Raymond G. Kammer, Director

before the

House Committee on Science

Subcommittee on Basic Research

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

Reauthorization Hearing

February 23, 1999

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on the reauthorization of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).

NEHRP is the Federal Government’s program to reduce the risks to life and property from earthquakes. NEHRP consists primarily of four federal agencies: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These four agencies work in cooperation with each other and with other organizations to carry out NEHRP’s mission, "to develop and promote knowledge, practices, and polices that reduce fatalities, injuries, and economic and other losses from earthquakes."

NIST's legislatively-mandated role in NEHRP is to conduct problem-focused research and development to improve codes, standards, and practices for buildings and lifelines, and to

NIST also chairs and provides the technical secretariat for the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction (ICSSC) which recommends practices and policies to reduce earthquake hazards in federally owned, leased, assisted, and regulated facilities.

NIST’s role in NEHRP complements the lead agency role of FEMA, the applied earth sciences role of USGS, and the fundamental engineering and earth sciences role of NSF. This role is consistent with the mission of the NIST Laboratories "to provide technical leadership for the Nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure, and assure the availability of essential reference data and measurement capabilities."

The principal standards-related activities of NEHRP are cited in Table 1. NIST provides substantial technical and research support to FEMA in the development of recommended standards and practices for design and construction of new buildings, and for evaluation, strengthening and repair of existing buildings. NIST also contributes to the planning and conduct of problem-focused research on the development of recommended standards and practices for lifelines. International collaboration supports all areas. The private sector participates strongly in all areas and provides the formal standardization to which NEHRP contributes recommendations.

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Legend: P = Planning Y= Significant activities

R = Supporting research y = Supporting activities

In their report to Congress for FY 1997 and 1998, the NEHRP agencies decided to reflect the four goals delineated in the NEHRP draft strategic plan. These goals are:

NIST's activities contribute principally to Goals A and B, and are supportive of Goals C and D. These activities include: (1) leadership and participation in ICSSC; (2) problem-focus research and development to improve codes, standards, and practices; and (3) leadership and participation in standards and international activities.

The ICC provides policy-level direction in the preparation of the coordinated and consolidated budget for NEHRP and its presentation to the Office of Management and Budget, and the development of the Strategic Plan for NEHRP. ICC also coordinates the execution of the NEHRP program including: preparation of Congressionally-mandated studies, collaborations with private and public sector elements of the earthquake community, and development of the biennial NEHRP report to Congress.

NIST, as part of the Technology Administration, works closely with other elements of the Department of Commerce in carrying out its responsibilities in NEHRP. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Financial Officer provides the Department’s Seismic Safety Coordinator for implementation of NEHRP’s recommendations for the seismic safety of Commerce facilities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NIST coordinate earthquake and wind hazard mitigation efforts through the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction (SNDR), which is chaired by NOAA.

NOAA and NIST worked jointly to plan the Commerce Department’s Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative (NDRI). The proposed NIST contribution focused on Measurements and Standards for Disaster Mitigation, including problem-focused R&D on post-earthquake fires, lifelines such as electric power distribution systems, disaster-resistant housing systems, and extreme winds such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The President requested a $3.0 million increase for NIST to support this initiative in his FY 1999 budget, but was not approved in the final appropriation passed by the Congress.

  Table 2 presents NIST’s funding for Fiscal Years 1994 through 1999. NIST devoted $2,000,000 and $2,060,000 of its Building and Fire Research appropriation for NEHRP in Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999, respectively. These amounts, about 2% of the NEHRP budget, are slight increases from the NIST NEHRP appropriation of $1,932,000 in Fiscal Years 1997 and 1996. In FY 1998, NIST made an additional allocation of $602,000 in internal funding toward earthquake related activities. In Fiscal Year 1995, NIST appropriation for NEHRP was $1,147,000 (after rescission). Also used in Fiscal Year 1995 were funds from the Northridge supplemental fund received in Fiscal Year 1994 from the Congress and from FEMA for the investigation of the effects of the Northridge earthquake. Additional funding is also provided by other agencies, such as FEMA, for technical support of their programs.

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