COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 10, 1997 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 39-999 CC U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-056040-3 IVAN A. SCHLAGER, Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director Other Material Submitted for the Hearing Record Burns, Hon. Conrad, U.S. Senator from Montana, prepared statement Questions asked by Senator Frist and answers thereto by Mr. Krimm Stickney, Michael, Director, Earthquake Studies Office, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Montana Tech of the University of Montana NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1997 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:10 p.m., in room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Bill Frist (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Staff members assigned to this hearing: Rosalind Parker, staff counsel, and Floyd DesChamps, detailee; and Lila Helms, minority senior professional staff. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BILL FRIST, U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE Senator FRIST. Good afternoon. Today the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee will examine the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. I welcome all of our witnesses who are here with us today, as we seek ways to reduce the impact of future earthquakes on the lives of our citizens and property. The devastating consequences of the recent earthquakes in Japan and Northridge, California, emphasize the need for programs like NEHRP. The Northridge Earthquake caused 57 deaths and more than $25 billion on losses. The Kobe Earthquake caused more than 6,000 deaths and $200 billion in losses. Approximately 38 States currently face significant risk of earthquakes. The probability of a moderate earthquake occurring in the Central United States within the next 50 years is greater than 90 percent. Earthquakes in the Central United States have a larger affected area, and therefore, the hazards are much greater than in the Western United States for earthquakes of similar magnitude. The New Madrid Seismic Zone includes my home State of Tennessee. I am pleased that we will be able to hear from witnesses today from Memphis, Tennessee, which lies in the heart of this New Madrid Fault. Although earthquakes happen less frequently and, in the aggregate, cause less economic loss than other types of natural hazards, they have the potential for causing intense, abrupt, sudden damage. A major earthquake could happen at any time in the United States. Insured losses from such an event could total as much as $80 billion, depending on the location and magnitude of the quake. (1) |