Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3820, the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2009. As a representative of a state that faces perhaps more natural hazard risk than any other--including not just from earthquakes, but also wildfires, windstorms, landslides, and tsunamis--I cannot overstate the importance of the programs authorized in this legislation, which are essential for protecting the lives and property of tens of millions of Californians.

Two tragedies over the past two months have shown us the dramatic difference that comes from being properly prepared for a natural disaster. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on January 12th struck a country that was woefully unprepared for such an event. Unreinforced buildings collapsed like houses of cards, and an almost unfathomable 200,000 people were killed. This past Sunday, a far-stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, and while this tragedy claimed the lives of over 700, the death toll was much lower than Haiti's because people were protected by buildings constructed to withstand that sort of shaking.

The United States has not suffered these sorts of staggering casualties from a seismic event in over a hundred years, in large part due to the work of the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazard Program. We cannot predict when the next major earthquake will strike the United States. But we know where it is most likely. And we have been able to enact building codes in those areas to protect people in their homes and offices. We have conducted preparedness drills so people know what to do when the Big One hits. We have been able to engineer pipelines, power lines, and roads to survive a major quake, so we can rebuild and recover as quickly as possible. The U.S. Geological Survey has helped make this all possible.

This legislation reauthorizes the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program, of which the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazard Program is a part. When this legislation was first reported out of the Science and Technology Committee, I was concerned about the cut in authorization levels to the U.S. Geological Survey, which I believed reflected the wrong message about the importance of this critical program. I am pleased to say that after a hearing in my subcommittee on January 20th, my good friends BART GORDON, Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, and DAVID WU, chief sponsor of this legislation, worked with me to increase the authorization levels and put the Earthquake Hazard Program on the path for continued growth. I would also like to thank the ranking member of my subcommittee, DOUG LAMBORN of Colorado, for working with me in this endeavor, as well as all the scientists and engineers who wrote to me expressing their support for this program.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, but more importantly, I urge us all to help the people of Haiti and Chile in any way we can as they attempt to clean up and rebuild. The hopes and prayers of everyone in this Chamber are with them.

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman David Wu, Subcommittee Ranking Member Adrian Smith, and Ranking Member Ralph Hall for their hard work on this very important legislation that will do so much to help protect our communities from natural disasters. I also want to recognize the work of the Natural Resources Committee as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in arriving at the text we are considering today. Both Chairman Rahall and Chairman Oberstar have been enormously helpful in getting this bill to the floor today. In addition, I want to recognize Jim Costa, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources at the Natural Resources Committee, and who has been a leader in working to protect our communities from earthquakes. At this time I would like to insert an exchange of letters between Chairman Rahall and myself into the Record, and once again thank both Chairmen for their support.

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