 

restoring livestock watering facilities. Idaho wou ld receive cost-share 

assistance of approxim ately $650,000 for inco rporating ash into the soil 

and removing crop residue.

EMERGENCY LIVESTOCK FEED PROGRAMS

Mr. Chairma n, we have elected coun ty com mittees and an office in 

every county in the State of Washington, and we are receiving daily 

reports of the damage and of opportun ities to provide assistance.

The remaining $4.5 million would fund requ ests on hand to repair 

damage caused by floods and tornadoes primarily in the Southwest and 

Southeast parts of the Un ited States.

Oth er opportunities we have for assistance to the peo ple in 

Washington and nea rby States are already fun ded because they come 

through the Com mod ity Credit Corpo ration ’s ongoing programs. I am 

talking about emergency livestock feed programs, low yield harvesting 

of the crops of wheat and feed grains. But the emergency conservation 

program is the one where we do not have any funds at the pre sen t 

time.

(169)
170

EFFECT FRO M FA LL OU T ON CROP S

Senato r Magnuson. You need the $20 million, the n?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes, sir.

Senato r Magnuson. Right away?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes, sir.

Senat or Magnuson. Wha t has bee n the effect on the crops, includin g 

the wheat? Do you know?

Mr. Fitzgerald. We don ’t know exactly. We had a man out there 

who just came back yesterday from our Cons ervation and 

Environm ental Protec tion Division. We are advised that travel is 

restric ted on some roads. In the case of wheat, gener ally speaking, it 

looks good. There are prob lems with some of the oth er crops, especially 

those which lodge und erne ath the fallen ash, on the grou nd. TTiis ash 

evidently reflects the sunlight, causing the grou nd und ern eat h to remain 

very cold, and some of the crop s seem to be rotting .

Senator Magnuson. You r service is not widely known, except to 

certain farmers, isn’t that corr ect?

Mr. Fitzgerald. I think tha t is true, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Magnuson. They know abo ut it bu t I guess the public does 

not know abo ut it at all, or they have only limited knowledge. So if a 

farmer has a problem , whether it be grapes, hops, or anythin g else, he 

would come to your office?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes, and make application, and we are already 

taking applications.

Senator Magnuson. And you are taking appli cations?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes.

Senator Magnuson. I wanted that known. You would help assess his 

perso nal damage, wouldn’t you ?

Mr. Fitzgerald. The cou nty committe e would assess him.

Sena tor Magnuson. You have to review it, the county committee, I 

suppose, and the rest of the agricu ltural peo ple?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes.

Senator Magnuson. But he would come in right away?

Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes, sir.

Sena tor Magnuson. Do you have any questions?

eff ect on insect populat ion

Gov ernor Ray. I would like jus t to make a further com men t and say 

Mr. Bob Nicholson, who is dire ctor of our State Dep artm ent of 

Agriculture, has been work ing very closely with the diff eren t agencies 

within agriculture. I think the communicatio n is good and the 

continuin g need for asses smen t of the crops as time goes by. In many 

instances it just is not know n yet what would be the final eff ect The re 

is one effect that is clearly long term tha t we already know, which is 

quit e drastic. That is the effect on the insect pop ulat ion. This can be 

quite good and bad. I am told the dustin g of ash, in the case where 

there is large poultry, enough ash has fallen on these chickens and 

gotte n into their feath ers and has destroyed all o f their mites. It also 

has caused a vast dea th of insects which are imp orta nt to pollin ation.
171

This, in turn, has an effect upon the birds that depen d upon insects for 

their food. So the long term ecological effects are very great bu t these 

are things tha t I think are, at the presen t time, more open for study and 

planning for the future— how the environmental network can be 

restored.

I am sure we can continu e to work with the Depar tment of 

Agriculture on these problems.

Senator Magnuson. We have gone a long time, long er than I 

expected, and I have a few m ore witnesses.

PREPARED STATEMENT AND SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Before we move on, however, I would like to insert in the record the 

prep ared state ment of Mr. P'itzgerald, together with the responses to 

questions the staff has submitted to the Service.

[The statement and questions and answers follow:]
172

Prepared Statement of Ray Fitzgerald, Administrator

AGRICU LTURAL STABILIZ ATION AND CONSERV ATION SERVICE

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I appreciate th is op por tu nity to 

discuss our request fo r supplemental fun din g fo r emergency conserv ation measures 

under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). This program has been used 

since 1957 to share with farmers the cos t o f re h a b ilit a ti n g farm land damaged 

by natural disast er.

We are requesting $20 m illio n , prim arily fo r the purpose of tr eating farm land 

damaged by the erup tio n of Mount St. Helens on May 18.

The erup tio n, which spewed vo lca nic ash in a no rth ea sterly dir ectio n , deposited 

up to 4 inches on fie ld s in the counties o f Adams, Fra nkl in , Grant, Lewis , Linc oln 

Spokane, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima in Washington, and in the counties of 

Benewah, Kootenai, and Latah in Idaho. The ash is mainly s il ic a and is 

hig hly abras ive . Accumulation of on e-q uarter inch or more may in te rf e re 

with normal farm ing opera tions. The hard est- hit counties repo rt th at crops 

were su ffo cated by the ash and th at ha rves t of su rviving crops w il l be impossible 

or uneconomical due to the ash 's effe ct on machinery and the lower q u a lity 

of crops. Ash has also contaminated liv est ock water and damaged ir rig a tio n 

pumps. In Co wlitz County, in the immediate area of the volcano, vo lcan ic mud 

choked rivers and the re sultin g flo od s damaged crop land.

Another erup tio n on May 25 sent ash to the northw est, but the re su ltin g damage, 

though not ye t fu ll y assessed, was re la ti v e ly minor. No additio nal cost-sha re 

assistan ce is an tic ipated .

Measures needed to re pa ir the damage from the May 18 erup tio n includ e regu lar 

ECP pr ac tic es which are av aila ble and two special prac tices which have also 

been approved. On most of the affected acreage ash w il l be inco rporated 

in to the s o il through shallo w or deep til la g e . However, in fi e ld s of windrowed 

a lf a lf a the volume of material inv olved makes til la g e not p ra ctica l. These 

farm ers w il l need to remove the windrows before inco rporating the ash. I f 

othe r effective measures are found to deal with the problem, county committees 

may recommend those special pra ct ices.

Our $20 m illio n request would provide an estim ated $14.5 m illio n in cost-share , 

assis tan ce fo r inco rpor ating ash in to the soil on 1,565,000 acres in Washington.
173

These fig ure s inc lude residue removal on 70,500 acres. In additio n, an 

estimated $350,000 would be alloca ted to Washington fo r removing debris from 

farm land and re sto ring liv est ock watering fa c il it ie s . Idaho would rec eive 

cost-share assistan ce of app roxima tely $650,000 fo r inco rp or ating ash in to 

the s o il and removing crop residue.

These cos t estimates are based on the best information ava ila ble today. There 

have been on-s ite ins pections by members of the various county and sta te ASC 

committees and th e ir s ta ff s , and the Deputy D irect or of the Conservation and 

Environmental Pr otec tio n D iv is io n in Washington, D.C., who surveyed the 

situ a tio n la s t week. Travel is s t i l l re str ic te d in some of the affected area 

and pre cise damage assessment is d iff ic u lt . However, our unique system of 

county and community committees is proving invaluab le in gettin g a handle on 

the extent of the damage and inform ing the farmers on e ff e ctive tre atm ent

measures.

The remaining $4.5 m illio n would fund requests on hand to re pair damage caused 

by floods and tornadoes prim arily in the Southwest and Southeast, and othe r 

disa sters fo r which requests fo r funds have not been rec eiv ed. For example, 

at th is time we have not rec eived a damage assessment on la st week's tornadoes 

in Nebraska.

I w il l be happy to respond to any question s you might have.

64-52 9 0 - 8 0 - 1 2
174

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

ASCS ASSISTANCE V. SCS ASSISTANCE FOR EMERGENCY CONSERVATION

Q uest io n: What ty pe o f c o s t- s h a rin g assis ta nce is pro vid ed to 

fa rm er s un de r th e Emergency C onserv ation Program? How does th is 

assis ta nce d if f e r from what is pro vid ed un de r th e S o il C onserv ation 

S e rv ic e 's emergency measure program?

Answer: The Emergency C onserv ation Program adm in is te re d by ASCS 

pro vid es assis ta nce fo r r e h a b il ita tio n o f fa rm la nd damaged by n a tu ra l 

d is a s te rs . This in clu des such measures as gra din g and sh ap ing f ie ld s , 

removing d e b ris , and re p a ir in g con se rv a tio n s tr u c tu re s . B a s ic a ll y , 

th e a u th o rit y is to re s to re to p ro d u c ti v e c a p a b il it y fa rm la nd which 

has been damaged by a na tu ra l d is a s te r.

The S o il Conserv ation S e rv ic e 's Emergency Wa tershe d P ro te c ti o n a u th o rit ie s pro vid e f o r undert akin g emergenc y measures fo r ru n o ff re ta rd ­

a ti o n and s o il ero sio n pre ve n tio n in a watersh ed where ne ce ss ary to 

sa fe gu ard human l i f e and p ro p e rt y .

DAMAGE TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS

Q uestion: What is your p re li m in a ry assessment o f th e damage to 

a g r ic u lt u r a l la nd s from th e vo lcan o? What type s o f damage is th e re 

to th e s o il, to th e cro ps, to th e s tr u c tu re s ?

Answer: There were two ty pes o f damage— ash and mud. Ash co ve rs 

th e la rg e s t area bu t w ill be e a s ie s t to c o rre c t. Mud damage seems to 

have occurred on only 25 to 30 fa rm s in C o w litz Cou nty, but re covery 

w ill be more d i f f i c u l t .

Ash damage to th e s o il ap pears to be p rim a ril y from p re ve n tin g wate r 

a b sorp tion and a e ra ti o n . Because ash r e fle c ts th e s u n li g h t, i t als o 

pre vents th e s o il fro m wa rming up.

Damage to cr op s v a ri e s : Ir r ig a te d a lfa lf a and seed peas are s u ffe rin g 

from heavy lo dgin g and lo ss o f p ro d u c ti o n ; cor n appears a t pre sent to 

be ve ry po or m ain ly from c o ld s o il te m pera tu re ; th e f r u i t cro p is 

h u rti n g due to dr opp ing o f set f r u i t and d is c o lo ra tio n ; seed crop s in 

th e ir r ig a te d area vary . Bee p o ll in a tio n o f cr op s which have flow ere d 

sin ce th e e ru p ti o n is q u e stio n a b le sin ce most bees were k ille d .

Wheat, bo th dry la nd and ir r ig a t e d , and po ta to es appear to be do in g 

wel 1.

As f a r as equipment is co nce rn ed , th e abra siv e natu re o f th e ash is 

ca usi ng abnorm ally la rg e mainten an ce prob lems.

Washing ton S ta te U n iv e rs it y re p o rts th a t th e ash is s lig h t ly a c id ,

6.5 pH, and conta in s sm all amoun ts o f m in e ra ls . I t ap pe ars th a t 

e a rly in c o rp o ra ti o n in th e s o il is th e be st re covery me tho d. Howeve r, th is may mean th e lo ss o f cro p income fo r 1980.
175

Mud damage to crop s and s o ils was t o ta l in C o w litz Co un ty. Mud 

la y e rs are up to 10 fe e t th ic k on fa rm la nd. Acc ord in g to Washin gton 

S ta te U n iv e rs it y , th is mud is 67 perc ent sand, 9 perc ent c la y , and 24 

perc ent s i l t ; i t conta in s no n it ro g e n and only sm all amo unts o f phosphorus and po ta ss iu m . I ts te x tu re is ve ry good and w it h th e a d d it io n 

o f commercia l f e r t i l i z e r and o rg a n ic m a tt e r, th e cro pla nd may be good 

in th e fu tu re . Fence s, w e ll s , and o th e r s tr u c tu re s in th is area were 

g e n e ra lly 100 perc ent destroyed.

PROVIDING EMERGENCY CONSERVATION FUNDS TO FARMERS

Q uestion: How q u ic k ly can th e Emergency Conserv ation Program 

fu nd s be pro vid ed?

Answer: ASCS fund s fo r th e Emergency Conserv ation Pro gra m are 

exh au sted; th e re fo re , a t t h is ti m e fu nd s cann ot be pro vid ed fo r c u rre n t d is a s te rs . However, i f th e Congress were to pass a su pp lemen tal 

a p p ro p ria ti o n fo r ECP we wo uld im m edia te ly be able to p ro v id e fund s 

to fa rm ers th ro ugh our county co m m ittee system .

REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY DISASTER ASSISTANCE

Q uestion: What kin ds o f re quests have been com ing in to th e 

co unt y o ffic e s o f th e A g r ic u lt u r a l S ta b il iz a tio n and C onserv ation 

S erv ic e to da te?

Answ er: Our co un ty ASCS o ffic e s have re ceiv ed numerous re quests 

from pr oducers fo r assis ta nce in v o lv in g in c o rp o ra ti o n o f vo lc a n ic ash 

in to th e s o il by deep plo w in g ; rem oval o f cro p re s id u e ; rem oval o f 

d e b ri s from fa rm la nd; re s to ra tio n o r replac em en t o f permanent fe n c in g ; 

re s to ra tio n o f li v e s to c k w a te r f a c i l i t i e s ; and pu rcha se o f fe ed fo r 

1i vesto ck.

Q uestion: Have you been able to pro vid e assis ta nce in th ese 

cases?

Answer: Requests are bein g proc esse d and assis ta nce pro vid ed to 

pr oducers un de r th e Commodity C re d it C orp ora tion Emergency Feed Program. Most o f th e re q ue sts , ho we ver, in v o lv e assis ta nce un de r th e 

Emergency C onserv atio n Pr og ram, f o r which we have no a v a il a b le fu nds. 

This is why we are seeking a d d it io n a l fu ndin g fo r ECP, so assis ta nce 

can be im m edia te ly and e ff e c t iv e ly pro vid ed to pro ducers .

CCC EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Q uestion: Besid es th e Emergency Conserv ation Prog ram, your 

Agency can pro vid e a ssis ta nce th ro ugh fu nd s a v a il a b le to th e Comm odity C re d it C orp ora tion f o r various co rono dity prog rams. D is a s te r 

payments as w e ll as exte nsio ns o f com modity loan s are ju s t two exam ples . Plea se dis cuss a ll o f th e various com modity program a s s is tance th a t can be pro vid ed to th ese d is a s te r v ic tim s .
176

Answer: The various em erg ency-rela te d com modity programs ar e as 

fo ll o w s :

The d is a s te r pro gra m co ve rs pr eve nte d p la n ti n g and low y ie ld d is a s te rs 

f o r whe at , b a rle y , co rn , and g ra in sorghum. Th ere is a li m it a tio n o f 

$100,00 0 pe r pe rson f o r a ll crop s in any cro p yea r.

The com modity lo an pro gra m is a v a il a b le f o r th e same cro p s-- w he at, 

b a rle y , corn , and g ra in sorghum. Commodity loan s nearing m a tu rit y 

have been ex tend ed in th e fo u r-S ta te area a ff e c te d .

The emergency fe ed progra m pro vid es assis ta nce in purc hasin g li v e s to c k 

feed to re pla ce th a t norm ally prod uc ed on th e fa rm bu t wh ich was no t 

because o f n a tu ra l d is a s te r. Payment is based on 50 perc ent o f th e 

cost o f feed pu rcha sed o r le ss as de te rm in ed by th e S ecre ta ry . Loss 

o f pro du ction must be s u b s ta n ti a l (40 p e rc e n t) , s u ffic ie n t feed to 

co ve r th e emergency period must not be on hand, and pu rchases du ri n g 

th e emergency period must be la rg e r th an no rm al.

The he rd p re s e rv a ti o n feed g ra in a ssis ta nce progra m pro vid es CCC-owned 

or pu rchased fe ed fo r li v e s to c k owners who ar e in a m ajor d is a s te r 

are a and ar e un ab le to o b ta in c r e d it o r have in s u ffic ie n t cash to 

pu rcha se ne ce ss ar y feed because o f lo sses s u ff e re d in th e d is a s te r.

The In d ia n ac ute d is tr e s s donation prog ram pro vid es CCC-owned or 

pu rchased feed to In d ia n trib e s fo r li v e s to c k fe edin g when th e ASCS 

A d m in is tr a to r de cide s th a t a n a tu ra l d is a s te r has a ff e c te d normal feed 

sup plies o f members o f an In d ia n t r ib e .

REQUESTS FOR CCC PROGRAM ASSISTANCE

Q uestion: What has been th e volume o f re quests in th e co unty 

o ffic e s f o r com modity program a ssis ta nce to da te? What is you r pre ­

li m in a ry assessment o f th e costs in th is area?

Ans wer: Under th e Commodity C re d it C o rp o ra ti o n 's d is a s te r p ro ­

gram, co ve rage is pro vid ed f o r bo th low y ie ld s and fo r pr eve nte d 

p la n ti n g . To pro vid e s p e c if ic counts o f d is a s te r a p p li c a ti o n s would 

be pr em atu re , sin ce pr od uc er s are s t i l l d ig g in g o u t.

The wheat lo ss in th e S ta te o f Washing ton is p re d ic te d by Washin gton 

S ta te U n iv e rs it y to be $25 m illio n . In Wa shing ton a lo t o f co rn is 

s t i l l to be be pla nte d. In Id ah o th e ash, co up led w it h an extrem ely 

wet s p rin g , has hampered p la n ti n g o f s p ri n g wheat and b a rle y . In bo th 

S ta te s cr op s ar e ex pe cted to mat ur e almos t norm ally. However, due to 

th e damage th e ash causes to fa rm m ac hine ry , th e amount o f cr op s th a t 

w ill be harv est ed is q u e stio n a b le .

We w ill pro vid e fi g u re s on costs in c u rr e d in th e d is a s te r pro gra ms as 

soon as data is a v a il a b le .
177

ASCS COUNTY OFFICE STAFFING

Question: Is s ta ff in g in the ASCS county offic es adequate to 

prop erly deliv er the necessary commodity and emergency conserv ation 

services?

Answer: The unique ASC farm er-electe d committee system allo ws 

fo r h ir in g of temporary employees to s ta ff county o ffic es during peak 

or emergency workload periods. To date 12 temporary employees have 

been hired in Washington Sta te county off ic es. I t is ant icip ate d th at 

an add itiona l 6 to 8 more temporary employees w il l be needed to ass ist 

with the increased workload. In the States of Idaho and Washington 

both overtime and s h if ti n g of personnel from othe r county offic es to 

counties affected by the dis aste r are being u ti liz e d .

These personnel are used to provide ass istance to farmers at ASCS 

county o ff ic e s , to ass ist in fie ld work in vo lvin g the appraisal and 

assessment of crop damage, and to help s ta ff FEMA emergency cente rs.

CROP DAMAGE

Question: I have heard re po rts th at many of the crops in the 

State may be in trouble . S p e c if ic a lly , th at apples and pears are 

dropping o ff the tr e e s-- is th is true?

Answer: There has been severe damage to the apple and pear 

crops. In p a rt ic u la r, ne arly a ll the red delic io us apples in the 

affe cted area are dropping o ff. The pears are discolo ring and packers 

have indica ted they w il l not accept them.

Question: What crop damage do you see to grapes, hops, wheat?

Answer: Most of the grapes were on the fr in ge of the area covered by ash and do not appear to have been damaged. No repo rts of 

damage to the hops have been rec eiv ed. The wheat crop does not appear 

to be damaged, but the re is grea t concern about the a ff e ct of the ash 

on te machinery when harve st is made.

Question: Once the ash is turned under the s o il , w il l i t help 

the land or act as a fe rtil iz e r ?

Answer: No one is ye t certain of the short or long term impact 

the ash w il l have on the s o il . The ash is composed of approximately 

80 percent s il ic a and the nutrie nts are not s u ff ic ie n t to improve soil 

f e r t il i t y s ig n if ic a n tl y .

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINIS TRATION

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM MAUK, JR., DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, SMALL 

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SMALL BUSINESS APPLICATIONS

Senator Magnuson. I think Mr. Mauk, from the Small Business 

Adm inistration is here. I thin k you could just pu t you r statem ent in the 

record.

Mr. Mauk. T hat will b e fine.

Senator Magnuson. We are very familiar with the application of 

small business. The amount estim ated for small busin ess if $430 million.

Mr. Mauk. T hat is correct.

Senator Magnuson. Because you are rapidly beco ming broke, too, are 

you not?

Mr. Mauk. We are not rapidly becoming broke, we already are. We 

hav en’t had money for 1% months.

Sena tor Magnuson. It is very necessary we put some more money 

into small business. I hop e you move quickly on the applications.

Mr. Mauk. We have peo ple in the field already. We are opening up 

four offices outside the disa ster assistance centers ope ned up by FEM A.

Senator Magnuson. You will get a lot of referrals from FEMA.

Mr. Mauk. We have ha d two people in each one of their centers. We 

have been meeting with the public already. We have applications in. 

We had over 2,100 interviews with applicants for ou r loans. We will 

have four offices, thre e in Washington, one in Idah o set up.

Senator Magnuson. I noticed in Kelso alone, at the opening of the 

FEMA office, they had abo ut 300 people come through the first day 

and over half o f th em were given infor mation for small business loans.

Mr. Mauk. That is correct. As you can see from the request for 

funds, ours is a very substantial one.

PREPARED STATEMENT AND SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Senator Magnuson. We will make your prepared statement a part of 

the record and also ask that you respond in the record to some 

questions regarding you r request.

[The inform ation follows:]

Prepared Stateme nt o f Willia m H. Mau k, Jr., D epu ty Adm inistrator,

Sma ll Busin ess Adm ini stra tio n

Mr. Chairman and members of this committee, I welcome this opportunity to appear 

before you to discuss in detail the circumstances surrounding our request for a 

supplemental appropriation.

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180

As you are aware, we have requested a supplem ental ap prop ria tio n o f $427 m illio n 

based on the fact that every region in the co un try is cu rre ntly invo lve d in some form 

o f disaster activity. Alth ou gh on A p ri l 25, 1980, the agency was require d to suspend 

forma l approval action on all disaster lend ing until ad ditio na l funds become available, 

offices have rem ain ed open and we are processing all loans to the po int o f approva l. 

In ad ditio n, those loans approved prior to A p ri l 25, 1980, are being disburse d.

Throug h A p ri l o f this fiscal year, we have appro ved alm ost 40,000 loans for over 

$620 m illio n. In ad ditio n to this, we have accepted over 20,000 loan applica tions valued 

at $362 m illio n which are being processed. So as you can see, there exists a gen uine 

need fo r our assistance.

Since our request to the Office o f Ma nageme nt and Budget fo r supplem ental fund ing 

on Febru ary 13, 1980, there have been a series o f major disasters that are estima ted to 

generate loans in excess o f $700 m illio n, therefore requ iring us to return to OMB and 

request ad ditio na l fun din g. This second requ est is prim arily due to the floo ds in 

Califo rnia and Louisiana, the Nebraska tornad o, the M ount S t Helens volcano, and the 

recent civil disorders in Miami.

Inc luded in these requests are estimates that w ill increase ou r nonphysical disaster 

loan program fro m its original budget level o f $60 million. This is princi pally due to 

the demand fo r 7(b)9 economic dislo cation loans and 7(b)3 displaced business loans. 

Throug h A pril 30, 1980. $42 m illio n of almost $58 m illio n nonph ysical loan approvals 

were fo r these two programs. We cu rre ntly have $37 m ill io n in process w ith another 

$25 m ill io n anticipa ted to be received from existing declarations.

Our origin al supplemental request conta ine d $7 m ill io n fo r salaries an d expenses 

fund. However, due to a sig nifica nt nu mbe r of disasters occurring since that request, an 

increase o f at least $5 m illio n will be necessary.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement on ou r need fo r ad ditio na l fund ing in 

connection with disaster re lie f prog rams at SBA , and I now w ill be pleased to answer 

any questions wh ich you may have.
181

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

1. I n v ie w o f th e f a c t t h a t SBA d e c r e a se d t h e i r e s tim a te by $7 0

m i l l i o n i n one w e e k 's tim e , how r e l i a b l e a re th e s e e s tim a te s ?

SBA h a s v i r t u a l l y no e x p e r ie n c e in re sp o n d in g to an e x te n s iv e 

v o lc a n o d i s a s t e r . Our e s tim a te s a re b a s e d up on o u r o n - s i t e 

e v a lu a tio n o f th e s i t u a t i o n an d c a r e f u l d i s c u s s io n s w it h 

f e d e r a l , s t a t e an d l o c a l o f f i c i a l s in th e im p a c te d a r e a . Giv en 

o u r l im i te d e x p e r ie n c e , th e s e e s tim a te s a re a s r e l i a b l e a s we 

ca n p re p a re a t t h i s tim e .

As you a re a w are , muc h dama ge h as y e t t o be th o ro u g h ly do cu ­

m ente d s in c e i t re m a in s u n c e r ta in as to th e e x a c t e x te n t o f 

dama ge cau sed by th e v a r y in g am ou nt s o f v o lc a n ic d u s t , e t c .

A s u b s t a n t i a l p o r tio n o f o u r e s tim a te i s b a se d up on o u r b e l i e f 

t h a t w id e sp re a d econom ic i n ju r y h a s o c c u r r e d in th e d i s a s t e r 

a re a ; y e t t h i s im p a c t i s n o t y e t w e ll docum ente d. F u r th e r , o u r 

ec onom ic in ju r y lo a n s a re made o n ly to th o s e s m a ll b u s in e s s e s 

w ith s u b s t a n t i a l econom ic in ju r y who do n o t h av e a d e q u a te 

p e r s o n a l r e s o u r c e s f o r re sp o n se t o th e d i s a s t e r . In a d d it i o n , 

eco nom ic in ju r y d i s a s t e r lo an r e c i p i e n t s m us t a ls o be u n a b le to 

o b ta in c r e d i t fr om l o c a l b a n k s, e t c .

In m os t i n s t a n c e s , i t w i l l ta k e a b u s in e s s a c o n s id e r a b le p e r io d 

o f ti m e to e s t a b l i s h t h e i r eco nom ic i n j u r y ; so th e y have n in e 

m on th s d u rin g w h ic h to p re p a re an d f i l e t h e i r a p p li c a t io n s f o r 

SBA lo a n s .

L a s tl y , fa rm e rs w ith p a r t i a l c ro p l o s s e s w i l l n o t have t h e i r 

a p p li c a t io n s c o m p le te ly p ro c e s s e d an d ap p ro v ed u n t i l a f t e r 

h a r v e s t when s o l i d l o s s s t a t i s t i c s a re a v a i l a b l e .

2. C ongre ss e x p e c ts to a d jo u r n by O c to b e r 1 s t. I am c o n c e rn e d

t h a t th e r e c o u ld be a h ia tu s in th e a s s is ta n c e u n t i l th e 9 7 th

C ongre ss co n ven es n e x t Ja n u a ry . Do es SBA have any s ta n d -b y

a u t h o r i ty to ma ke lo a n s i f th e $ 4 3 0 .6 m i l li o n e s tim a te f o r

Mou nt S t . H ele n s p r o v e s in a d e q u a te ?

At p r e s e n t , n o . I f S. 26 98 w er e e n a c te d an d C o n g re ss w ou ld 

a u th o r iz e a d d i t i o n a l b o rro w in g a u t h o r i t y , t h e r e w ould be 

f l e x i b i l i t y .

3. SBA a ls o e s tim a te s $500 m i l li o n i n r e q u ir e m e n ts f o r 42 o t h e r

d i s a s t e r s th a t have o c c u r r e d s in c e F eb ru a ry 2 7, 19 80 . How

r e l i a b l e a re th o s e e s t im a te s , an d c o u ld th e y p o s s i b l y cr ow d

o u t th e Mount S t . H e le n s ’ v ic tim s v f th e o v e r a l l e s tv m a te

p ro ves in a d e q u a te ?

G iv en o u r e x te n s iv e e x p e rie n c e in re s p o n s e to th e o th e r 

d i s a s t e r s r e fe r e n c e d in y o u r q u e s tio n , we f e e l th e e s tim a te s 

a r e e n t i r e l y r e l i a b l e . We do n o t now a n t i c i p a t e th e s e o th e r 

d i s a s t e r s w i l l cr ow d o u r th e Mount S t. H e le n s ’ v ic tim s .

4. The e r u p tio n o f M ou nt S t . H ele ns had a d e v a s ta t i n g im p a c t on

th e a re a a d ja c e n t t o th e v o lc a n o . H ow ev er , th e a sh c o v e r e d a

w id e d is ta n c e a c r o s s th e S t a te o f W a sh in g to n a s w e ll a s o th e r
182

4. Continued

st a te s. How much o f the $420.6 m illion is est imate d fo r

Washington?

The $430.6 m ill ion damage estim ate is fo r the en ti re St ate of 

Washington.

5. What can you t e l l us about the d et ail s o f the $430.6 m illion ?

For in stan ce , am I correct tha t i t only inclu des $600,000 fo r

damages to 300 homes? What is the ba sis o f th is est imate as

you ca n’ t do much to your house with the average you budget o f

$2,000 per home?

The $430.6 m ill io n is broken down as follo ws :

Units

Do llars

(M illions )

Ph ys ical Damage

Homes/Personal Property 950

Non-farm Businesses 600

Agr ic ultura l E nti ties 1,400

Economic Inju ry

Non-farm Businesses 3,500

TOTAL 6,450

6.6

9.0

200.0

215.0

430.6

Our damage estimate s fo r homes and busin ess es have been revise d 

upward, re fl ecti n g ad ditio na l info rma tion which in dic at es higher 

than an ticipa te d ap pl icat io ns fo r both ca te go ries , as w el l as 

info rmatio n refl ect in g c o s tli e r damage to both ca te go ries ( i .e ., 

damage to air co nd iti on ers, furnaces, e t c .) . S t i l l , i t remains 

an estim ate.

6. We understand tha t the $430.6 m illio n est imate in clud es only

$5,000,000 fo r as sis tanc e to 500 bu sin esses. That works out to

an average o f $10,000 per bu sin ess. In the se days and times a

small grocer cou ld hardly re st oc k hi s sh elv es with $10,000, and

any bu sin ess with much machinery co ul dn 't do much with only

$10,000. What is the ba sis o f the estimate that only $5 mill ion

w il l be needed fo r bu sin esses?

Our est im ate s fo r busin ess damage inc lud es the fo llo win g:
183

U n it s

D o lla r s

( M illio n s )

P h y s ic a l Damage

N on-f arm B u s in e s s e s 

A g r i c u lt u r a l E n t i t i e s

60 0

1 ,4 0 0

9 .0

2 0 0 .0

Eco no m ic I n ju r y

N on-f arm B u s in e s s e s 3 ,5 0 0 2 1 5 .0

TOTAL 5 ,5 0 0 4 2 4 .0

E s tim a te s have bee n r e v is e d .

7. There h as b e en c o n s id e r a b le d e b a te i n th e C o n g re ss o f SBA

d i s a s t e r a s s is ta n c e to fa rm e rs . Th e p e n d in g SBA a u th o r iz a tio n

b i l l w i l l ma ke fa rm e rs f i r s t to go to th e Farm er s Home Adm in ­

i s t r a t i o n f o r d i s a s t e r lo a n s.

A) d i l l th e l e g i s l a t i v e ch a n g es have any e f f e c t on th e

a s s is ta n c e p r o v id e d fa r m e r s du e to th e Mou nt S t . H e le n s

d is a s t e r ?

We do n o t a n t i c i p a t e t h a t an y l e g i s l a t i v e ch anges a f f e c t i n g 

th e d i s a s t e r pro gra m an d in c lu d e d in th e p e n d in g SBA 

a u th o r i z a t io n b i l l w i l l a f f e c t fa rm e rs im p a c te d by th e 

Mo unt S t. H ele ns d i s a s t e r . Th e p e n d in g b i l l p r o v id e s f o r 

th e la w to become e f f e c t i v e f o r d i s a s t e r s o c c u r r in g a f t e r 

th e d a te th e b i l l i s s ig n e d by th e P r e s i d e n t.

B) How mu ch o f th e $ 4 3 0 .6 m i l l i o n i s to a s s i s t fa rm e rs f o r

t h e i r d i s a s t e r lo s s e s ?

A p p ro x im ate ly $ 20 0 m il l io n .

C) Do es th e a s s is ta n c e to fa r m e r s a ls o in c lu d e lo a n s to

p e r s o n s who ow ne d th e tim b e r t h a t wa s f e l l e d by th e

v o lc a n o ’s b la s t?

Th e dama ge e s tim a te f o r fa rm dama ge does n o t r e f l e c t an y 

e s tim a te f o r lo a n s to p e rs o n s who ow ned tim b e r f e l l e d by 

th e b l a s t . At t h i s p o i n t , i t i s unkno wn w h e th e r t h i s 

f e l l e d tim b e r w i l l be s a lv a g e d , w i l l be tr a d e d f o r o t h e r 

f e d e r a l la n d s , o r c l a s s i f i e d as 100% l o s s . We a n t i c i p a t e 

t h a t an y ti m b e r lo s s e s w i l l be ac co m m od ated by o t h e r 

f e d e r a l a g e n c ie s .

8. Wh at r a t e o f i n t e r e s t w i l l be c h a rg e d on th e SBA lo a n s? How

lo n g w i l l ho meo wne rs a n d b u sin e ssm e n have to pay o f f th e s e

lo a n s?
184

P h y s ic a l D is a s te r s

I . PRIMARY HOMES OR PERSONAL PROPERTY

3% i n t e r e s t f o r r e p a i r a n d /o r re p la c e m e n t. Maximum l i m i t s 

o f $ 5 0 ,0 00 f o r r e p a ir /r e p la c e m e n t o f r e a l p r o p e r ty , $10,0 00 

f o r r e p a ir /r e p la c e m e n t o f p e r s o n a l p r o p e r ty , an d a co m bin ed 

maximum o f $ 5 5 ,0 0 0 .

8 1/4 % i n t e r e s t f o r lo a n s o r p o r tio n s th e r e o f u sed f o r 

e l i g i b l e r e f in a n c in g , w ith a maximum o f $ 5 0 ,0 0 0 .

I I . NON-PRIMARY RESIDENCES

3% i n t e r e s t f o r r e p a ir /r e p la c e m e n t o f p e r s o n a l p r o p e r ty .

8 1/4 % f o r r e p a ir /r e p la c e m e n t o f r e a l p r o p e r ty , and f o r 

lo a n s o r p o r tio n s t h e r e o f u se d f o r e l i g i b l e r e f in a n c in g .

I I I . BUSINESS LOANS

8 1/4% i n t e r e s t f o r E co nom ic I n ju r y D is a s te r L oan s (EIDL) 

r e s u l t i n g from a p h y s i c a l d i s a s t e r .

5% i n t e r e s t f o r lo a n s to b u s in e s s e s w hic h in SB A's ju dgm ent 

a re u n ab le to o b ta in c r e d i t e ls e w h e re .

8 1/4% i n t e r e s t f o r lo a n s to b u s in e s s e s w hic h in SB A's 

ju dgm ent a re a b le to o b ta in c r e d i t e ls e w h e re .

8 1/4% i n t e r e s t f o r lo a n s o r p o r tio n s th e r e o f u se d f o r an y 

e l i g i b l e r e f in a n c in g .

8 1/4% i n t e r e s t on lo a n s f o r n o n - p r o f it o r n o n -b u s in e s s 

c o n c e rn s ( i . e . , c h u rc h e s , e t c . ) . C r e d it e ls e w h e re t e s t 

a p p l i e s .

Maximum l i m i t on b u s in e s s lo a n s i s $ 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 , u n le s s h a rd ­

s h ip ca n be p ro v e n .

IV . CREDIT ELSEWHERE

As u se d in P u b lic Law 9 6 -3 8 , c r e d i t e ls e w h e re means th e 

a v a i l a b i l i t y o f s u f f i c i e n t c r e d i t from n o n - f e d e r a l so u rc e s 

a t re a so n a b le r a t e s an d te rm s, ta k in g i n to c o n s id e r a tio n 

p r e v a i li n g p r i v a t e r a t e s an d te rm s in th e co mmun ity i n o r 

n e a r w her e th e c o n c e rn t r a n s a c t s b u s in e s s f o r s i m i l a r p u rp o ses an d p e r io d s o f ti m e .

9. Is SBA responding to the needs o f the Mount St . Helens disa ste r;

fo r instance are a ll the ap plica tio ns worked up so that there

w ill be no delay once the funds are appropriated?

As o f Ju n e 13, 1980, n in e ty (9 0) a p p li c a t io n s r e q u e s tin g $ 4 .7 

m illio n hav e b een r e c e iv e d f o r p r o c e s s in g . We a re p r o c e s s in g 

th e a p p lic a tio n s as f a r as p o s s ib le w h il e we a w a it a p p ro v a l o f 

su p p le m e n ta l fu n d in g . Any d e la y s e n c o u n te re d w o u ld be th e
185

re su lt of the time fa ct or between now and the date of approval 

of supplemental funding, and the number of bac klog ap pl icat ions 

pla ced on "standby" pending funding.

9A. Is ther e anything Congress should provide besid e the money to

ins ure ther e w il l be no unnecessary red -tape?

Not at th is time.

10. Ear lier th is year, Sen ato r Jackson and I wrote Adm inis trator

Weaver about the redu cti on s to the temporary dis ast er personnel

ass ign ed SBA’s Seatt le Regional O ff ic e. We had 17 on

December Si, 1979 and on February ISth i t was reduced to 14

and our farmers were enc oun tering delays in ge ttin g th ei r

loans from previou s dis ast er s in ord er to pl an t th eir new

crops.

How many dis as te r perso nnel are now ass ign ed to the Se at tle

Region and how does th at compare to the number requ ire d to

a s sis t the vic tim s o f the volcano?

On June 3, 1980, we increa se d the Region al temporary dis as te r 

employee ce il in g from 18 to 70 po sition s with the pr ov isio that 

20 of those po sition s (l egal s ta ff to cl os e the loa ns) not be 

f ille d unti l June 15 , 1980. The Region ad vises tha t they w il l 

have 70 persons on board as of June 18, 1980.

Fur ther, each of our four (4) dis ast er o ff ic e s w ill be managed 

by a permanent SBA employee.

Given the pre sen t ra te of retu rn of dis ast er loan requ ests, 

th is s ta ff should be ab le to meet the needs. We w il l be 

working very cl ose ly with the Regional O ffic e to ins ure adequate Agency response to th is dis ast er .

11. At the time o f the Mount St . Helens eru pti on, the re was a

pending supplem ental req uest o f $420 m illion fo r SBA di sa st er

loans . Will the ad di tio na l req uest fo r Mount St. Helens

a ff e ct the funding fo r ap pli catio ns that had been file d

pre vious ly?

No.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

N ational Ocea nic and Atmo sphe ric Adm ini str ati on

STATEMENT OF JAMES P. WALSH, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL

OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

PREPARED STATEMENT

Sen ator Magnuson, Next we have ou r frien d Bud Walsh on beh alf o f 

the Nat iona l Oceanic and Atm osph eric Adm inist ratio n.

Mr. Walsh. Thank you, Sena tor.

I will j ust submi t my statem ent for the record.

[The state ment follows:]

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188

Prepared Statement of James P, Walsh, Deputy Admin istrator

NATIONA L OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHE RIC ADMI NISTRATION

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Since the eruptions of Mount St. Helens in Washington 

State on May 18, several components of the N ational Oceanic and 

Atmos pheric Administration h ave been -involved in efforts to 

under stand or to deal with the impact of those eruptions.

The atomic bomb-like explosion injected an enormous 

amount of volcanic ash into the atmosphere; the cloud reached 

as high as 11 miles above sea level. Cascading mud and ash 

filled lakes and riverbeds and significantly changed the

natural environment in the waters hed near the mountain.

Mr. Chairman, I have a series of p hotographs of the dispersion 

of the plume on that day taken from one of our geost ationary 

mete orological satellites which I will provide to your staff.

This morning I would like to describe for you NOAA 

activities in connection with the eruption and to provide 

a very preliminary estimate of the damages to the fisheries 

in the area. I wou ld like to emphasize that we really know 

very little about what the ultimate damage from the eruption 

will be, and these asse ssments are based only on our initial

data.

As you know, the F ederal government response has been led 

by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with participation 

by numerous Federal agencies. The National Wea the r Service 

in NOAA has been providi ng meteo rological forecasts, from Seattle 

and Portland, for the affected area. Of primary concern has 

been the movement of the volcanic ash plumes that have been 

disgorged from Mount St. Helens. The initial plume moved very 

quickly, travelling 75 miles east to Yakima, Washington two 

hours after the eruption. Violent thunderstorms were generated
189

by the turbulent ash cloud and started numerous forest fires.

Our w eath er radar in Portland, Oregon, has been closely monitoring 

discharges from the mountain to provide early warn ing of ash 

movements. However, ash dis charges seem to have abated for the

mo ment.

INCREASED FLOODING POTENTIAL

Of mo re serious conce rn to the W eathec Service, however, 

is the substantia lly increased potential of severe flooding in 

the waters heds of the Toutle, Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis Rivers. 

These river systems have been great ly altered by mudf low that 

was generated by the May 18 explosion. A tremendous amount of

sediment, as you know, has clogged the rivers and streams around 

the mountain. As a consequence, the water carrying capacity of 

the river systems has been sign ificantly reduced, thereby 

increasing the risk of serious flooding. For example, the 

capacity of the Cowlitz River is 75 percent less than before 

the eruption. Consequently, what was formerly a 10-year flood 

plain is now a two-year flood. At Castle Rock, Washington 

flooding will now occur w hen the river'fills to 9,500 cubic 

feet per second rather than the previous flood level of 76,000

cubic feet.

Because of these changes in the river syst em and the loss 

of automatic stream gauge s in the region, the W eather Service 

is underst andably concerned about our ability to forecast 

flooding conditions on a timely basis. The potential for 

serious flooding init iated by a lava flow is of most immediate 

concern. But the usuall y heavy rains in the fall are also 

something to worry about.

Thus we see our m ost urgent need to be the establishement 

of a radio telemetry river and rainfall obse rving system to pro ­

vide the data gath ering capability we now lack. With such a 

system, we will be able to double the wa rning time by about 2 

hours at most heavily popu lated areas. We will take all 

necessary steps to insta ll a system to protect human life.

64-52 9 0 - 8 0 - 1 3
190

IMPACT ON FIS H ERIE S

Obviously, such large-scale alterations in the rivers in 

and around Mount St. Helens threaten the fisheries that depend 

on those rivers for reproduction. Although it is still too 

early for a definitive damage estimate, NOAA's National Marine 

Fisheries Service estimates an annual loss of $6-8 million based

on the destruction of the stocks in the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers, 

a small amount compared to the total value of the entire Columbia 

River fishery.

As you know, NOAA provides funds to the States of Washington 

and Oregon to operate several fish hatcheries on the Columbia and 

interconnecting streams and rivers. Our Columbia River Fishery 

Development programs costs about $7.8 million annually. One of 

the more productive hatcheries was situated on the Toutle River. 

Unfortunately, that hatchery has been extensively damaged. We 

are working with the Washington State Fisheries Department to 

determine whether that hatchery should be repaired given the 

changes in the topography of the area.

At this point we are not sure of exactly what form the 

impacts on anadromous fish will take. We do know that all fish 

in the Toutle River proper and its major tributaries have been 

killed and the river is uninhabitable. The lower 20 miles of 

the Cowlitz will not support fish life and are a barrier to fish 

trying to move up and down stream. Our immediate concern is 

what effect the turbidity in the Cowlitz will have on the adult

Chinook and coho which will be returning in the fall to spawn 

in the Cowlitz. Currently juvenile salmon are dying after

6 hours in the Cowlitz. There is some evidence that fish from 

the Cowlitz are returning to the Kalama, but we don't know how 

widespread this change in migration will be.

One of our major concerns is the impact the large amounts 

of ash in the water will have on fish in the Columbia River
system. The NOAA research vessel MILLER FREEMAN collected 

samples at the mouth of the Columbia on May 30, to study the 

effects on the river's chemistry. NOAA scientists studied the 

transport of particles suspended in the water and mapped the 

distribution of volcanic ash at the river mouth. It is possible 

that the ash and cinders will form a sediment layer on the ocean 

floor, which could smother organisms on the bottom and reduce 

the long-term abundance of crab and fish.

However, we know very little about the effects on the stocks 

passing through the Columbia system. At this point we have no 

hard data which indicates terrible loss in the system other than 

in the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers. Some juvenile salmon appear 

to be under stress, and there have been some behavioral changes.

We are continuing to sample juveniles as they pass through the 

Columbia and to conduct near shore ocean sampling.

CLIMATE CHANGES

NOAA is also studying the potential climate changes due to 

volcanic debris in the atmosphere. There are some indications 

that the debris could block out some sunlight and cause a 

slight cooling of the earth's surface over the next five to ten 

years. This could mask the expected warming effects of increased 

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making early detection of CO 2 

related changes difficult if not impossible.

NOAA will be continuing to study the impact of the Mount 

St. Helens eruptions on fisheries, weather and climate. As we 

reach conclusions about the long-term effects of the eruptions, 

we will suggest appropriate remedial actions. This concludes 

my formal testimony, Mr. Chairman. I will be happy to answer 

any questions you may have at this time.
192

FLOODING FORECAST PROBLEM

Mr. Walsh. One poin t before I get to the question of impacts on 

fish. That has to do with the flooding question. As you know, the 

National Weather Service has the responsibility for forecasting flood 

conditions. We are, of course, very concern ed about our ability to 

forecast those conditions, given the chan ges in the watershed in and 

around Mount St. Helens. To give you an example, the water-carrying 

capacity of the Cowlitz River is now 75 percent less than it was before 

the eruption. What was usually, say, a 10-ycar floodplain has now been 

reduced to a floodplain in which a flood will occur every 2Vi years. At 

Castle Rock, the river will flood at 10,000 cubic feet per second, rath er 

than the previously 76,000 cubic feet per second. These are serious 

problems.

Until the Army Corps of Engineers can change the capacity of the 

river, we have severe flooding danger. In ord er to forecast that, Mr. 

Chairm an, we see our most urgent need to establish a river rang e fall 

observing system up the river. We are proceeding to do that, and that 

will probably extend our warning time by about 2 hours for areas such 

as Castle Rock, Kelso, and Longview. So we believe even if there is 

some delay in the completion of the dredg ing in the Cowlitz River 

watershed, we will be able to issue more timely forecast because we will 

be able to obtain precipitation and river flow data farther up the river 

in order to give that warning.

DAMA GE TO FISHERIES

We are still estimating the damage impact on the fisheries in the 

area. The loss of these rivers is fairly significant, although not 

tremendously so in terms of the overall value of die entire Colu mbia 

River, but we have lost, Washington State has lost some hatcheries in 

the area. In particular, we found one hatchery on the Toutle River 

which produc ed salmon and there was also schinook and steelhead in 

the area.

We estim ated from the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers we lost an annual 

harvest of between $6 and $8 million worth of fish. In addition, we see 

the Tou tle River hatchery, which was one of the most prolific in the 

area, as probably totally unusefu l in the area, although we are trying to 

estimate that. Of course, streams in the area have been significantly 

changed. This adds to an already serious problem, as you know, in the 

Colu mbia River, in terms of salmon production. We feel there is a 

problem with salmon loss in the area.

We are still in the process with the State of Washington to estimate 

exactly what that loss is. We do not have any fund s in this 

supp lemental for that purpose.

Senator Magnuson. The State director of fisheries was in to see me 

the oth er day, and he was discussing the Toutle River. He said, 

fortunately, they found five or six streams that were not touched.

Mr. Walsh. The salmon avoid ed the bad river. They found tha t the 

heat------
193

Senator Magnuson. He said they missed the ash and were not 

touched. Apparently all the salmo n going up the Yakima Rive r are 

being touched pretty good, they are dying. But tha t is ju st the 3 or 4 

day pa il of the run when the ash was falling. They don ’t know.

Mr. Walsh. Juvenile salmon are now dying as they get into the 

Cowlitz River. We have great concern abo ut the fall runs. We do not 

know what will ha ppen.

Sena tor Magnuson. You have to look at the long pull on that, do 

you not?

Mr. Walsh. Yes, sir.

Sena tor Magnuson. How much money does NOAA nee d for its 

flood mon itorin g program?

Mr. Walsh. The telem etry system we are proposing to place on the 

river system in conjunction with the Army Corp s of Engin eers and 

Geological Survey will cost abo ut one -ha lf of a milli on dollars. We 

need to pu t it in as s oon as possib le.

submitted questions

Sen ator Magnuson. Thank you, • Mr. Walsh. We have additional 

• ques tions which we will sub mit for your response .

p' he following ques tion s were not asked at the heari ng bu t were 

submitt ed to the Depar tment for response sub sequen t to the hearin g:]
194

Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

FLOOD PO TENTIAL

Ma . Wa&sh, what is the. (,£ood po tent ia l. in southw est Washington as th e

nesu it O($ th e eAu ption o& Mt. S t. Helens? S p ecif ic a ll y, which afieas

cou ld be aff ecte d by any flooding ?

There are three mai n streams in the Mt. St. Helens area. The largest 

strea m is the Cowlitz River of which the Toutl e River is a majo r 

tributary. The two other streams are the K alama and the Lewis Rivers. 

The Lewis River has three large reservoirs located on it: Merwin,

Yale and Swift Cree k that have a total capac ity in excess of 

1.6 milli on acre feet. The stre am wit h the highest flood pot ential 

is on the C owlit z River from Castle Rock to Longview. A great deal 

of sediment has been deposited in this reach as a result of the 

Mt. St. Helens eruption. In previous years flood stage on the 

Cowlitz River at Castle Rock was reached at a fl ow of 76,000 cfs 

(cubic feet per second), today flood stage is reached when the 

disch arge is 9,500 cfs. Peak flows in excess of 40,000 cfs occur on 

the C owlit z Rive r almost every year so that commu nities along this 

river have a high proba bility of major flood ing this winter. 

Communities on the Cowlitz River flo od pla in are Longview 

(approximate popu lation 30,000), Kel so (11,000), Lexington (less than 

1,000), and Cast le Rock (1,600). On the Lewis and Kalama Rivers 

there are no sediment deposits, however, the problem could be serious 

if a large mud and wa ter flow occu rs as a result of another 

explosion. The main town on the K alama R iver is Kal ama (population 

about 1,000). On the Lewis River the m ain communities are 

Woodl and (1,700) and Ariel (less than 1,000). The primary p rob lem on 

the Lewis River is the potential, alth ough remote, of failure of one 

or more of the v ery large upstream reservoirs. This could occu r in 

conjunc tion wi th a large mud flow into Swift Creek reservoir.

FLO OD MONITO RIN G

What st ep s a/ie being taken by NOAA to pAooide eafiiy warning of any

flo od danger in south we st Washington?

Since the current hydrologic network is quite sparse, on both the 

Lewis and Kalam a Rivers, and some what inadequate on the Cowlitz 

River, NOAA proposes to install gages at approximately 15 sites. We 

also propose to add pre cip itation gages at three of the proposed 

USGS GOES platforms, eight of whic h are propo sed for this region. 

This summ er the River Forecast Cent er (RFC) in Po rtland will be 

deve loping rainfall/runoff m ode ls for these v ariou s basins. Forecasts have been prepar ed pre vio usl y for the main stem of the Cowlitz 

River (including Mossyro ck and Mayf ield Reservo irs); howe ver, under 

prev ious natural conditions, the flood poten tial on the Kalama, 

Toutle, and Lewis Rivers was not signi ficant enough to pr ovide a 

routine forecast service. As a result of the eruption, a serious 

situati on now exists in these basins and a co ncerted effort will be 

made to develop forecast procedures.
195

J..

I

Z 1

FLOOD WAR NIN G

Once. NOAA's filood fiost-ecasting equipment had detec ted th e p o ssib il it y

Oj$ the {food, how much time would th er e be to evacuate popu lated

areas and major transp ofit ation ro ut es , such as In te rs ta te 5?

The Toutle River crosses Interstate 5 just above its con fluence with 

the Cowlitz River near Castle Rock. If preci pitation and str eamflow 

stages can be located far enough up in the Toutle Basin, app rox ima tely six hours war nin g could be given for p oten tial flooding. On the 

main stem of the Cowlitz River, the travel time from Castle Rock to 

Kelso is only about one hour; thus, the cities of Longvi ew and Kelso 

would hav e proba bly seven hours warning of impendi ng floods. This 

warnin g is, of course, depe ndent upon the P ortl and Rive r Forecast 

Center (RFC) receiving inf ormation in real-time.

On the Ka lama, because this is a relatively small basin, a warnin g of 

probably three ho urs could be giv en to the city of Kalama.

The primary problem on the Lewis River is the p otential for a failure 

of one or m ore of the u pstream dams. The RFC has run the dam break 

model and esti mate that two hour s warnin g could be given to the city 

of Woodl and if such a failure wa s detected immediately.

Fish Loss

What estimate s do you have concerning th e {ish loss re su ltin g {rom

the eruption?

All fish in the T outle Rive r proper and its ma jor tributa ries have 

been killed. The river is uninhabitable. In ad dition, the lower 

20 mil es of the Cowlitz River currently w ill not support fish life 

and is a barrier to u pstre am and downstream f ish passage. It is 

curr ently impossible for adul t salmon to r etur n to the Cowlitz 

system. We do not kno w h ow long the Cowlitz will be blocked, but we 

wou ld anticipate heavy turb idity and flood ing of the Tout le and 

lower Cowlit z River wit h very he avy rain for several years.

Blockage may be a c ontinu ing p roblem for some time.

In addition to the mudfl ows whi ch obliter ated the T outle, heavy ash 

depo sits have fallen in easte rn and southwes tern Washington. This 

ash does not appear to h ave changed the pH in streams but the impact 

of suspe nded p articles on fish has not been assessed. We anticipate 

proble ms for anadromous fish in impacted drai nage for years to come. 

Impacts may be far mo re serious during wint er rains w hen runoff 

concentr ates the wid e spr ead ash into the stre am systems covering 

spaw ning gravel and p hysically killing fish.

The loss of produ ction from the Toutle H atch ery is appro ximately 

2 per cent of the total Pac ifi c Coast hatc hery releases of fall 

chinook, 0.2 pe rcent of the total coast spring chinook, and 

3.6 percent of the total coast coho.
196

FISH ENHANCEMENT

What -itep-6 ane bet ng taken by NOAA to aeptent& h th e fitb h fieAou/i.eet>

lo b t to th e eauptton?

P r e s e n t ly , n o th in g i s b e in g d one. Th e T o u tl e H atc h e ry i s b e in g 

b o ard ed u p. T h ere i s a p ro p o s a l to co n d u ct re s e a rc h on f i s h r e ­

s o u rc e s l o s t . Th e e s tim a te d c o s t f o r t h i s f i v e - y e a r e f f o r t i s 

$ 1 ,0 4 0 ,0 0 0 f o r th e f i r s t y e a r , th e n $900,0 00 f o r each su c c e e d in g 

y e a r . I f f i s h f a c i l i t i e s r e s t o r a t i o n , h a b i t a t p r o t e c t i o n , an d s u r ­

v eys a re u n d e rta k e n , a n o th e r $500 ,0 0 0 to $ 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 w i l l be r e q u ir e d . 

S c re en g u ag es on th e Gre en R iv e r an d a t Ka lam a F a l ls w ill c o s t 

$1 3 0 ,0 0 0 .

I f th e T o u tl e H atc h ery i s to be r e b u i l t , th e c o s t w i l l be 

$ 2 -3 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 . I f th e e c o lo g ic a l da mag e i s s e v e re en ou gh to aban don 

th e T o u tl e s i t e and r e b u ild a t a n o th e r l o c a t io n , th e e s tim a te d c o s t 

w i l l be $ 1 5 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

The p o s s ib l e e c o lo g ic a l e f f e c t on o th e r h a tc h e r i e s in th e a r e a a re 

n o t known a t t h i s ti m e .

198

Prepared Statem ent of Mortimer L. Downey

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR BUDGET AND PROGRAMS

Department of Transportation

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Conmittee:

I appreciate the op po rtu nity to appear before you today to describe the 

e ff o rt s of the Department of Tr an sp ortatio n to respond to the enormous 

de stru ction and disru ptio n of our tr ansportation systems caused by the 

Mt. St. Helens er up tio n. Accompanying me today is Mr. Richard D. Morgan, 

Associate Federal Highway Adm in istrato r fo r Engineering and T ra ffi c 

Operation s.

E ffect of jth e Eruption

As we a ll know, Mt. St. Helens eru pte d v io le n tl y on Sunday, May 18, sending 

mudslides down the mountain, fl a tt e n in g thousands of acres of tim be r, 

causing flo od s on the nearby To utle River,and spewing ash in to the a ir 

th at was carrie d by the pre vaili ng winds east across the co un try .

A subsequent but less vio le n t er upt io n occurred on Sunday, May 25. This 

second er up tio n caused mudslides (but no major flo odin g) and deposited 

minor amounts of vo lcan ic ash on southern and western Washington, and on 

no rth ern Oregon.

The flo odin g on the To utle River carrie d tremendous amounts o f lo gs, 

debris, and tre es which damaged or to ta ll y destroyed 35 mile s of State 

Route 504 includ ing 6 to 8 bridge s. The lon gest of these bridg es was a 

200-f oot concrete bridge on Route 504 over the To utle River near the c it y 

of Tou tle . Fo rtun at ely, the area in the v ic in it y o f the C ity o f To utle 

remained accessible since rou tes to the north and west did not have 

damage.

But by fa r the most fa r reaching eff ect of the erup tio ns was the fa ll o u t 

of vo lcan ic ash. The widespread vo lcan ic ash fa ll o u t affecte d ap prox imately 25,000 miles of off-s ys tem pu blic roads as we ll as 11,300 miles 

of Fe de ral-a id system highways in Washington and Idaho. The material
con sists prim arily of a fi ne silic o n oxide, is gray in colo r, is hig hly

ab ra sive , and varies in grain siz e and depth. When i t gets we t, i t forms

a gummy, pla sticized substance with adhesive q u aliti es sim ilar to Portlan d

cement. This has se rio us ly affecte d automobile tr avel in the Northwest

and has made us very concerned about the highway sa fety problems i t causes.

Even when tr a ffic drive s over a very th in laye r of vo lcan ic ash o f less than

1/8 of an inc h, clouds of ash billo w up behind ve hicles cr ea ting a hazard to

tr a ffic because of extrem ely poor v is ib ility . High winds have also caused

open roads to be closed due to poor v is ib ility from blowing ash dust. The

fine ash part ic le s also can cause major-damage to automobile engines and

moving par ts .

The removal of the volca nic ash from the highways is a problem th at has

never been encountered be fo re . Since the material is q uit e lig h t, conve ntiona l removal methods merely s tir i t up and cause i t to s e tt le back

down on the road. Many ash removal techniques have been trie d , but none

seem to be very fa st or e ff e c ti v e . The Washington Department of Transpor ta tion rep orts th at the bes t removal technique seems to be a very

expensive and slow method invo lving m ultip le trucks with plows, water

sprayers, and brooms. Removal progress under th is method has been at a

ra te of about 2 lane miles per hour.

The tra ns po rta tio n impact of th is problem is not re s tr ic te d to highway

tr avel alon e.

The Federal Av iatio n Ad ministra tio n has re str ic te d fli g h ts in the imnediat e v ic in it y of the volca no, and an exclu sive corr id or has been set aside

fo r the use o f emergency a ir c ra ft fl yin g search and rescue missions. Two

special emergency a ir tr a f fic control centers have been es tablishe d. An

aro und-the-clock center in Seattle routes a ir t r a ffic away from the danger

ar ea , and a separate ce nter in Toledo , Washington, controls emergency a ir ­

c ra ft opera ting in the re str ic te d corr id or. Over 100,00 0 tons of ash were

removed from runways at Spokane, Washington, before th a t airport was

reopened.

The Columbia Riv er 's 40-foot navig ation channel was reduced to a depth
200

o f about 14 fe e t, and the 600-foot channel width was reduced to 200 fe et.

The Corps of Engineers w il l des crib e th e ir e ff o rt s to re st or e nav igati o n .

Impact on FHWA's Emergency R elie f Program

The President declare d a major dis aste r in the States o f Washington and 

Idaho on May 21 and May 22 re spectively , making those States e li g ib le 

fo r pu blic assistan ce under the Disas ter R elie f Act of 1974.

Both the Sta tes of Washington and Idaho have fo rm al ly in dicate d to FHWA 

th e ir in te nt to request funds under the Emergency R e lie f program authoriz ed by Sectio n 125 of T it le 23 II.S . Code. I should note th at th is is a 

separate and d is ti n c t program from those managed under the Disas te r Relie f 

Act and is funded through Highway Tru st Fund co nt ra ct a u th o ri ty . The U.S. 

Forest Service has also indica ted it s in te nt to req uest Emergency Relie f 

funds fo r fo re st roads damaged by the erup tio n and volc anic ash.

As ye t, we do not have deta ile d damage assessments fo r those highways 

e li g ib le fo r Emergency R elie f fun ds. We hope to rec eiv e firm data la te r 

th is week. However, our pre lim in ary da ta, which is based on rough e s ti ­

mates, in dica te s th at the re may be a to ta l of $100 m illio n o f emergency 

road work which would be e li g ib le fo r funding under th is Emergency Relie f 

program. This includes about $65 m illio n fo r road repa irs and $35 m illio n 

fo r ash removal.

However, due to several ex ce ptiona l disa sters over the past several years, 

demands fo r Emergency R elie f funds has substa ntially exceeded the $100 m illio n 

program autho rized fo r each fi s c a l year. The assistance re qu ire d to re pair 

and cle ar roads damaged by the Mt. St. Helens erup tio n has added a s ig n if icant new burden to our already severely strained ER program which curr ently 

has a $150 m illio n backlog o f unfunded req uests, includ in g costs o f work 

begun to re c ti fy disa sters which occurred in p rio r years.

Legis la tion is being considered to address these problems, and could 

be forthcoming when the Adm in istratio n completes it s rev iew o f dis as te r 

r e lie f fund ing.

I would be happy to answer any questions.
201

BRIDGE AND HIGHWAY DAMAGE

Mr. Downey. We see two major transportation problems that we are 

dealing with. One is the destruction of roads and bridges at the 

immediate site, and the oth er is the ash fallout which has seriously 

affected the highways throug hou t Washington State and into 

neighboring States. We are working with the State transportation 

dep artm ents on these problems. And we had a short-te rm prob lem in 

the area with the Federal Aviation Adm inistration having to set up 

emergency control procedures to control aircraft. Th at situation, of 

course, is now completed.

Our ability to deal with the long-term problems will dep end on, first, 

die plans that are estab lished by the Forest Service and the other 

Federal agencies for the use of die land in the area and , second, the 

kind of flood control plans tha t the corps develops. We will have to see 

how our restoration of highways and bridg es will relate to those plans. 

Our most serious problem at die mom ent, however, is that the 

emergency relief program of the Federal Highway Administration, 

which would be the source of fundin g for these activities, is not only 

depleted, bu t $150 million sho rt of meeting needs tha t have occu rred in 

die past with previous disasters. We are prep aring legislation and hop e 

to have it reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget within 

the next few days to deal with this situation.

Sena tor Magnuson. You have $100 million in the President’s request?

Mr. Downey. Tha t would be $100 million for the emergency highway 

work resulting from Mount St. Helens.

Sena tor Magnuson. Is that sufficient to take care of the road damage 

in die State of Washington? I doubt it.

Mr. Downey. The curre nt estimates are $35 million for ash cleanup 

and a minimum of $65 million for road rebuildin g, bu t much of that 

will dep end on more detaile d damage assessments of what is ou t there.

Senator Magnuson. It may be a start but I diin k you are going to 

have to come back.

Mr. Downey. I think very likely it would be more in the future, bu t 

it will be enough of a start.

Senator Magnuson. How is your emergency fund now?

Mr. Downey. It is m inus $150 million right now.

Senator Magnuson. How much?

Mr. Downey. Minus $150 million. We have unfun ded requests from 

States for $150 million for disasters that have already occurred.

hood canal bridge

Senator Magnuson. Does that include the Hoo d Canal Bridge?

Mr. Downey. That includes the Hood Canal Bridge and West Seatde 

Bridge. They are included in the $150 million.

Senator Magnuson. I think you are going to have to have more 

money in the emergency fund, too, and you have a Tam pa bridge.

Mr. Downey. The Tamp a bridge is another part of that $150 million.

Senator Magnuson. T his is the year of disasters, I guess.
202

Mr. Downey. We have requ ests to ame nd the Highway Act which is 

the source of this fundin g and to set up a procedure to deal with these 

large-scale disasters.

Senator Magnuson. We will discuss that prob lem a little later. 

SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

We have additional questions which we will submit to you for 

response in the record.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, bu t were 

subm itted to the Dep artm ent for responses subseque nt to the hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

TRANSPORTATION

Question: What specific damage has been done to the highways 

in the area because of the volcano?

Answer: As yet, we do not know the specific types and exten t 

of actua l damage done to the highway fa c ility it s e lf . We have 

repo rts th at there is concern by State and loca l highway o ffi c ia ls 

about:

1. The ash plugging up highway drainage fa c ili tie s , i. e . , cu lver ts 

in le ts , storm dra in s, e tc ., which i f not removed w il l cause 

damage la te r on when heavy ra in occurs.

2. The ash dep osits in tr a f fic signal contr ollers w il l cause the 

contr ollers to malfunc tio n.

3. Ash, due to it s abras ive prop ertie s,w ea rin g o ff pavement 

markings.

4. Mud slides and flo od in g on the Toutle Riv er in Washington is 

presumed to have to ta ll y destroyed approxim ately 35 miles of 

SR 504 includ ing 6 to 8 bridg es, and caused minor damage to 

the bridge on In te rs ta te rou te 1-5.

5. The streambeds of the To utle and Cowlite Rivers and oth er 

streams in Washington have been raised as much as 15 fe et 

due to de po sition of mud and de br is. This co nd ition could 

re su lt in fu tu re widespread flo od ing and damage to roads 

and bridges.

These concerns and oth ers w il l be inve stigated in deta ile d Federal 

Highway Ad ministra tio n damage ins pe ction s being conducted th is week

Question: What is your estimate of the cost of ash removal in 

the state of Washington? In Idaho?

Answer: The in it ia l estimate fo r removal of the volca nic ash 

from roads e lig ib le under 23 U.S.C. 125 is :

Washington

Federal-aid System 

Federal Roads

Idaho

Federal-a id System 

Federal Roads

Total ash removal

$18 m illio n 

$ 6 m illio n

13 m illio n 

1 m illio n

$38 m illio n
The in it ia l ash removal estimates fo r off-system roads (under 

P. L. 93-288) are :

Washington

Idaho

$30 m illio n 

6 m illio n

Total ash removal $36 m illio n

Question: As you indica te d, the Emergency R elie f Program is 

the source of funds to handle transp ortation emergencies li k e the 

Tampa Bay Bridge acc ident and Mt. St . Helens disaste r. Does the 

fund now have s u ff ic ie n t resources to deal with these disa ste rs?

Answer: At presen t, we w il l not be able to pro vide any 

emergency assistan ce fo r these disa sters in FY 1980. A ll FY 1980 

Emergency R elief funds had been ob lig at ed (except fo r funds 

reserved fo r the West Se attle Bridge which w il l be ob lig ated la te r 

th is year) p ri o r to the Mt. St. Helens and Sunshine Skyway disa ster s

Question: I am concerned ahout the Department of Transportati o n ’ s proposal to li m it to ta l assistan ce from the Emergency R elie f 

Fund to $30 m illio n per stat e fo r each fu tu re disaste r. I f th at 

prov ision were in operation now, what e ff e ct would i t have had on 

Washington Sta te 's e lig ib ilit y fo r Emergency R elie f Funds?

Answer: The Ad ministra tio n may introd uce th is along with 

several othe r programmatic changes to enable the Department to 

meet dis aste r needs on a broader, more eq uitable ba sis . This 

pr ov ision would li m it Emergency R elief expenditures fo r a p art ic ula r 

dis aste r, such as the Mt. St. Helens dis aste r, to $30 m illi o n from 

the annu ally authorized emergency fund. The purpose of th is 

lim it a ti o n would be to prevent a sing le exc ep tio na lly high cost 

disast er from deple ting the emergency fund and pre clu din g the 

funding of needed disaster assistan ce in other areas of the 

co un try . This lim it a ti o n , in our op inion, would provide ample 

auth ority to deal with immediate emergency needs.

Question: I understand th a t Department of Tr an sp ortatio n has 

made recommendations fo r the proper maintenance of automobiles in 

areas which have been impacted by the vo lca nic ash. Have sim ilar 

recommendations been made fo r farm machinery and othe r heavy 

equipment?

Answer: The Department of Tran sportatio n has issued several 

ad viso rie s recommending proper maintenance prac tic es fo r automobiles, planes, ra ilr oad equipment, and small boats operating in 

the affe cted area. We do not expect the impacts of ash fa ll o u t to 

be quite as severe on the op eration of farm machinery and oth er 

heavy equipment since they are normally equipped with heavy duty 

f ilt e r s to operate in dus ty co nd itions . We understand, however, 

th at several farm implement companies, such as John Deere and 

In te rn ational Harve ste r, have sent special repres en tativ es to the 

area to provide advice on any unusual problems.
205

Que stion: Does yo ur es tim ated costs of re p a ir in g the flo o d - 

re la te d damage to highways and bridge s in clude funds to ra is e the 

In te rs ta te 5 bridge and oth er roadways at poin ts where the Toutle 

River is th re ate nin g to submerge the roadway? I f not, how much 

would be needed?

Answer: No. P re lim in ary es tim ates in d ic a te $33M would be 

re quired to ra is e the 1-5 brid ges and ap prox im ately one m ile of 

State Route 411. Washington Sta te DOT O ffic ia ls are meeting w ith 

the Army Corps of Engineers to in vestigate the p o s s ib il it y of 

dred ging the riv e r channel as an a lt e rn a ti v e to ra is in g the bridge s

Que stion: Can you fu rn is h fo r the reco rd a br ea ko ut of 

$150 m il li o n backlog o f Emergency R e lie f pro je cts fo r FY 1980?

Answer: The in fo rm ation is presente d as fo llo w s:

EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING NEEDS FOR REMAINDER OF FY 1980 

A p ril 25, 1980

Approved Disas ters (P ro je cts ready fo r fund o b lig a ti o n )

Region State Pro je cts ER Funds Region To tal

15 Federal

Highway

Pro jects

1 400,000 400,000

1 Puerto Rico 18 798,716 798,716

3 West V ir g in ia 3 325,000

Maryland 24 2,362,56 3

V ir g in ia 24 3,1 74,17 2 5,861 ,740

4 Flo rida 4 375,109

Kentucky 5 854,420

Tennessee 5 1 ,258,892

Alabama 31 13,259,697

M is sis sip pi 59 4,799,24 7 20,547,365

5 Wisconsin 2 650,000

I llin o is 10 204,485 854,485

7 Nebraska 1 104,934 104,934

8 Federal

Highway

5 800,000

Pro je cts

North Dakota 17 1 ,651 ,000

Montana 1 70,000 2,521 ,900

9 Arizo na 22 8,3 52,00 0

EM Repairs 4,5 00,00 0

Cali fo rm ’ a 12 5,035,62 0 17,887,620
206

Co nt'd

Region State Pro je ct s ER Funds Region Tota l

10 Federal 10 3,105,00 0

Highway

P ro je cts

Washington 7 48,700,0 00 51 ,805,0 00

Federal Agencies (USFS on ly) 10,200,0 00

Tota l Approved Disas ters $110,980,860

Pending Disast ers (Funds can be oblig ate d in FY 1980 

when a p p lica tio n is rece ived and approved)

C a lifo rn ia February 1980 Floods $18,972,000 

F lo rida Sunshine Skyway Brid ge 20,000,000 

Tot al Pending Disas ters 38,97 2,0 00

Tota l ER fund ing needs fo r rem ain der o f FY 1980 $149,952,860

«
DEPARTMENT OF AG RIC ULTURE 

F armers H ome Administra tion

STATEMENT OF JAMES THORNTON, ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, 

FARMERS HOM E ADMINISTRATION

M r. T hornto n. I d o n ’t w an t to b u rd en yo u w ith re ad in g m y 

st ate m en t. I w ould like to fil e it fo r th e re co rd .

[T he in fo rm ati o n fo llo ws:]

(207)
208

Prepar ed Statement of James t. Thorn ton, Associa te Admini strato r

FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION

Mr . Cha ir man, I am ple ase d to appe ar befo re the com mit tee to discuss

THE D IS A S TER S IT U A TIO N CAU SED BY Mt - S A IN T HELENS FROM THE PERSPECTIV E OF

Farm ers Home Admi nis trat ion pr og ra ms.

FmHA PEO PLE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE AREA SURROU ND ING THE MOUNTAIN

W IT H PEOPLE OF OTHER AG ENC IE S RE PR ES EN TE D HERE TODAY TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND

BRIN G A ID TO THO SE AF FE CT ED BY T H IS D IS A S T E R . In THA T RESCUE AND RECOVERY

EFFO RT, WE HAVE WITNE SS ED A HERO IC MODEL OF LO CA L” STA TE ~F ED ER AL CO OPE RATION.

Toda y I wou ld like to summ ariz e programs of my age ncy that can help

W IT H EMERGENCY FIN AN CIN G AND ECON OM IC RE CO VERY- FmHA IS A SOURCE OF EMERGENCY

C R E D IT TO FARM ERS, AND A B A C K U P RESOURCE FOR RENEWING RURAL HO USIN G , RURAL

CO MM UN ITY SERVICES AND RURAL ENTERPRIS E IN AREAS LEFT BLIG HTED BY THE VOLCANOHere are spe cif ics of FmHA prog rams as they app ly to this situ atio n:

Far m Emer gen cy Loans

In agr icu ltu re,-our age ncy adm inis ters the Depa rtme nt of

Agr ic ultu re's emergenc y loan s for farmers aff ect ed by nat ura l di saste r- These

LOA NS HAVE BECOME AVAIL ABLE IN ALL AREAS COVERED BY PRESID ENT CARTER 'S

DE CL AR AT IO N OF MAJOR D IS A S TER DUE TO MT- S AIN T HEL EN SAsse ssme nts of damage to farm ing indicate that losses for the most

PART W IL L BE DUE TO D IS R U P T IO N OF TRAV EL AND S H IP P IN G OVE R ASHUO VERED

RO AD S, OUTAGES OF ELEC TRIC POWE R, AND DAMAGE THAT MAY BE DONE TO EN GINES AND

OTHER PARTS OF MA CH INER Y BY THE HIG HLY ABRASIVE M ETALLIC ASH THAT BLANKETED A

WID E S TR IP THROUGH WA SHINGTON AND IN TO OREGON AND ID AHO - DAMAGE ALSO RESULTED

FROM FLOODS ALONG THE TO UT LE AND CO WLITZ RlV ERS WHEN SNOW MELT AND CASCADES OF

MUD DESCENDED INTO THAT AR EA -
Disaster emergenc y loans can be made to protect and ree sta bli sh the

OP ERATION S OF FARMERS WHO HAVE NO OTHE R SOURCE OF CR ED IT OR NO OTHER RESO URC ES 

FOR RE CO VE RY , AND WHO HAVE SU FFE RED AT LE AS T A 20 PERCENT PRODUCTION LO SS OR A 

SU BS TA NTI AL PH YS IC A L LO SS - OTHER TERMS OF TH IS EMERGENCY AU THOR ITY PRO VID E FOR 

A 5 PERCENT IN TE RE ST RATE ON A LOAN OF UP TO $250 ,000 BORROWED TO OF FS ET ACTUAL 

lo ss- Rate s are highe r for add it io nal financin g of ope rat ion s or revisio ns in

THE FARMING OP ERAT ION .

Disast er eme rgency loan funds can be used to repl ace land that canno t

HAVE IT S PRODUCTION CA PA CI TY SU BST AN TI ALL Y RESTO RED- REPLACEM ENT OF LIVE ST OC K 

OR EQUIPMENT LOST IN A D IS A ST E R , OR THE SUSTE NANC E OF A FARM FA M ILY UN TIL IT S

NORMAL FARMING INCOME IS RE ST OR ED , ARE OTHER PURPOSE S THAT CAN BE SER VED THROUGH

T H IS PROGRAMThere are man y oth er way s that Farme rs Home can pro vide assi stan ce to

FARMERS BY SUPP LEMENTI NG A LL OTHE R SOURCES OF AG RIC UL TU RA L C R ED IT - MANY FARMERS 

WERE BORROWERS BEFORE D IS A ST ER ST RU CK , THROUGH OUR REGULA R FARM OWNERSHIP AND 

FARM OP ERATING PROGRAMS- THEY MAY BE ABL E TO HAVE TH EIR LOAN PAYMENTS 

RE SC HE DU LE D, OR PAYMENTS DEFE RR ED FOR UP TO THR EE YEA RS WHILE THEY WORK TH EI R

WAY BACK TO NORMALAs you kn ow, Mr - Cha ir ma n, Farme rs Hom e's regu lar and ongo ing farmer

PROGRAMS FA LL INTO SE VE RA L CA TE G O RIE S- THE Y INC LUD E FARM OWNE RSHIP LOANS FOR 

OWNE RSHIP AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE REA L ES TA TE ; OPE RATIN G LOANS TO COVER S U P P LIE S ,

EQUIP ME NT, LI V EST O C K , SOMETIMES FAMI LY LIV IN G THROUGH A LOW'IN COME PE RI OD , AND

OTHE R N E C E S S IT IE S FOR KE EP IN G THE FARM RUNN ING; NON'FARM EN TE RP RI SE LOANS SO

THAT FARM FA M IL IE S CAN AUGMENT TH EIR INCOMES BY BRANC HING INTO RECREATIO NA L AND

OTHER SMALL NO N'A GRICU LTU RA L EN T ER P R IS ES; S O IL AND WATER LOANS TO IMPROVE 

CON SERVAT ION AND USE OF A FARM 'S LAND AND WATER RE SO UR CE S; IR RI GAT IO N LOANS TO 

AS SO CI AT IO NS OPERATING MU LTI" FAR M IR RI GAT IO N SYSTEM SIN AD D IT IO N , WE AD MIN IST ER THE ECONOMIC EMERGENCY PROGRAM PRO VIDE D IN 

the Agric ult ura l Credit Act of 1978 to help fina nce far mers thro ugh period s of

ST RES S SUCH AS GENERAL SHORTAGE OF CR ED IT FROM OTHER AG RICU LT UR AL LE ND ER S, OR

UNFA VORABLE BALANCE OF FARM CO STS AS COMPARED TO PRIC ES RE CE IV ED '
210

We make loans dir ectl y to farmers in the absence of other a v ail ab le

LE NDERS, AND WE ALS O GUARANTEE LOANS MADE BY OTHER LE ND ER S- In FARM OW NE RS HIP

AND OPE RA TING PROGRAMS, WE CAN GUARANTEE LAR GER LOANS THAN WE CAN MAKE D IR E C T L Y -

We take SECOND L IE N in instance s where priv ate lenders w il l serve a part of the

farmer' s nee d- We make all these loans through county off ic es that are »

PERMANENTLY LOCATED OUT IN THE FARM L O C A L IT IE S , AND WE W IL L BE THE RE TO SERVE

LONG AF TE R TH E PEAK PE RIO D OF EMERGENCY IS PAST•

Hou sin g Cre dit

I n rural ho using , emergency credit for replacement of homes los t in a

DIS ASTER IS PR OVIDE D BY THE SMALL BUSIN ESS A D M IN IS T R A T IO N , EXCEPT WHEN BOTH THE

HOME AND OTHER STRUCT URE S ARE DAMAGED ON A FAR M- In THE LATER IN S TA N C E , FmHA 

MAY PROVID E EMERGENCY CREDIT TO R E H A B IL IT A T E THE E NTIR E FARM , IN CLU DIN G THE

HOMEOth er wise, our concern is for effects of t h is disast er on homes

ALREAD Y COVER ED BY FmHA RURAL HOUS IN G LO AN S- OUR F IE L D ST AF F REPORTS THAT

DESTRUCTIO N OF THOSE HOMES HAS BEEN R ELATIV ELY M IN IM A L - I t OCCURED MOSTLY WHERE

THERE WAS FLOODIN G- THE FA LL OU T OF ASH HAS NOT IN F L IC T E D WIDE SP RE AD HEAVY LOSS

OF HO ME S- But THE DIS ASTER HAS IN F L IC T E D LOSS OF INCO ME ON BORROWER F A M IL IE S ,

AND OUR LOCAL COUNTY SU PE RVISO RS ARE ON TOP OF T H IS S IT U A T IO N - TH EY ARE

GRA NT IN G IN TEREST CREDIT S AND MO RA TORIUM ON LOAN PAYMENTS TO BORROWERS WHO ARE

E L IG IB L E FOR THESE CO NC ES SIO NS DUE TO LOSS OF INCO ME -

AS A MATTER OF F A C T, SOME ACTIO N ALONG T H IS L IN E WAS BEIN G TAKEN IN

THE FOREST -LAND AREAS BEFORE THE VOLCANO ER UP TE D- REPORTS IN D IC A T E THAT THE RE

«

HAS BEEN MORE LOSS OF INCOME THROUGH SHUTDOWNS IN THE LUMBER IN DUSTRY, DUE TO

NATIO NW ID E SLOWDOWN OF CO NSTRUCTIO N, THAN FROM DEVASTATIO N OF FORESTS BY THE

VO LC AN O- r.

Community Facilities

FmHa adm in is ters a major part of the feder al government' s regular

F IN A N C IA L SUPPORT TO WATE R, SEWER AND OTHER COMM UNITY F A C IL IT Y DEV ELOPMENT IN

RURAL AR EAS , IN CLUDIN G TOWNS OF UP TO 10,000 PEO PL E- HOWE VER, WE HAVE NO
211

/

SPEC IA L AU TH O RI TI ES OR FUNDS RESERV ED FOR COMMUNITIES THAT SU FFER NATURAL 

D IS A ST E R S . OUR LA ST SUCH AU TH OR ITY WAS A SP EC IA L PROGRAM IN 1977 TO HE LP 

IMPROVE WATER SYSTEM S IN MANY ST AT ES AF FECT ED BY DROUGHTIn the area of the Mt. Sain t Helens di sa ster, we und ers tan d that the

Federal Eme rgenc y Mana gem ent Age nc y (FEMA) wil l make 75 per cen t grants to

RENOVATE DISR UP TE D U T IL IT Y SYSTE MS UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ST ATE -

At least four commu nit y wat er systems in the Tou tl e-Cowl itz River

SE CT IO N THAT HAVE FmHA FIN AN CIN G ARE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY FLOODS 

ass oc ia ted with Mr- Sain t Hel en s- Two of these — Cast le Rock and Tout le — 

HAVE A P P LI ED FOR THE FEMA GRA NT- NIN ETE EN OTHER SYS TEM S IN WASHINGTON STAT E 

THAT HAVE HAD FmHA FUNDS MAY ALSO SU ST AIN SOME DAMAGE FROM EF FE CTS OF THE

VOLCA NOUnder our regu lar loa n and grant aut ho ri ties, we can offer assistance

TO E L IG IB L E COMMUNITIES TO R EH A B IL IT A TE OR RE PLAC E WATER AND WASTE DISPO SA L 

F A C I L IT I E S , OR TO PRO VID E LOANS COV ERIN G THE LOCAL SHARE OF CO STS ON PR OJEC TS 

THAT W IL L GET EMERGENCY GRANTS FROM OTHER AG EN CI ES - THE RE IS A 75 PER CEN T L IM IT 

ON THE SHARE OF PROJEC T COST THA T CAN BE COVERED BY FED ER AL GRANT- TH ER EF OR E,

IF 75 PER CEN T HAS BEEN GRANTED FROM ANOTHER AG EN CY, THE RE IS NO ENT ITLEM EN T FOR 

A FUR THER GRANT FROM FmHAAS WITH IN D IV ID U A LS , WE CAN HE LP COMMUNITIES THAT ALREAD Y HAVE FmHA 

LOANS BY DEFER RIN G PR IN C IP A L PAYMENTS ON TH EI R LOA NS- We CAN GIV E PR IO RIT Y TO 

FUND ING COMMUNITIES AF FE CT ED BY THE D IS A ST ER , AND WE CAN EX PE D IT E THE PRO CES SIN G 

OF APP LI CA TIO N S- BUT WE MUST DO TH IS FROM REGULAR PROGRAM FUND S, WHICH ALREAD Y 

HAVE BEEN OB LIG ATED OR TARGETED FOR FIS C A L YEA R 1980- ANY CONCENTRATED USE IN 

Wash ing ton of a small una llo ca te d reserve hel d by the FmHA nati onal

AD MI NISTRA TIO N WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF NEEDS IN OTHER ST ATE SWith resp ect to com mun ity fac ilit ies other than water and se we r, 

COMM UNITI ES IN THE AREA OF HEA VY ASH DE PO SIT ENCOUNTER A PROBLEM SI M IL AR TO SNOW 

REMOVAL, EXCEPT THAT TH ERE ARE SOME AS PE CT S MORE TROUBLESOME AND EX PE NSIVE THAN

SNOW- For ex amp le, the abras ive ash infes ting mac hin ery may shor ten the life of
212

EQUIPMENT OPE RATED BY LOCAL SE RV IC E AG EN CIE S- ASH TURNED TO MUD HAS WEIGH TED 

DOWN AND DAMAGED THE ROOFS OF SOME PU BLI C BU ILD INGS *

A

<

FmHA is an ag en cy for lo an s to b u il d , improv e and r e h a b il it a t e he al th

F A C IL IT IE S , FIR EF IG H TI N G FO RC ES , AND A LL OTHER KIN DS OF PU BL IC SER V IC E

F A C IL IT IE S IN RURAL COMMUNITIES B ESID ES WATER AND WASTE D IS PO SA L- We W ILL DO

OUR BE ST TO GIV E PR IO RIT Y TO NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES NOT MET THROUGH EMERGENCY

PROGRAMS OR OTHER AG EN CI ES - BUT THE FUNDING SITU AT IO N IN OUR REGULAR COMMUNITY 

Fa c i l i t y program is t ig h t - One form of r e l ie f we can pr o vi de is to d ef er

PR IN C IP A L PAYMENTS ON COMMUNITY F A C IL IT Y LOANS FOR PR ESE NT BORROWER COMMUNITIES 

THAT ARE IN A FI NAN CI AL BIN D DUE TO CLEAN"UP AND F IX “UP COS TS IMPOSED BY THE Mt - 

Sa in t He le n s em erge nc yFmHA has no emerg ency a u t h o r it ie s in co nn ec tio n wit h it s program of

LOAN GUARANTEES FOR RURAL BUSI N ES S AND IN DU STRY - BUT THAT RURAL BSl PROGRAM MAY 

ALS O BE A SECONDARY SOURCE OF FIN AN CI NG TO RES TOR E BU SI NES SE S HURT BY Mt - SA INT 

He l e n s -

Summary

To SUM UP FmHA' s ROLE IN THE AL LE VIA TI O N OF TH IS D IS A ST E R , WE ARE NOW 

INV OLV ED IN SU BS TA NT IAL EMERGENCY LEN DIN G TO FAR MER S, AND OUR REGULAR ONGOING

PROGRAMS IN HOU SING , COMMUNITY F A C IL IT IE S AND BU SI NES S OFFER OTHER RESOU RCES FOR 

THE LONG RUN- We HAVE IN FmHA AND THE DEPARTMENT OR AG RIC UL TU RE A LONG~TERM 

COMMITMENT TO OUR ROLE AS FE DE RA L COORDIN ATOR FOR THE P R ESID EN T 'S SMALL 

Commu nity and Rur al Dev el op m en t Po l ic y - We hope th at th e em erg ency

SI TU AT IO N W ILL SOON SU B SID E, AND THAT THE RE BU ILD ING TOWARD WHICH MANY AG EN CIE S 

ARE MAKING EMERGENCY CO NT RIB UT IONS CAN SOON GET UNDER WAY- SE VE RA L OF OUR 

PROGRAMS, SUCH AS M UL TI~F AM ILY REN TAL HOU SIN G, COMMUNITY F A C IL IT IE S AND RURAL

DEVELOPM ENT PLANNING , W ILL BE OF INCR EA SIN G VALUE IN LA TE R STA GES OF THE

RE BU ILDING PRO CESSI WOULD EM PH AS IZE, Mr - CHAIR MAN, THAT ONCE THE EMERGENCY IS OV ER, 

FmHA w il l not be le av in g th e a r ea- Assu ming th e co n ti nuat io n of our

A U TH O R IT IE S, AND THE STAUNCH SUPPORT OF RURAL NEEDS THAT HAS CH AR AC TERIZ ED YOUR 

ACTIO N YEAR AFTER YEAR IN T H IS COM MITTEE, THE FARMERS HOME AD M IN IS TR AT IO N'S
213

COUNTY, DIS TRIC T AND STATE FORCES W IL L S T IL L BE THERE IN RURAL WASHINGTON AND 

THE NEIGHBORING STATES, WORKING WITH THE STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES AS WELL AS 

IN DIV ID U ALS TO PUSH ON FOR RESTORATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- In FARMERS 

Home we hav e that mis sion and that end urin g co mm it me nt: to serv e the grea test

• NEEDS OF RURAL PEOPLE ON TH EIR FARMS AND IN TH EIR COMM UNITIES- ANYONE NEEDING

FmHA ass ist anc e shoul d con tact the loca l FmHA county of fi ce- We will be happ y

TO FURNISH FOR THE RECORD A L IS T OF FmHA COUNTY OFFIC ES IN THE STATE OF

»

Wash ing ton and neighbor ing st at esMr - Chairman, this con clu des my stat emen t- I wil l be plea sed to

RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVESen ato r Magnuson. Do you have any thin g you wan t to add?

INDIRECT EFFECT S OF DISASTERS

Mr. Thornton. One o f the things tha t has to be kep t in mind her e 

is tha t in addition to the direct impa ct of disasters, such as what we 

have be en talking about this mor ning , the indi rect im pac t on peo ple’s 

incomes mu st also be address ed. Th at is, the Farmer s Hom e 

Admin istra tion already provid es existing loans in the State of 

Was hing ton for farmer s, and for hom e purchases, as well as loans to 

commun ities , for the wat er an d sewage systems, com mu nity facilities 

an d the like. The incomes of bo th the individu als an d the commun ities 

are now being disr upt ed by reason of this disaster.

We are pre par ed to gran t morato riums or deferm ents on principa l 

and inte rest inde btedne ss to the agency. In addition, we also have direct 

disaster lendi ng pro gram s which are avail able no t only during this 

curre nt per iod bu t afte rwa rd. Like ou r sister agencie s in the 

De partm ent of Agric ulture , we have offices throughout the State o f 

Was hington, at the State level, distr ict level, as well as the coun ty level. 

We will con tinu e to pro vid e services to those who ne ed assistance, bo th 

emergen cy assistance an d ou r regular progr ams.

Senator Magnuson. You are giving mo rato rium s?

» Mr. Thornton. We will add ress tha t on a case-by-case basis as

needed .

Sen ato r Magnuson. Wh en som ebod y comes in with a loss how do 

you diff eren tiate betw een send ing them to the Small Business 

Admin istra tion and the Fa rm ers Hom e Adm inis trat ion ?

Mr. Thornton. In the case o f hous ing assistance, we norm ally def er 

to SBA for prov iding eme rgen cy assistan ce to hom eow ners who have 

ha d destruc tion to the ir hom es. If for some reas on they can not deal 

with that home owne r, we will deal with them on the same basis as 

SBA.

Senat or Magnuson. I thi nk you have bro ader autho rity than SBA 

has.

Mr. Thornton. Yes, sir, we do.

6 4 -5 2 9 0 - 8 0 - 1 4
214

Sena tor Magnuson. You have very broa d authority to mak e loans.

Mr. Thornton. Yes.

SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

Senator Magnuson. Thank you, Mr. Thorn ton . We have add itional 

questions which will be submitted to you for response in the record.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, bu t were 

submitted to the Department for responses sub sequen t to the hearing :]
Questions Submitted by Chairman Magnuson

FmHA LOANS AVAILABLE FOR MOUNT ST. HELENS VICTIMS

Q u e s ti o n : What s p e c i f i c F arm ers Home A d m in is tr a tio n (FmHA) 

Em er ge nc y pro gra m s w ould be a v a i l a b l e to Mount S t. H e le n s v ic tim s ? 

W ou ld n’ t th e p r i n c i p a l o n es be Em er ge nc y D i s a s t e r lo a n s an d Ec on om ic 

Em er ge nc y lo a n s ? P le a s e d i s c u s s th e p u rp o se s t h a t th e s e two lo an 

p ro g ra m s ca n be use d f o r .

A ns w er : Y es, th e p r i n c i p a l em er gen cy pro gra m s a v a i l a b l e to 

Mo unt S t. h e le n s v ic tim s a r e th e Em er ge nc y D i s a s t e r lo a n s an d th e 

Eco no m ic Em erge nc y lo a n s . Th e Em er ge nc y D is a s t e r lo a n s may be use d 

f o r fa m il y fa rm e rs who c a n n o t o b ta in c r e d i t e ls e w h e re to e n a b le the m 

to c o n ti n u e o p e r a tio n o f t h e i r fa rm s a f t e r th e e r u p tio n o f Mount S t. 

H e le n s . T h is wou ld in c lu d e d ev elo p m en t o f la n d an d b u ild in g s f o r 

e i t h e r r e p a i r o r new c o n s t r u c t i o n , th e r e f in a n c in g o f d e b ts , a s w e ll 

a s re m o v al o r d i s p e r s a l o f v o lc a n ic a s h , t r a s h , t r e e s , an d o th e r deb r i s . Ec on om ic Em er ge nc y lo a n s may be u se d to p u rc h a s e l iv e s t o c k , 

m ee t fa m il y s u b s is te n c e n e e d s , p u rc h a se o r r e p a i r e q u ip m e n t, p ro v id e 

f o r la n d an d w a te r d e v e lo p m e n t, an d f o r th e c o n s t r u c t i o n , im pr ov em en t, 

a l t e r a t i o n , r e p a i r , r e l o c a t i o n , p u rc h a s e , o r m ov in g o f e s s e n t i a l s e r ­

v ic e b u i ld i n g s , f a c i l i t i e s an d s t r u c t u r e s on th e p r o p e r ty . In su re d 

fu n d s can be u se d to m ee t e x i s t i n g d e lin q u e n t i n s t a l l m e n t s p lu s th e 

n e x t a n n u a l i n s ta llm e n t on o u ts id e a c c o u n ts w h ile g u a r a n te e d fu nds 

can be use d to f u l l y r e f i n a n c e e x is ti n g d e b ts .

Q u e sti o n : Are fu n d s c u r r e n t ly a v a i l a b l e f o r Eco no m ic Em er ge nc y 

and Emer ge nc y D is a s t e r lo a n s f o r Mo unt S t. H e le n s v ic tim s ? What 

h a s b een th e vo lu m e o f dema nd f o r th e s e lo a n s in th e a r e a im pacte d 

by th e v o lc an o ?

Ans w er : As s t a t e d i n th e FY 19 80 A p p r o p r ia tio n A c t, su ch sum s 

a s may be nee ded s h a l l be made a v a i l a b l e to v i c t i m s , when an a re a 

h a s been d e c la r e d a d i s a s t e r by th e P r e s i d e n t, a s in th e c a se o f 

Mo unt S t. H e le n s. FmHA w i l l r e q u e s t 0MB to a p p o r tio n a d d it i o n a l 

em er gen cy lo a n fu n d s i f th e am ou nt s c u r r e n t l y a v a i l a b l e p ro v e to be 

in a d e q u a te in l i g h t o f th e d i s a s t e r an d i t s a f te r m a th . To d a te , 

t h e r e h a s n o t b een a s e x c e p tio n a l in c r e a s e in em er gen cy lo a n a c t i ­

v i t y . T h is i s d ue to th e f a c t t h a t p r i v a t e l e n d e r s have re m ain ed 

a c t i v e s u p p l i e r s o f c r e d i t in th e d i s a s t e r a r e a . A ls o , em er ge nc y 

lo a n s made f o r th e p u rp o se o f r e s t o r i n g a c t u a l l o s s e s c an n o t be made 

b e c a u se i t i s to o e a r l y f o r th e f u l l e x te n t o f th e ec on om ic lo s s to 

be a s c e r t a i n e d .

Q u e sti o n : What i s y o u r p r e lim in a r y a s se ss m e n t o f th e am ou nt o f 

lo a n s t h a t a re l i k e l y to be needed?

Ans wer : At t h i s ti m e , th e f u l l e x te n t o f th e d i s a s t e r a s s i s ­

ta n c e need ed c a n n o t be a s s e s s e d s in c e th e f u l l im p act o f th e v o l ­

c a n ic e r u p tio n s h a s n o t y e t been r e a l i z e d . Th e d i s a s t r o u s s i t u a t i o n 

i s s t i l l p r e s e n t a t Mou nt S t. H ele n s an d t h e r e i s no way to p r e d ic t 

w hat th e en d r e s u l t s w i l l b e . FmHA w i l l se e k a d d i t i o n a l fu n d s to 

be a p p o rti o n e d i f an d wh en th e n eed a r i s e s .

Q u e sti o n : Ha ve th e F arm ers Home A d m in is tr a tio n co u n ty o f f i c e s 

ha d s u f f i c i e n t s t a f f to h a n d le r e q u e s ts from d i s a s t e r v ic tim s ? Do 

yo u a n t i c i p a t e an y p ro b le m s in t h i s a re a ?
216

Answer: If needed, Fanners Home Admini str ati on State Directo rs

have the au thority to hire add itional qualified and experie nced 

perso nnel on a contractual basis in order to hand le the additional 

volume of loans that may d evelop from disa ster victims. In addition, 

a national emer gency disaster jump team is currently being recruited.

This jump team w ill provide a ready pool of quali fied loan maki ng

specialists. No problems are ant ici pat ed at this time. •

Question: Besides Economic and Disa ster loans, what other

Farmers Home progr ams could be help ful to di saster victims and what 

is their availability of funds? Wou ld additional appropriations be t

helpful in alleviating problems?

Answer: Ava ilable programs in the fanner area include farm 

owner ship loans, soil and water loan s and farm operating loans. In 

the area of rural housing, needs are m inimal at the present time.

However, if the n eed should arise in the future, loans could be m ade 

through available programs. Unde r community programs, assistan ce 

can be obtained through communi ty faci lity loans, industrial development grants, watersh ed works of improve ment and flood pre vention 

loans and reso urce conservation and devel opment loans. The ava ilabilit y of funds for any of these prog rams is limited to those 

amounts appr opriated for FY 1980 and the state of Was hingt on has 

alread y obligated m uch of its FY 1980 allocation for some of the p rograms. To a ve ry limited extent, it would be poss ible to redirect 

funds to the state of Washingt on to meet increased needs arising 

from the Mo unt St. Helen s disaster. Since the full impact of the 

disas ter has not been realized, however, needs for addition al appropriat ions have not been determined.

Question: How heavy has the vol ume of reques ts for F armers 

Home pro gra m assistance been runn ing in the Mou nt St. Helens area?

Answer: The volume of requ ests for F arme rs Home pro gra m assistance has not subst antially increased at this time. However, this 

is due to the fact that the full impact of the volcanic eruptions 

has not yet been realized, and a determination of the vi cti ms needs 

will not be available for some time.

*

6
NONDEPAR TM ENTAL WITNESSES 

State of Washington

STATEMENT OF LYLE JACO BSON, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR TIIE STATE OF WASHINGTON

UN IFIED STAT E PROG RA M

Mr. Jacobson. Thank you, Gove rnor, Mr. Chairman. I think enough 

has really been said about the unified effort that has take n place in the 

State. We have a Depar tment of Emergency Services of 21 people. We 

have drawn from many, many, many agencies. The re are over 200 that 

we are aware of, extra peo ple from the Federal agencies that are in the 

State right now in assistance. We have six to eight, depending on what 

agency is offering what type of assistance programs. So I think the State 

has been very grateful for this. This past week in coordinating with 

Federal agencies and individuals, there has been about 151 applications 

for State and local entities. We are figuring on probably another 100 

that are anticipating being asked for. At this time yesterday, and this 

entire week, there are assessment teams going out involving the 

Depar tment of Ecology, looking at sewer problems, it could be the 

Transportation Department, all State agencies and trying to interface 

with the Federal Gov ernment.

individual assistance grants

As far as the indiv idual assistance grants, there are, as has been 

men tioned before, in various categories, over 4,000 visitors to these onestop centers and it is growing daily. So this is a c ontinuing strain on the 

resources. One of the bright spots of talking about getting immediate 

relief to some of the imp acte d areas, we have received word from the 

Depar tment of Justice and the LEA division tha t we are able to 

relocate $181,000 to pay for overtime costs which has been extremely 

help ful to the local entities that have just taxed the ir services to the nth 

degree.

STATE AND LO CA L ABILITY TO SUPPOR T DISAST ER COSTS

The oth er thing that I would like to go into a little bit is there have 

been many questions abo ut, I feel, misconceptions abo ut the ability of 

the State and local entities to support the cost that has been incurred 

because of this disaster. One of the things that must be kept in mind, I 

think, is tha t the State of W ashington is on a biennial app ropriation of 

abo ut $11 billion, or $5.5 million total for the State. Only 44 p ercent of 

this is not dedicated funding . So when we are talking about in terms of 

what is available at the State level for help, it becomes minimal.

(217)
218

STATE FISCAL CONDITION

A couple of other items that impa ct upon this is that the word the 

State has a surplus or local entities have a surplus, let me assure you 

the State of Washington does not have a surplus. We, right now, are 

taking various measures to maintain a delicate revenue expe nditure 

balance. The Governor has issued a 3-percent reduction of State 

agencies to hold back in the seco nd year. We have mileage reductions 

in place. There is a hiring freeze on, and all of these compounded, 

which were separate issues to the Mount St. Helens impact, have now 

taken its toll. So we are very much aware, very much concerned about 

our economic picture going into the end of this bien nium.

Looking ahead even to the next biennium , we are currently in the 

process of approaching the bud get cycle for next 1981-83 biennium. 

We have found we have a revenue expe nditure shortfall, like the 

Federal Governmen t has two problems, we realize also, of around 

$600-700 million. So State agencies would be requested to reduce their 

expenditures projected level of about 12 pe rcen t So all of these in 

combination, again I might emphasize, with the impa ct of Mount St 

Helens has taken its toll.

I wanted to be sure everybody understood the types of limitations 

that we are under, both financial, and also limitations in ability to raise 

revenue. There is an issue passed, called initiative 62 which rejected the 

amount of revenue that would be available to be raised within the State 

gover nm ent

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS BUDGET

Turning to the local ability just for a second, if you think about 

certain small comm unities in eastern Washington, say, Ritzville— 

Ritzville has 5 to 7 inches of ash. They have a population of around 

2,000 people. Their total annu al bud get is in the neighborhood of 

$500,000. They have already spent $1.5 million. Ih es e are not projected 

what they are going to be costing. This is what actually happened in the 

State. They have borrowed resources from Seattle; they have borrowed 

from Portland; they have borrowed from every place in the county that 

would be available to provide any assistance.

EFFECT ON TOURISM INDUSTRY

Wh at impact this is going to have on our overall economy in general 

is really a little preliminary to understand what that effect would be. 

Whethe r or not the tourism industry we dep end fairly heavily on will 

recover adequately, as the Governor pointed ou t earlier in her 

statements, we have to get the poin t of the fact we have not completely 

closed up business in the State of Washington. We still have our sign 

out

RESTORATION COSTS

To give you an idea of .th e im pact total im pa ct what we have 

identified now, we have identified what I would call three major 

categories: One is the imm ediate or out-of-pocket cost and the recovery, 

the restoration cost
219

I would ask, Mr. Chairman, the rest of these com men ts be placed in 

the record, and to point out the cost related directly tha t we have been 

able to gather from all State agencies, local agencies, it is very hard to 

figure out what impact it is going to have on each one of the businesses 

and individual losses. But as far as State, local, private, the major 

industries and some economy impacts, we have those figures.

• The figures we have been able to pull together, and I believe these 

are fairly accurate, they have been scrutinized extremely carefully by a 

num ber of agencies realizing it can go up and down, bu t it is the best

t

 information, that is prelimin ary that we have. To State agencies, the

immediate impact is $191 million. The value lost is about $729 million. 

That would be broken down into a num ber of categories which I c ould 

go into, bu t I will just have it for the record. The impact on local 

governments identified as imm ediate is $128 million. Much of that is in 

the ash removal and the type of mechanical failures—th ere are a 

numb er of items. A lot is related to mechanical failures: Police cars 

which are no longer operable. Ritzville, I think, lost its only police 

car—excuse me, that was ano ther comm unity. It was one of the local 

communities lost every vehicle that it had used in emergency atten tion 

to the disaster.

IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY

As far as private enterprise, the impact on the agriculture comm unity, 

which has been discussed here very adequately today, is in the range of 

$200 to $300 million. Addition al impact, again, on the waterways, when 

you figure the entire immediate impact, it will prob ably run upward of 

$2 to $2.5 million, the loss of forest service roads, and so on.

When we get to the bottom line, we find that the immediate out-ofpocket and restoration costs we have identified is $982 million. The 

value lost, our economic impa ct is approximately $1.7 million for a total 

of close to $2.7 million.

The State of Washington, we feel, I am sure you will all agree, some 

of these comm unities have had much unpleasantness and they have 

gone throu gh a very trau matic time. They have used every resource tha t 

was available to them . We are respectfully subm itting there is a 

problem in the State.

Thank you very much.

Senator Magnuson. I am glad to get those figures. The comm ittee is

* glad to get your figures. Some of them are dealing with the future.

Mr. Jacobson. T hat is exactly right.

Senator Magnuson. And economic loss is hard to evaluate and what 

we are dealing with here is the nitty-gritty of emergency outp ut. I do 

r> not think your figures are far off from ours on that. The rest we are

going to have to look at. Economic values are pretty difficult to 

determ ine. Take a recre ation camp, something like that that did not get 

any custom ers for a while, they can figure ou t what they should have 

had and then what they lost. It may pick up in the future. I do not 

think we can deal in that figure yet from the Federal Government 

standpoint. But we can surely deal with the immediate emergency and 

the immediate losses. I don ’t think our figures are tha t far apart.
220

I want to than k all the Federa l officials for coming up. You have 

been waiting here a long time. I thin k we have the gist of w hat you are 

doing. I am sure the Governo r joins me in compl iment ing you on your 

work. It took a little bit of doing to get you all together. The re was a 

little confusion going on but I thi nk we are put ting it together very 

well.

We have to move quickly and I intend to do every thing I can to see 

tha t that is done. 1 am deeply worr ied abou t the impa ct on local 

governments. I am just wond ering, Macy gave me a clue on what he 

might want to do with the emergency funds. How will they get down to 

the local comm unitie s? That is the county commis sioners, primarily 

engaged in road work, the cities and peop le like that.

This is jus t a start. I inte nd to see the full costs will event ually be 

met insofar as the Federal responsibility. It is going to take some time. 

Fo r instance, on the fish prob lem, we jus t have no knowl edge o f what 

the damage is going to be. And the Army Engin eers will continue 

dredging forever, I guess, won’t you? Tha t is your business. So I will do 

what I can, or this committee will, I can only speak for myself, the 

committe e will do what it can to get this done quickly, so when you 

star t the ball rolling and with the coop eration of you peop le in the 

Federal Gov ernmen t. I am a littl e worrie d abo ut the road program. I 

think we have to take a look at tha t and your emergency funds.

We will work on the imm edia te pro blem before us and get it done. 

We have that budg et comm ittee prob lem but I think tha t is coming 

together, and we may not have to ask for a waiver. It may be inclu ded 

in the am ount we are talking abo ut, maybe. I am a rank ing mem ber of 

the Budge t Committe e and I have been working on it.

Thank you all very much for coming.

Gover nor Ray. Mr. Cha irman, could I say once again how 

appre ciativ e we are being here and the guara ntee the State will do 

every thing we possibly can.

We are deeply conc erned abo ut the local governm ent entities . The 

State will make sure the fund s are passed thro ugh totally and directly to 

the local commu nities.

Sen ator Magnuson. W e all have to work together on this.

IMPACT STATEMENTS

Additional materia l has been received by the com mittee from various 

dep artm ent s in the State governm ent in Wash ington. They will be 

inser ted here.

[Th e inform ation follows:]
221

Impact State ment s on Mount St . Helens Erup tion

TABLE OF CONTENTS

* App endix I - Map o f Ash F a ll Le ve ls May 18, 1980 and May 25 , 1980

App endix I I - General Fun d-State 1979-81 Pro je cte d Fund Balance

i Appendix I I I - Summary o f Economic Impact

Appendix IV - D eta ile d Economic Imp act

Appendix V - General Fu nd -S tate 1981-83 Pro je ct ed S h o rtf a ll 

Appendix VI - C rim inal J u s ti c e Costs
A p p e n d ix

MAY. 1 8 .

STATE OF WASHINGTON

toto

to

MAY 25. 198 0 EX PL OSION

HEAVY ASH FA LL S::-®::®: 

LIG HT ASH FALL
3

Appendix II Cu rrent A ss es sm en t of th e Gen er al F u n d -1 9 7 9 /8 '

A healthy state economy during the 1977-79 bienni’tir left the general fund in a favor, Me financial 

position at the beginning of the 1979-81 biennium. The 197 7 79 biennium ending fund balaiw . reported by 

the Office of Financial Management was $410.6 million (State Treasurer’s ending fund bmanre: $409.5 

million). For the c urrent biennium, evidences of national economic downturn have dictated »• ...iservative approach to state revenue forecasting. The table below represents the most recent forecast I Mo., h 1980) of the Office of Financial Management. It reflects the 1979-81 biennium budget signed into law in June 1979, 

the 1980 supplemental budget, and unanticipated receipts aoproved for expenditure thro .J , February 1980.

The revenue estimate contains minor adjustments made since July 1, 1979. Assumed in II is forecast is a reduction in federal revenue sharing of approximately $24 million. This is estimated to be ibe impact on 

the state of proposed cutbacks in the revenue sharing program recently announced by the P roide nt. Such a reduction is offset by increases in estimates for earnings on treasury investments ($25.1 million) and increased motor vehicle excise tax collections ($24 million). Detail on state revenues and expenditures is to be found in the tables “Revenues, All Budgeted Fund s” and “Expenditures, All Budgeted Funds” for 1979-81.

Estimates—Basic General Fund

Fund balance assumed by legislature 

in adopting 1979/81 b ud ge t................................................

General Fund Revenue Estimate

(March 19 80)......................................................................

Subtotal General Fund Revenue A vailable..................................

(millions of 

dollars) 8

$ 410.6

6,884.8

$7,295.4

General Fund Appropria tion s................................................ $(7,227.9)

Supplemental Basic Education

Funding R eq uiremen t....................................................... (29.5)0

Subtotal Estimated General Fund

Appropriations and R equirem ents............................................ $(7,257.4) $(7,257.4)

SJfi.O Projected Fund Balance 6/30/81...................................................

©Re presen ts decline in local tax source dedicated for school purposes, thus increasing need for state app ropriated funds for l.a>i, education. It is

anticipated that sup plemental budget assistance will be necessary.
224

Appendi x III

State A genc y Programs 

Immediat e Impact

IMPACT Oh MT. ST. HELENS ERUPTION 

State of Washin gton

Dollars in Millions *

Social and Health Services 8.6

Transportat ion 100.2

High way Patrol 3.2

Natural Resources and Recrea tion 36.1

Mili tary 0.7

Unempl oymen t 5.0

Public Schools 30.0

Public Colleges and Un ivers ities 7.5

r

Value Loss/E conomic Impact

Natural Resources and Recreatio n

Revenue Losses (fee revenues,

Impact on State Agencies

Local Units of Government 

Immedi ate Impact 

Countie s 

Cities 

Other

Impact on Local Units o f Governm ent

Private Enterprise 

Immediate Impact 

Valu e Loss/Economic Impact 

Impact on Private Enterprise

Additional Cost Impacts

Maintenance of river channels for navigation 

and flood control (immediate impact)

Loss of federal forest resources, roads, 

bridges, facilities, and equi pment (value/ 

economi c loss,

Total Impact

191.3

729.7

22.2

943.2

71.0

157.0

0.1 228.1

228.1

313.0

860.0

1,173.0

250.0

134.0

2,728.3

TOTAL IMPACTS

IMMEDIATE COSTS

VALUE LOSS/ECONOMIC IMPACT

REVENUE LOSS (STATE GOVERNMENT,

TOTAL

982.4

1,723.7

22.2

2772H7?

«

o
225

Appendix IV

IMPACT OF MT. ST. HELENS ERUPTION

State of Washington

Dollars in M illions

STATE AGENCIES; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

So cia l and Health Services

Welfare caseload increases pr ojec te d:

GA-N 0 +500 cases 0.6

AFOC-E 0 275 cases 1.6 2.2

Medical care caseload inc rease associated 

w ith proje cte d increases in Welfare caseload 0.7

Food Stamp requiremen ts beyond normal demand: 

Assistance cases 0.4

Non-Assistance cases 0.8 1.2

Adm inistrat ive cos ts associa ted with 

increased Welfare costs 0.4

Increased in s ti tu ti o n a l costs re la te d to 

ash removal, ve hicular equipment damage 

and damage to fa c ilitie s and associated 

equipment:

Adu lt co rrec tio ns fa c ilitie s 0.4

Ju ve nile re h a b il it a ti o n fa c ilitie s 0.8

Mental he alth in s ti tu ti o n s 0.1

In s ti tu ti o n s fo r de velop mentally dis abled 0.2 1.5

increased pu blic he alth co sts re late d to 

water te stin g, a ir te stin g and ge ne ra lly 

mo nitoring he alth and safe ty programs 0.4

Increased cost of co nst ru ct io n re sultin g from 

delays and damage to equipment 2.2

Tran sp ortatio n

Ash removal from In te rs ta te Highways 5, 82, 

and 90 and various sta te highways east 

and west of the Cascade Mountains 4.0

Reconstruct approximate ly 80 miles of

State Highway 504 and repla ce seven bridges 50.0

STATE AGENCIES; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Transp ortatio n (con tinue d)

Reconstruct ap pro xim ate ly one mile of

State Highway 411 2.2

Regrade (increase ele vation) o f area in 

v ic in it y of in te rs ection o f In te rs ta te 5 

with To utle River and To utle River with

Co wlitz River; f i l l i n g o f riv e r channels 

with mud and de bris w ill re su lt in floo ding 

during w in te r and sp rin g months unless 

channels are dredged or area elevated 25.0

Contingency costs per above items 19.0 96.2

Highway Patrol

Vehicle and communications equipment 

damage and los s and ad ditional time
226

re q u ir e d to s u p p o rt t r a f f i c flo w and 

s a fe ty re q u ir e m e n ts

N a tu ra l Res ou rc es and R e cre a tion

Ash and d e b ris remov al

R e c o n s tr u c t ro ads and b ri d g e s

Damage to f a c i l i t i e s and equip m ent:

S ta te f o r e s t p ro p e rty

Game and s p o rts f is h f a c i l i t i e s ( h a tc h e rie s ) 

Food f is h f a c i l i t i e s (h a tc h e rie s and 

re a rin g po nd s)

H a b it a t re c o v e ry prog ram f o r game and f is h

M ilit a r y

A d d it io n a l co s ts a sso cia te d w it h searc h 

and re scue e f f o r t s and ash remov al

Un em plo ym ent In sura nce

Un em plo ym ent co m pe ns atio n co s ts f o r th o s e 

un em ploy ed as r e s u lt o f d is a s te r

D o ll a rs in M il li o n s

3.2

ft

0 .3

1. 7

D

2.4

3 .3

6 .0 11 .7

22.4 36.1

0.7

5.0

STATE AGENCIES; IMMEDIATE IMPACT 

P u b li c S chools

Ash cle a n u p and re m o val, r e p a ir o r 

re p la ce m e n t o f f a c i l i t i e s , m echanic al 

and u t i l i t y sy ste m s, and v e h ic le 

re pla cem e nt and re p a ir

P u b li c C o lle g e s and U n iv e r s it ie s

Ash re m ova l and re p a ir o r re p la ce m e n t 

o f f a c i l i t i e s and eq uipm en t

STATE AGENCIES; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

STATE AGENCIES; VALUE LOSS

N a tu ra l Re so ur ce s and R e cre a tio n

S ta te f o r e s t re s o u rc e s ; 177 m illio n bo ard 

f e e t o f ti m b e r

Game and s p o rts f is h in g lo s s e s ; a p p ro x im a te ly 

20,0 00 b ig game a n im a ls , 1 .5 m il lio n b ir d s 

an d mam na ls, and 410,0 90 S te e lh e a d and 

C u tt h ro a t T ro u t. Economy o f s ta te w i l l be 

a d v e rs e ly a ffe c te d be ca us e o f re d u c tio n s in 

s p o rts and o u td o o r re la te d s a le s and re d u c ti o n 

in tr a v e l and to u ris m r e la te d to s p o rts 

in te r e s ts d u rin g re c o v e ry p e rio d .

Com mercial fis h e r ie s lo s s ; 12 m il lio n salmon 

k il le d

STATE AGENCIES; VALUE LOSS

30.9

7.5

19 1.3

9 7 .7

0

625.9

7 .0 72 9.7

72 9.7
k

227

STATE AGENCY; REVENUE LOSS

H u nting and f is h in g li c e n s e re venue ; lo sse s 

e s tim a te d th ro ugh im p a ct p e rio d (7 to 9 y e a rs )

Camping fe e lo sses a s s o c ia te d '^ it h re du ce d 

a c t iv i t y r e s u lt in g fr om te m p ora ry c lo s u re 

o f 15 s ta te park s and c o n ti n u e d c lo s u re 

o f 5 park s

STATE AGENCY REVENUE LOSSES

TOTAL IMPACT ON STATE AGENCIES

LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERMEHT; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

C o unties

Ash remov al and cle anup on a p p ro x im a te ly 

21,0 00 m ile s o f co u n ty ro ads

Eq uipm en t and f a c i l i t y damage; 9 o f 28 

im pa ct ed c o u n ti e s r e p o r tin g .

D o ll a rs in M il li o n s

C itie s

Ash remov al and cle anup on a p p ro x im a te ly

3,5 00 m ile s o f c it y s tr e e ts 7 ,0

Eq uipm en t and f a c i l i t y damage; c o s t data 

f o r com m unitie s in Ya kim a Cou nt y o n ly

a t $7.4 m illio n 50.0

Sewage tre a tm e n t; r e p a ir and re pla cem ent 

o f tr e a tm e n t f a c i l i t i e s , c o lle c t io n sy stem s TOO-9

P u b li c U t i l i t y D i s t r i c t s , Power

Ash remov al and r e p a ir o f m in o r damage;

10 PUD's re p o r tin g

LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE; IMMEDIATE IMPACT

A g r ic u lt u r e

Estim ate d cro p lo s s e s :

Wheat and b a rle y 30.0

A lf a lf a and hay 35.0

Peas and l e n t i ls 15.0

F r u it s , v e g e ta b le s , and se ed cro ps

Lo sses r e la te d to liv e s t o c k : c a t t le 

p ro d u c tio n , fe e d lo t o p e ra tio n s , 

d a iry o p e ra tio n s , and shee p r a is in g

R e pair and re pla cem e nt o f equip m ent and 

and f a c i l i t i e s

10 0.0 28 0.0

8 .0

25.0

22.2

22.2

943.2

71.0

15 7.0

0. 1

22 8.1

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE; IMMEDIATE IMPACT 313.0
228

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE; VALUE/ECONOMIC LOSS 

F o re s tr y

E stim ate d lo s s o f p r iv a te f o r e s t re s o u rc e s

Busi ness

Ec on om ic lo s s e stim ate d f o r Ya kim a Coun ty 

o f $400 m illio n * ; e s ti m a te o f ec on om ic 

lo s s f o r t o ta l im pa ct ed are a n o t a v a ila b le 

a t t h is tim e

♦ e s ti m a te d by Yakima V a ll e y Chamber o f Commerce

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE; VALUE/ECONOMIC LOSS

ADDITIONAL COST IMPACTS

Cost s a s s o c ia te d w it h b rin g in g n a v ig a b le wate rw ays 

ba ck to a cce p ta b le sta ndard s and e lim in a tio n o f 

flo o d in g hazard s cre a te d by s i l t a t i o n and d e b ris 

a ccu m u la tio n

Lo ss o f fe d e ra l fo r e s t re s o u rc e s , ro a d s , b rid g e s , 

f a c i l i t i e s , and eq uipm en t

ADDITIONAL COST IMPACTS

D o ll a rs in M illio n s

460.0

*

r

400.0

86 0.0

250.0

134.0

38 4.0

0
229

Appendix V

General Fund Reco ncili ation (P re lim in ary )

(D ol1ars in M ill io ns)

Balance July 1, 1979 410.6

1979-81 Revenues 5,406.4

1979-81 Expenditures 5,7 79.2

Balance June 30, 1981* 37.8

1981-83 Revenues 7,3 63.8

1981-83 Expenditures 8,0 13.0

Balance June 30, 1983 (6 11.4)

* Does not includ e po te ntia l 1981 supplemental budgets fo r the 

Department o f Soc ial and Health Services or the Su perintendent 

o f Pu blic In s tr u c ti o n , estimated a t $50 m il li o n each.

64-529 O - 8 0 - 1 5
L W ENFORCEMENT COSTS (D ollars in Thousands) A Appendix VI

Vehicle Communications Personnel Overtime Replacement Repair Replacement Repair

Adams 120.0 167.0 9.6

Chelan 2.0

Clark (Vancouver on ly) 0.1

Cow litz

1 - Longview

Kelso

Douglas 6.0

Fr an klin 0.2 0.3

Grant 235.0 20.0 95.0 11 .0

Moses Lake 55.0 7.0 8.0 1.0 5.0

Ephrata 8.9 0.2 3.3

Qui ncy 1.0

K it ti ta s 192.0 66.2 4.2

Ellensbu rg 38.1 1.3 12.0 22.0

Lewis 12.0 2.0 2.0

Cen tralia 32.0 5.0 15.0 6.0 0.4

Morton 12.0 2.0 3.0

Linc oln

2

Okanogan 2.0

Spokane 7.3 4.1 4.9

Spokane City 7.2

Cheney 1.9

Medical Lake 1.5

Deer Park

Skamania 18.0

Whitman 296.2 52.4 3.0

Pullman 0.1 2.0 6.0

Yakima 154.0 24.5 12.0 3.2 12.8

Yakima City 14.5 13.5

10 ot he r c it ie s 21.1 9.7 5.2

TOTALS 1,161.5 112.8 423.7 37.6 131.6

’ ori g in a l su bm ittal @ $154,000

2o rig i nal subm ittal P $20,000

Other

75.0

1 .6

69.0

10.2

0.1

19.7

18.2

0.4

0.5

28.4

1.4

2.5

8.0

0.2

7.3

0.5

0.2

7.0

24.6

0.3

5.8

.3

43.1

Total

371.6 

2.0

1.7

69.0

10.2

6.0

0.6

380.7

94.2

12.8

2.8

290.8

74.8 

16.0

60.9 

17.0

8.0

2.0

16.5

14.5

8.4

1.5 

0.2

25.0

376.2 

8.4

212.3 

28.3 

79.1

324.3 2,191.5
231

STATE OF 

WASHINGTON

f/ix y l.-ee H*y

(.iovtanar

OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

I k C M b * < H/mfw. »!W JWZtt-MSQ

M. 1 yk* .liKxilwte’i,

June 10, 1980

M E M O R A N D U M

The Honorable Warren G. Magnuson, Chairman and Members 

of the United State s Senate App ropriatio ns Committee

M. Ly le Jacobsen, D irecto r

Impact o f Mt. St. Helens Eruption s on the State of Washington

The purpose of th is memorandum is to b rie fly dis cuss the major fa ctor s 

re la tin g to the er upt io n and subsequent recovery e ff o rts of the Mt. St. 

Helens dis aste r. Three major components of the dis aste r need to be 

stressed and more f u lly understood:

( l) The u n ifie d recovery e ff o rts o f the fe dera l, sta te , and loca l 

e n ti ti e s .

(?) Fina nc ial st atu s and lim it a ti o n s which a ff e c t both state and 

lo cal government.

(3) Overview o f the sh or t and long-te rm economic impact.

F ir s t, 1 would li k e to say th at we have receive d ex celle nt support from 

the fed eral agencies, p a rti c u la r^ ' the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FfMA), the Un ited States Forest Se rvice, the. United States 

Geological Survey, Army Corps o f Engineers, Department o f Defense -LEAR 

D iv is io n, Department o f A griculture . Small Business Adm inistrat ion, and 

many ot he r governmental and private e n ti ti e s . There are more than 200 

fede ral personnel in the st at e with six dis aste r assis tance cen ters and 

the main TEMA complex in Vancouver, Washington.

Coord ina tion e ff o rts du rin g such emergency periods w ith sta te and lo cal 

agencies are always a d if f ic u lt task. With the assis tance o f p a rti c u la rly 

FEHA, the Department of Emergency Services in the st at e of Washington 

with it s 21 person s ta ff has been able to ste a dily improve the co ordina tio n 

a c tiv it ie s .

Such co or dina tio n ce nters around (1) publ ic as sistan ce , includ ing both 

sta te and lo cal government; and (2) in div id ual assis tance of the Disas ter 

R elie f Act o f 1974. In the public assis tance area which funds a variety 

of pro je cts , in clud in g de bris cle aring, re pair an d/or replacement of 

roads, bridge s, public build in gs and equipment, wa ter co nt ro l fa c il it ie s , 

appl ican t b ri efin gs were conducted by iEMA/DES on June 3, A, and 5. 

Ap plican ts f ille d out. no tic e of in te re st forms in dic ating th e ir requirements 

fo r damage surveys. There were 1ST appl icat io ns rec eived as o f June 6,

1980. We a n ticip ate an additio nal 100 applic ations yet to he received 

fo r a to ta l o f over 2S0 applic ations. Insp ec tio n enginee rs who w il l 

conduct the damage surveys receive d th e ir b rie fi n g on Frida y, June 6 and 

the y began th e damage survey process on Monday, June 9. The damage 

survey repo rts are used to prepare the pro je ct applic ation and, upon 

approval o f the ap plication, funds can be dis bursed to the ap plican ts.

In divid ual as sistan ce provides va rio us kinds of assis tance to fa m ilie s 

and in div id uals which could includ e food stamps, temporary housing, SBA 

and farm loans, in div id u al and fa m ily gran ts. Disas te r ass istance 

cente rs (one-stop ce nt ers) have been in it ia lly loc ated in Spokane,
232

R it z v il le , Hoses Lake, Yakima, and Kelso. They are also planned lo ca tio ns 

in Co nnell, Co lfax, and Cent ra lia . The a c tiv it y repo rt as of dime 6 

includ es : 425 temporary housing applications, 709 in div id ual fa m ily 

gran t applic ations, 1,576 SBA home/personal loan applic atio ns, 821 

unemployment claims fil e d , fo r a to ta l o f 4,022 v is it o rs to the centers.

The sta te has als o received approval from the Department of Defense ,

LEAA d iv is io n , th a t $181,000 can be re allo ca te d to help de fra y overtime <

costs associated with loca l law enforcement a c tiv it ie s (see Appendix 6).

In ad ditio n, the Corps of Engineers has st arted work on dredging both 

the Co wlitz and Columbia Rivers.

The un ifie d e ffo rt of a ll concerned has been ex ce lle nt . The vo luntee rs, ?

the fe dera l, sta te , and loca l governmental units a ll have pu lle d toge ther 

to respond to the needs of our c it iz e n s .

Secondly, I would li k e to discus s and, hopefu lly , cle ar up any misconceptions 

which might e x is t as they re la te to the sta te 's financia l status and 

lim it a ti o n s which a ff e ct both the s ta te 's and loca l e n tit ie s ' a b il ity 

to increa se av aila ble funds to cope w ith th is unexpected dis aste r. The 

sta te o f Washington's annual budget is a l i t t l e over $5*1/2 b ill io n , of 

which 44 percent are dedicated funds th a t can on ly he used fo r spe cific 

purposes. The Governor has a dis cre tionary emergency fund o f les s than 

$1 m il li o n per fisca l year.

Our current pro je ction o f expenditures and revenues fo r the 1979-81 

biennium expects an ending balance o f $38 m illio n ou t o f $5.8 b ill io n in 

expenditures. This was before the fit . St. Helens disas te r and ot her 

recent economic fa ctor s winch have had a negative impact. The sta te 

began the biennium with a $410 m il li o n surplus which was used to meet 

our court mandate to f u lly fund ba sic education. Hay revenue collectio ns, 

which re fle c t March a c tiv it y , show a s h o rt fa ll, o f $7 m illio n below 

estim ates. A p ri l and Hay re ta il a c tiv it y is weak nationally and th is 

weakness is expected to extend through June. This tran slat es in to a 

pote ntial revenue loss fo r 1980 estim ated a t from $20 to $30 m il li o n .

State revenue sharing w ill end in -September, and the la s t qu arter of

th is fi s c a l year may’ also be el im in at ed . To tal lo ss o f revenues w hich------------

were assumed in our budget could be $30 m il li o n . Rased on ou r pre lim in ary -, 

economic fo re ca st ju s t completed, th e fi s c a l 1981 economy is weaker than 

pr evious ly expected. In te rp re ta tion o f th is foreca st implies a po te nt ia l 

loss of revenue fo r our fi s c a l 1981 to ta ll in g as much as $45 m illio n .

The net. re sult is that, the sta te of Washington does not. have a surplus 

o f funds and we w il l have to manage very ca re fu lly to av ou Tf ac ing a 

d e fic it which is pr ohib ite d by sta te law. I t is importa nt to remember 

th a t none o f the above po ints includ e the Mt. St. Helens impact (see 

Appendix 2}. There are many key fa cto rs which must be considered when 

ev alua tin g economic growth. The sa les tax o ff food and drug sales 

reduced the tax base sub sta n tia lly. The sta te was ordered by the courts 

to assume f u ll fun ding of basic education. Such funding rep resents 25 

percent of the to ta l st at e budget and 37 percent of general fond st at e

d o lla rs . In orde r to achieve and maintain th is de lic ate revenu e/expenditure .

balance, as req uired by st at e Taw, several executive, ord ers were req uired.

Agencies have been di re ct ed to se t aside three percent o f th e ir app rop riated

budgets which we w il l release on a quarterly basis i f the st at e o f the

economy ju s tif ie s the release o f these funds. This month we w il l announce

th at the th ree percent se t-as id e o f appro priate d funds w il l no t be ,

relea sed. A ll agencies have been di re ct ed to reduce mileage drive n

(e it h e r state-owned or personal automobiles) by 20 percent. In ad diti on,

a h ir in g freeze was imposed in May (before the erup tio n o f Mt. St.

Helens). As you can see, p rio r to the erup tio n of Mt. St. Helens, 

several ac tio ns were taken to reduce exp enditu res.

What does the 1981-83 biennium have in store fo r the economic s ta b il it y 

o f the sta te o f Washington? We have begun our budget cycle fo r the 

coming biennium. The in it ia l pro je ct io ns in dic ate th at the co st to 

maintain current se rvice le vels w il l exceed ava ila bl e revenues by $600 

to $700 m il li o n (see appendix 5). The sta te is beginning the new budget 

cycle assuming th at funding o f a ll st at e services except, basic education
233

w ill be redu ced b.v 12 pe rc en t in 1981-83. Th is dees no t inc lude any Mt. 

s t. Helens impact.

State and loca l e n ti ti e s have various s t r ic t lim it a ti o n s which prevent, revenue increa ses . Washington State revenue collections are lim ited in the ra te o f growth th at can be achieved due to two major lim ita tio n s. One was f ir s t passed in 1973 {p rio r to the rece nt ri se in po pu lation of

<> revenue lim it a ti o n s ) and th e second is a c it iz e n s ' in it ia tiv e which was passed in November 1979. Thus, i f Washington had to ra is e addi tio na l 

revenues fo r assis tance in the dis aste r rec overy, those two revenue li m it a ti o n s would fo rc e <» tw o-thirds m ajo rity o f the le gis la tu re to

, increa se tar.es. A ll ta x ra te s ere eith er , sta tu to ry o r.c o n s ti tu ti o n a l, thu s re quirin g le g is la ti v e action an d/or a vote of the citiz ens.

Washington lim ited pr op er ty ta x growth in 1973 by allowing loca l regu lar le vie s to increase a t a maximum rate of six pe rcent. The success of th is program with pr op er ty taxpayers Ted to an exten sion o f the six 

perce nt growth li m it to sta te prop erty tax le vie s. Thus, pro perty tax le vie s are lim ited to a maximum growth ra te o f six percent fo r exist in g 

pr op er ty. This is well below recent rates of increase in prop erty 

va lu atio n.

In it ia tiv e 62, Washington S ta te 's revenue li m it , was approved by the vo ters in November 1979 and became law on January 1, 1980. The basic- purpose o f the In it ia tiv e is to li m it revenue growth by assuring that, fu tu re sta te revenue growth w ill not o u ts tr ip economic growth. Although i t is cert ain ly po ss ible th a t the In it ia tiv e could mandate tax red uctions, current forecasts show th a t revenue collections w ill be well under the li m it fo r the next several years, fi s c a l 1981 is the f ir s t yea r th at 

revenue colle ctions are su bjec t to the lim it a ti o n .

Washington State has enjoyed strong economic grow th sin ce 1976. However, th e cu rren t downturn in the na tio na l economy has produced a very sharp

downturn in the sta te 's economy. ’inch more severe than we expected a mere three months e a rli e r, fo r example, as o f A p ri l 1980, actua l unemployment

insu rance beneficia ries were 32,000 more than a year e a rli e r. The severe co ntra ction in housing a c tiv it y is a leading cause fo r th is

de cline.

The long-term economic ou tlo ok remains promising but the near-term ou tlo ok is weak due to the severe housing cy cle. Once economic recovery begin s, we expect the pace o f fu tu re economic growth to be slower than the rob ust growth of the past fo ur years . Our economy is div ers ifyin g 

bu t our na tural resource base (e sp eci ally lumber and wood products) leaves our sta te exposed to recession ary impacts. Any an alysis of the pote ntial revenue impacts o f the Mt. St. Helens er up tio n at th is time roust be considered pre lim in ary . The nature of the adverse impact has been ge ne ra lly repo rte d as reduced a g ri c u lt u ra l pr od uc tio n, unemployment in ce rtain are as, the massive cleanup e ff o rts re qui re d, the damaging effects on any mechanical equipment, and destructio n o f roads and bridge s,

it et c. A c r it ic a l assumption is th at Mt. St. Helens w ill not continu e to have de st ru ct ive erup tio ns fo r any leng th of tim e. Revenue losses to the st at e are expected to be temporary. Washington's heavy re lia nc e on tra nsaction-based taxes is expected to generate compensating revenue gains as dis aste r as sistan ce monies are expended. One can on ly specula te as to the ne t impact on sta te revenue collectio ns on the 1979-81 biennium.

The la s t area which I would li k e to discuss is the sh or t and long -term 

economic impact.

The erup tio n of Mt. St. Helens cre ate d a wide vari ety of problems fo r the citiz ens of the sta te , focusin g ou.r att ention on those problems 

th at may he equated to d o lla r costs or losses , we have attempted to id e n ti fy those costs associated with government and private en terpris e and d if fe re n ti a te between inmediate costs and those losses that re a lly 

rep resent a loss in value or constitu te a long er-te rm impact on the 

economy (see Appendices 3 and 4) .
234

Irrruediate costs to sta te agencies, presently estimated at approximately $190 m illion, are prim arily relate d to damage caused by ash and mud 

flow s. Damage to highways and sta te fa c il it ie s caused by the mud and 

subsequent flooding represents about 60 percent of the to ta l immediate 

damage incurred. Costs associated with the removal of ash and ash caused 

damage t o fa c il it ie s and equipment., part ic ula rly vehicles, represents 

approximately 25 percent. The remainder is associated with various 

social and health requirements and the redevelopment of ha bitat suita ble 

fo r game and fish in those areas devestated by' the volcano's eruption,.

Damage to loca l un its of government was sim ila r to that suffered by 

sta te agencies. Approximately 80 percent of the estimated $228 m ill io n 

of inmediate costs are associated with the repa ir and replacement of 

fa c il it ie s and equipment damaged by ash and mud flow and flo od ing; most notable are damages to sewage colle ction, treatment, and disposal systems,. 

The remaining costs at the loc al level are prim arily relate d to the removal and cleanup of ash on county roads and city streets, examples 

of local government problems are even more reve aling than fo r state 

government. Take fo r instance Yakima — population 50,090, to ta l operating 

budget approximately $12 m illion. The direct, costs are $3 m ill io n fo r ash removal and $2 to $4 m ill io n fo r damage to waste water treatment 

pla nts. The c it y has re lie d on 300 of it s employees, 25 priva te contractors, 

plus equipment, and lab or from King county, Se attle, Portland, and Multnomah 

County in Oregon to cope with the problem. All w ill have to be paid forinc lud ing per diem costs of those employees brought in to help remove 

the ash. Another example -- Colfax -- population 3,000, to ta l operating budget approximately $500,000. The estimated direct costs are $100,000. Colfax experienced a fla sh flood p ri o r to and a ft er the eruption which 

has exacerbated the c it y 's problems. I t has u tilize d private contrac tors 

and the National Guard. The c it y 's storm drains w il l a ll have to be 

cleaned to be returned to normal flo w capacity. R itz v ille — population is 2,000, to ta l operating budget $500,000, direct estimated costs are 

$1.5 m illio n . R it z v ille received help from 10 counties and had an ash 

fa ll of 5 to 7 inches. There were 2,000 stranded motorists which had to 

be housed and fed. The only c it y po lice car, animal control vehic le, 

and engine fir e pumper were completely destroyed.

The co lle ct io n of info rma tion related to losses of the private entrepreneur 

is re ally ju s t beginning. What are we re ally doing fo r the individual?

More emphasis must be directed toward th is end such as increased funding 

of the Small Business Administration to ensure low in tere st loans fo r 

small business and indiv iduals alike. At present, estimates are available 

fo r agricu ltu re only, and these indic ate an immediate loss of approximately 

$300 m ill io n.

Present estimates, however, which to ta l approximately $1.7 b il li o n take 

in to consideration losses in sta te fo re st, game and sports fish , and food fish resources, private fo re st resource losses, and very preliminary 

arid incomplete estimates fo r loca l business loss.

In summary, the state of Washington is w illin g and able. It has contributed 

much time, e ff o rt , and personal unpleasantness these past few weeks. Ke 

would hope that, the federal government, w il l understand, as 1 am sure 

many of you do, the immense problem th is has created and that jo in tly we 

can recover in the most workable way possible.

O
235

STATE OF

WASHINGTON

Dixy Lee Ray 

Gover nor

EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT

212 Map le Par k, Olympia, W ashing ton 96904 206-753-5114

Eugene Wiegman, 

Comm issioner

May 28, 1980

0

The Honorable Warren G. Magnuson 

United States Senator

127 Russell (SOB) Building 

Washington, D.C. ,25510 

Dear Sen i/^ '/^ /^ nuson:

I am pleased t<y provide a copy of my recent le tte r to Secretary of Labor 

Marsh all. We are req uesting a number of waivers in fed eral CETA reg ­

ula tions to enable the State of Washington to more quic kl y and effecti v e ly put these resources to use in responding to the Mt. St. Helens 

dis aste r.

We are also seeking congressio nal support fo r a temporary waiver of CETA 

e lig ib ilit y requirements.

I

STATE OF 

WASHINGTON

Dixy I ce R*iy 

Goc em or

EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT

212 Maple Park. Olympia, Washin gton 2P6 753 5114

W ie qin an,

Com m is si* h u t

May 2 7 , 19 80

Th e H o n o ra b le R ay M a r s h a ll

S e c r e t a r y o f L ab o r

U .S . D e p a rtm e n t o f L abor

W a sh in g to n , D .C . 20 21 0

D ear S e c r e t a r y M a r s h a ll :

As yo u kn ow , th e S t a t e o f W a sh in g to n h a s b e e n d e c l a r e d a 

f e d e r a l d i s a s t e r r e l i e f a r e a du e to th e d e v a s t a t i o n c a u s e d

0
236

by th e e r u p tio n s o f M t. S t. H e le n s . The m o u n ta in c o n tin u e s 

to spew ste am an d a s h , and f u r t h e r e r u p tio n s a re p r e d ic te d .

Many p e o p le l i v i n g w it h in th e ash f a l l o u t a re a s have be en 

e v a c u a te d , an d t h e ir ho mes , c r o p s , c a rs an d jo b s have be en 

a f f e c t e d . To h e lp p r o v id e th e S ta te o f W a s h in g to n w ith 

f l e x i b i l i t y to co pe w ith th e c u r r e n t em erg ency s it u a t io n ,

I re q u e s t y o u r a s s is ta n c e in s e e k in g w a iv e rs o f th e f o llo w - 

in g r e d u c tio n s and CETA re q u ir e m e n ts :

1. We re q u e s t th a t you use y o u r in flu e n c e on th e D e p a rtm en ts o f A g r ic u lt u r e an d I n t e r i o r to seek an im m e d ia te 

h a l t in th e r e d u c tio n s o f YACC, T i t l e V I I I , so e n r o l l ­

ees ca n a s s is t in th e c le a n u p an d em erg ency o p e ra ­

t io n s .

2. We re q u e s t an im m e d ia te w a iv e r o f th e fre e z e on T i t l e 

V I p u b lic s e r v ic e e m p lo y m e n t, e f f e c t iv e A p r i l 25, 1980, 

so we can a llo c a t e CETA PSE p o s it io n s in th e d is a s te r 

a re a s . We ha ve had e x c e lle n t c o o p e ra tio n fr o m

Don B a lc e r an d th e R e gio n X s t a f f , an d have be en 

a u th o r iz e d to r e c e iv e a d d it io n a l T i t l e I I - D fu n d s .

H ow ever, th e 15-w eek unem plo ym ent r e s t r i c t i o n on 

T i t l e I I - D e l i g i b i l i t y p r o h ib it s us fr o m e m p lo y in g 

many o f th e p e o p le th ro w n o u t o f w ork by th e d is a s t e r .

Some o f th e s e p e o p le a re e l i g i b l e f o r unem plo ym ent 

in s u ra n c e , b u t w o u ld p r e fe r to w o rk , an d a re ne ed ed 

to h e lp c le a n up an d a id in th e re c o v e ry e f f o r t . A 

w a iv e r o f th e T i t l e V I PSE fre e z e w ould a llo w us more 

f l e x i b i l i t y in e l i g i b i l i t y , e n a b li n g us to p u t more 

p e o p le to w o rk , u s in g a v a ila b le g r a n t fu n d s r a th e r 

th a n o v e rd ra w in g th e S t a t e ’ s U nem plo ym ent In s u ra n c e 

fu n d . We re q u e s t t h is w a iv e r th ro u g h th e r e s t o f 

F is c a l Year 1980.

3 . We re q u e s t an im m e d ia te r e le a s e o f T i t l e I I I an d o th e r 

S e c r e ta r y ’ s D is c r e t io n a r y Fun ds to em plo y m ig ra n t an d 

s e a s o n a l fa rm w o rk e rs who ha ve be en d is p la c e d by th e 

heavy ash c o v e r on th e c ro p s . Some fa rm w o rk e rs c o u ld 

be em plo yed to w o rk on d is a s te r r e l i e f an d c le a n u p 

p r o je c t s , and o th e r s ne ed s u p p o rt in r e lo c a t io n an d 

o th e r jo b s e a rc h a s s is ta n c e .

4 . We re q u e s t a w a iv e r o f th e 1 ,0 0 0 ho u r l i m i t a t i o n on

Work E x p e rie n c e p a r t i c ip a t io n d u rin g any o n e -y e a r 

p e r io d . E x is t in g Work E x p e rie n c e p a r t ic ip a n t s a re 

co m in g c lo s e t o th e 1 ,0 0 0 hour maxim um f o r th e f i r s t 

y e a r. The d is a s t e r c re a te d by th e v o lc a n o ha s lim it e d 

o p p o r tu n it ie s f o r p la c e m e n t o f many o f th e s e p a r t i c i - t

p a n ts . Because jo b o p p o r t u n it ie s have be en re d u c e d ,

we ne ed a te m p o ra ry w a iv e r o f th e f i r s t y e a r, 1 ,0 0 0 

ho ur l i m i t a t i o n so we can c o n tin u e to c a r r y th e WEX 

p a r t ic ip a n t s in e x is t in g p o s it io n s u n t i l th e s ta te 

re c o v e rs fr o m th e d is a s t e r , an d a lt e r n a t iv e jo b o p p o rt u n it ie s a re a v a ila b le .

5 . We re q u e s t a te m p o ra ry w a iv e r o f o r a d ju s tm e n t o f 

p a p e rw o rk re q u ir e m e n ts f o r p ri m e s p o n s o rs in th e 

d is a s t e r - a f f e c t e d a re a s , so we can p u t p e o p le to w ork 

im m e d ia te ly , c o n d u c t i n i t i a l e l i g i b i l i t y ba ckg ro u n d 

an d r e a llo c a t e p o s it io n s as th e ne ed a r is e s . P ap erw ork 

re q u ir e m e n ts can th e n be c o m p le te d w it h in 60 to 90 

d a y s , in c lu d in g m o d if ic a tio n o f a n n u a l p la n s , w h ic h 

were p re p a re d w ith o u t know le dge o f th e p e n d in g 

d is a s t e r .
6 . We r e q u e s t yo u re co m m en d to C o n g r e s s t h a t th e C o n g r e s s 

g r a n t a te m p o ra ry w a iv e r o f CETA e l i g i b i l i t y r e q u i r e ­

m en ts f o r a f f e c t e d d i s a s t e r a r e a s . Th e s t r i n g e n t e l i ­

g i b i l i t y r e q u ir e m e n t s r e s t r i c t p ri m e s p o n s o r s ' a b i l i t y 

t o q u i c k l y e m p lo y n e c e s s a r y p e o p le t o a i d d i s a s t e r 

v i c t i m s , an d to p r o v i d e jo b s f o r t h o s e u n em p lo yed a s 

a r e s u l t o f th e d i s a s t e r .

Y ou r im m ed ia te a t t e n t i o n t o t h i s r e q u e s t w o u ld be a p p r e ­

c i a t e d . P le a s e c o n t a c t me, or n o t i f y Jo hn S w an n ack , Ad mini s t r a t o r , Em plo ym en t & T r a i n i n g D i v i s i o n (2 06) 75 3 -5 2 5 0 

o f a n y a s s i s t a n c e yo u c a n p r o v i d e .

Superintendent of Public Instruction

DR. FRANK B. BROUILLET • OLD CAPITOL BLDG.. OLYMPIA, WASH. 98504

June 9, 1980

The Honorable Warren G. Magnuson

Un ited S ta te s Se na to r

127 R u ss ell Se na te O ff ic e B uildin g

Washington, D.C . 20510

Dear Maggie:

Ju st so th a t yo ur o f f i c e may be ke pt up -t o-d at e on 

th e prob lems o f sc h o o ls re la te d to th e Mount S t. Helens 

er up tion , I hav e su bm itted to yo ur Cai m itte e th e at ta ch ed 

testim on y. Thi s i s , o f co urs e, m er ely to supplement 

what th e Go vernor alr ea dy has pr ov id ed to yo u.

I f you need fu r th e r d e ta ils or in fo rm at io n, p le a se do 

not h e s it a te to co n ta ct me o r my s t a f f .

S in cerely ,

Fran k B. B r o u il le t 

S ta te Su pe rint en de nt 

o f P u bli c In str u c ti o n
Superintendent of Public Instruction

DR. FR AN K B. BR OU ILLE T • OL D CAPI TO L BLDG., OLY MPIA, WASH. 9850 4

m e m o r a n d u m

TO: The Honorable Warren G. Magnuson, Chairman, and Members

o f th e U.S, Senate Committee on App ropriations

FROM: Dr. Frank B. B ro u il le t, Washington St at e Superinten dent

o f Pu blic In stru ction

DATE: June 10, 1980

SUBJECT: Testimony on the Mount S t. Helens Di sa ste r as i t A ff ect s Scho ols

Governor Ray has sup plie d your Committee wi th su bs ta nt ia l info rma tion 

concern ing the e ff ects o f the Mount S t. Helens dis as te r on the St at e o f 

Washington. In ord er merely to supplement her testimony, I am submitting 

th is memorandum to the Comnittee to document the sp ecif ic needs o f educational in st it u ti o n s in the St at e o f Washington.

Atta ched is a summary o f the re su lt s of a telephone survey conducted on 

May 29, 1980, fol low ing the second ash f a l l . 121 school d is tr ic ts expe rienced th e dis ast er to sane degre e, 30 o f the d is tric ts were unable to reopen 

The co st s ar e mostly fo r cle an up, alth ough the re has been oc ca sio na l damage 

to bu ild in gs and equipment.

Based cn co st figu re s fra n sane o f the d is tr ic ts , we est imate th at the co st 

of re pa irin g and cle aning up the sch oo ls in Washington w ill be around $30 

m illion. I must enphasize th at th is i s an estimate based on fa ir ly lim ite d 

exp erience and i t may change su bst an ti al ly as fe de ra l in sp ec tio n teams meet 

with o f fic ia ls fra n the eff ect ed d is tr ic ts . Those meetings have alr eady 

cartmensed and more de ta iled co st estim ates should be forthcoming soon.

I am concerned that dis as te r aid fo r scho ols, which is pro vide d through the 

Impact Aid Ac t Law, may not contain su ff ic ie n t funding fo r the co st of the 

Mount S t. Helens eruption and s t i l l meet oth er needs fo r co ns truc tio n and 

sch ool dis as te r r e lie f in othe r pa rt s of the cou ntry. As you consi der a 

Supplemental Budget, I urge th at you r Caimi tt ee be sur e to inclu de an appropri ati on fo r Pu bli c Law 815.

MDUNT ST. HETENS DISASTER - nAMAGE AND CLEAN UP ACTIVITIES 

TELEPHONE SURVEY OF EDO AT TONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Number o f scho ol d is tric ts th at are or have been clo sed: 121

Clo sur es run fra n one day to ten days at th is time. Sane d is tric ts 

clo se d fo r a day upon re ce iv in g th at ad vis e from county he alth o ff ic e s . 

Number o f school d is tric ts not expected to reopen: 30

Many othe r d is tr ic ts are op erating on a day -to-da y bas is ; sane have clo sed 

reopened, and clo sed again .

Types o f damage incu rred (known to date ): ro of s, ceil in g s, gym and oth er 

fl o o rs, buse s, ve hic le s, sp ri nkl er s, downsputs, sewer systems , car pre sso r 

fans/ moto rs, dryw ells, vaccumm clea ne rs , a ir con dit ion ing and ve ntila ti on 

systems , li g h ts , fr ee ze rs , washing machines, carp eting.
Ty pe s o f c le a n up a c t i v i t i e s ; Sw ee ping o f f d u s t, sc ra p p in g o f f mud fro m 

r o o fs , w alk s, road wa ys an d s p o r ts f i e l d s (s en e d i s t r i c t s ha ve moved as 

nu ch a s 150 to n s /a c re o f ash an d mud) . D i s t r i c t s ha ve re n te d eq ui pm en t 

su ch a s tr u c k s , t r a c t o r s , va cc uu n e q u ip n e n t, e t c . They ha ve a ls o made 

purc h ase s o f sh o v e ls , whe el b arr e w s, mops e t c . , an d h ire d a d d itio n a l la b o r.

Some la b o r h as be en donat ed by d i s t r i c t s t a f f , c i t i z e n s , f i r e d ep art m en ts , 

e t c . M ai nt en an ce o f eq ui pm en t: p u rc h ase o f f i l t e r s , o i l an d o th e r p a r ts 

to kee p d i s t r i c t v e h ic le s an d o th e r e q u ip n e n t c le a n an d fu n c tio n a l. Comp u te rs , ty p e w rite rs an d o th e r o f f ic e an d e d u c a ti o n a l eq ui pm en t h as ha d to 

be c le a n e d . C o n sta n t c le a n in g o f f l o o r s , w a lls , e t c . , in s id e b u ild in g s .

C u rr en t c o n d itio n s : Many d i s t r i c t s a r e dete rm in in g c lo s u re s on a d ay -to -d a y 

b a s is becau se o f ro ad c o n d it io n s an d eq ui pm en t c o n d itio n s . In many r u r a l 

a re a s i t h as bee n in p o s s ib le f o r un pa ve d county ro ad s to be c le a n e d , th e r e ­

fo re , poor v i s i b i l i t y co n ti n u e s to c r e a te s a fe ty h azard s an d th e d u s t c o n ti n u es 

to wea r on m ac hin er y.

O th er d i s t r i c t s ha ve ha d t o co pe w it h po we r o u ta g e s , w a te r s h o rta g e s , d ra in ag e 

an d se w er pro ble m s, sc n o o ls b ein g u se d a s re fu g e e c e n te rs fo r s tr a n d e d m o to ris ts 

N a ti o n a l Gua rd s an d evacuate d to w nsp eo p le , an d hav in g buse s com mande ered by 

o th e r gover nm en ta l a g e n c ie s . Many d i s t r i c t s ha ve become in v o lv ed in th e Mount 

S t. H el en s d i s a s t e r in su bse q u en t days a f t e r an e ru p ti o n a s th e bl ow in g as h i s 

b ro u g h t in by wind st orm s.

'ihe fo ll o w in g i s d a ta c u lle d .- u ti u u u y h a te le p h o n e su rv ey conduct ed by th e 

E d u c a ti o n a l S e rv ic e D i s t r i c t s (ESDs) t h i s wee k to a s c e r ta in c u r re n t c o n d it io n s 

in sch o o l d i s t r i c t s a ffe c te d by th e Mount S t. H el en s d is a s te r .

ESDs 101, 10 5, 112, 113 , 123, an d 171 ha ve liad sch o o l d i s t r i c t s a f fe c te d by 

th e e r u p tio n s . Sc ho ol d i s t r i c t s in ESDs 121 an d 189 ha ve n o t bee n a f fe c te d . 

Some sc h o o l d i s t r i c t s in ESD 114 hav e ex p eri en ced seme a s h f a l l , ho w ev er , th e re 

ha ve be en no sc hool c lo s u re s an d th e r e w ill o n ly be v ery m in or dam age an d 

c le a n -u p a c t i v i t i e s .

MXOT ST. HELENS DISASTER - DAMAGE AND CLEAN UP ACTIVITIES 

TELEPHONE SURVEY OF EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

ESD 101 (Adams, F e rrv , S te v en s, Pend O r e ille ,

L in co ln , Sp ok an e an d Whitm an c o u n ti e s)

Benge* Ne wp ort* W ilbu r

L in d C usi ck C e n tr a l V a lle y '-

R itz v ille * S e lk irk Cheney*

Washtucna* A lm ir a Dee r Par k

Cur lew C re sto n E a st V all ey

Haz elmere D av en por t Fre eman

In cheli um H a rr in g to n G re at N ort hern

K e lle r Ode ss a* I.i h e rty

O rie n t Rea rd en -E dw al l* Mead

R epublic Spr ag ue -L am on t* * M ed ic al La ke

N in e- m ile Loon La ke G arf ie ld *

R iv e rs id e Miry W al ke r La Cr os se *

O rc har d P r a ir ie N o rth p o rt O ak sd al e*

Sp okane On ion C re ek Pal oose *

West V all ey Su nm it Pu llm an*

Chew ela h V all ey R osa li a*

Co lum bia W e llp in it S t. Jo hn *

C o lv ille C olf ax * Tek oa*

E ve rg re en C o lt o n

K e ttle F a lls E n d ic o tt *

T o ta ls : 54 sc h o o ls hav e c lo s e d ; 19 sch o o ls a re n o t e x p ecte d to 

re open ; an d 38 sc h o o ls a re ex p ecte d to re o p en .
240

ESP 105 (K it ti ta s, Yakima co un ties ; Royal, Wahluke

sch ool d is tr ic ts in Grant county; Bickleton

Goldendale school d is tr ic ts in K li ck it at county)

Panman Mt. Adams Toppenish

Cle Elum Moxee Union Gap

Ellen sbu rg Naches Valley Wahluke*

Grandview Royal* Wapato

Granger Selah West Valley

Highland Sunnyside Yakima

K it ti ta s Thorp Zilla h

Mabton

Tot al s: 18 schools have clos ed ; 2 sch ools ar e no t exp ected to 

reopen; and 16 sch oo ls are op er at in g.

‘School clos ed fo r the remainder of th e yea r.

5-30-80

S?T

ESP 112 (Clark, Cc wl itz , Skamania, Wakhiakum co un tie s;

p art of K lickit at county’, p a rt of Pac if ic county)

Vancouver

Hockinson

La Ce nte r

Green Mountain 

Washougal

Ridge field

C ar ro lls

Longview

To utl e Lake* 

Cas tle Rock

Kalama

Woodland

Kelso

Stevenson-Ca rson

Wahkiakum

Ba ttlegroun d

Tot al s: 11 schools have clos ed ; 1 school is no t exp ected to reop en; 

and 10 sch ools ar e expecte d to reop en.

ESP 113 (Grays Harbor, Mason, Lewis, 

Thurston co un tie s; p a rt of Pac if ic county)

McCleary Ch ehali s Napavine*

Elma Toledo Raymond

Montesano Onalaska South Bend

Oak ville Morton Willapa Valley

Satso p Ibssyroc k North Riv er

Adna PeEll Evaline

B ois tf ort Winlock Rochester

C en tral ia

T ot al s: 22 school s have clos ed ; 1 school is no t exp ected to reopen;

and 21 schools are op er at in g on a day-t o-day basi s.

ESP 123 (Asotin , Columbia, G ar fiel d, Walla Walla,

Fran klin and Benton co un ties ; Othello sch ool d is tr ic t in Adams county)

Othe llo *

North Fra nkl in*

Kahlotus

Pomeroy

Tot al s: 4 schools have clos ed ; 2 school s ar e no t expecte d to reopen; 

and 2 sch oo ls are exp ected to reopen .

ESP 171 (Chelan, Po ug las , Grant and Okanogan coun tie s)

Grand Coulee Pam 

Co ule e-H art lin e 

Soap Lake 

Wilson Creek*

Ephrata* 

Warden* 

Moses Lake* 

Quincy*

Tot al s: 8 sch oo ls have clos ed ; 5 sch ools ar e no t exp ected to reopen; 

and 1 school is expec ted to reop en.

School clo sed fo r th e re na in de r of th e ye ar .
241

COMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Magnuson. Th e com mittee stands in recess, an d thank you 

all.

[Whereu pon, at 1:52 p.m., Tuesday, June 10, the com mittee was 

recessed, to reconvene at the call of the Chair.]

i