42 U.S.C. § 7701 : US Code - Section 7701: Congressional findings

Search 42 U.S.C. § 7701 : US Code - Section 7701: Congressional findings

The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) All 50 States are vulnerable to the hazards of earthquakes,
and at least 39 of them are subject to major or moderate seismic
risk, including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York,
South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. A large portion of the
population of the United States lives in areas vulnerable to
earthquake hazards.
(2) Earthquakes have caused, and can cause in the future,
enormous loss of life, injury, destruction of property, and
economic and social disruption. With respect to future
earthquakes, such loss, destruction, and disruption can be
substantially reduced through the development and implementation
of earthquake hazards reduction measures, including (A) improved
design and construction methods and practices, (B) land-use
controls and redevelopment, (C) prediction techniques and early-
warning systems, (D) coordinated emergency preparedness plans,
and (E) public education and involvement programs.
(3) An expertly staffed and adequately financed earthquake
hazards reduction program, based on Federal, State, local, and
private research, planning, decisionmaking, and contributions
would reduce the risk of such loss, destruction, and disruption
in seismic areas by an amount far greater than the cost of such
program.
(4) A well-funded seismological research program in earthquake
prediction could provide data adequate for the design, of an
operational system that could predict accurately the time, place,
magnitude, and physical effects of earthquakes in selected areas
of the United States.
(5) The geological study of active faults and features can
reveal how recently and how frequently major earthquakes have
occurred on those faults and how much risk they pose. Such long-
term seismic risk assessments are needed in virtually every
aspect of earthquake hazards management, whether emergency
planning, public regulation, detailed building design, insurance
rating, or investment decision.
(6) The vulnerability of buildings, lifelines, public works,
and industrial and emergency facilities can be reduced through
proper earthquake resistant design and construction practices.
The economy and efficacy of such procedures can be substantially
increased through research and development.
(7) Programs and practices of departments and agencies of the
United States are important to the communities they serve; some
functions, such as emergency communications and national defense,
and lifelines, such as dams, bridges, and public works, must
remain in service during and after an earthquake. Federally
owned, operated, and influenced structures and lifelines should
serve as models for how to reduce and minimize hazards to the
community.
(8) The implementation of earthquake hazards reduction measures
would, as an added benefit, also reduce the risk of loss,
destruction, and disruption from other natural hazards and
manmade hazards, including hurricanes, tornadoes, accidents,
explosions, landslides, building and structural cave-ins, and
fires.
(9) Reduction of loss, destruction, and disruption from
earthquakes will depend on the actions of individuals, and
organizations in the private sector and governmental units at
Federal, State, and local levels. The current capability to
transfer knowledge and information to these sectors is
insufficient. Improved mechanisms are needed to translate
existing information and research findings into reasonable and
usable specifications, criteria, and practices so that
individuals, organizations, and governmental units may make
informed decisions and take appropriate actions.
(10) Severe earthquakes are a worldwide problem. Since damaging
earthquakes occur infrequently in any one nation, international
cooperation is desirable for mutual learning from limited
experiences.
(11) An effective Federal program in earthquake hazards
reduction will require input from and review by persons outside
the Federal Government expert in the sciences of earthquake
hazards reduction and in the practical application of earthquake
hazards reduction measures.