U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, along with Senators Lisa Murkowski, Maria Cantwell, and Dan Sullivan, has reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing the United States' capabilities in detecting and warning about volcanic threats. The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act is set to empower the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to improve its volcano monitoring and early warning systems across the nation.
Senator Hirono highlighted the importance of this program for Hawaii Island residents who experienced significant volcanic activity from Mauna Loa in 2022 after nearly four decades of dormancy. "This program, first authorized in 2019, will help scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to continue improving their volcano monitoring and warning capabilities through expanded infrastructure and modernized technology," she stated. She emphasized that reauthorizing this program is crucial for ensuring that officials at volcano observatories can provide real-time hazard information.
Initially passed by Congress in 2018, the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act equips USGS with resources necessary for organizing, modernizing, standardizing, and stabilizing U.S. volcano observatories' monitoring systems while centralizing data collection. The original bill's authorizations concluded at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.
The reauthorization proposes a $75 million budget over ten years and introduces several enhancements:
- Inclusion of the U.S. Forest Service in interagency coordination.
- Regular five-year management plans requiring coordination with cooperative partners.
- Establishment of an Implementation Committee to recommend requirements and performance standards.
- Public communication responsibilities to ensure clarity among partners.
- Expansion of emerging technologies for advanced monitoring networks.
- Updates to technical language.
The full text of the legislation is available for public access.