§31k — Title 43 Public Lands | U.S. Code

Summary

Create a National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System inside the United States Geological Survey to watch volcanoes, warn people, and help protect the public from volcanic danger. Definitions: Secretary — the Secretary acting through the USGS Director; Secretary of Commerce — the Secretary acting through the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere; System — the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System; Volcanic Ash Advisory Center — an ICAO-designated center that warns aviation about ash. The System must modernize and unify U.S. volcano observatories, work with NOAA (including the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in Anchorage and Washington, D.C.), and match monitoring to each volcano’s threat by upgrading monitored sites, putting networks on unmonitored ones, and using geodetic and other tools. It must include a 24/7 national volcano watch office, a national data center, and an external grants program. New technologies (for example, broadband seismometers, continuous GPS, radar, gas sensors, and drones) must be used. A 5-year management plan was due 180 days after March 12, 2019, with yearly cost estimates, milestones, and partnership plans; NOAA must give annual cost estimates. An advisory committee, agreements with universities and states, coordination with Transportation, FAA, NOAA, and FEMA, and an annual report to Congress are required. Congress authorized $55,000,000 for USGS for fiscal years 2019 through 2023, and NOAA may receive sums needed for fiscal years 2023 through 2024. These funds must add to, and not replace, other federal hazard program funding.

Title 43, §31k

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section:

(1)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey.

(2)The term “Secretary of Commerce” means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

(3)The term “System” means the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System established under subsection (b)(1)(A).

(4)The term “Volcanic Ash Advisory Center” means an entity designated by the International Civil Aviation Organization that is responsible for informing aviation interests about the presence of volcanic ash in the airspace.

(b)(1)(A)The Secretary shall establish within the United States Geological Survey a system, to be known as the “National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System”, to monitor, warn, and protect citizens of the United States from undue and avoidable harm from volcanic activity.

(B)The purposes of the System are—

(i)to organize, modernize, standardize, and stabilize the monitoring systems of the volcano observatories in the United States, which includes the Alaska Volcano Observatory, California Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory;

(ii)to unify the monitoring systems of volcano observatories in the United States into a single interoperative system; and

(iii)to strengthen the warning and monitoring systems of volcano observatories in the United States by integrating relevant capacities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers located in Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., to observe and model emissions of gases, aerosols, and ash, atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and ocean chemistry resulting from volcanic eruptions.

(C)The objective of the System is to monitor all the volcanoes in the United States at a level commensurate with the threat posed by the volcanoes by—

(i)upgrading existing networks on monitored volcanoes;

(ii)installing new networks on unmonitored volcanoes; and

(iii)employing geodetic and other components when applicable.

(2)(A)The System shall include—

(i)a national volcano watch office that is operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week;

(ii)a national volcano data center; and

(iii)an external grants program to support research in volcano monitoring science and technology.

(B)Modernization activities under the System shall include the comprehensive application of emerging technologies, including digital broadband seismometers, real-time continuous Global Positioning System receivers, satellite and airborne radar interferometry, acoustic pressure sensors, spectrometry to measure gas emissions, and unoccupied aerial vehicles.

(C)The Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce shall develop and execute a memorandum of understanding to establish cooperative support for the activities of the System from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including environmental observations, modeling, and temporary duty assignments of personnel to support emergency activities, as necessary or appropriate.

(3)(A)(i)Not later than 180 days after March 12, 2019, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 5-year management plan for establishing and operating the System.

(ii)The management plan submitted under clause (i) shall include—

(I)annual cost estimates for modernization activities and operation of the System;

(II)annual milestones, standards, and performance goals; and

(III)recommendations for, and progress towards, establishing new, or enhancing existing, partnerships to leverage resources.

(iii)(I)The Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the Secretary annual cost estimates for modernization activities and support of the System for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(II)The Secretary shall update the management plan submitted under clause (i) to include the cost estimates submitted under subclause (I).

(B)The Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to assist the Secretary in implementing the System, to be comprised of representatives of relevant agencies and members of the scientific community, to be appointed by the Secretary.

(C)The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with institutions of higher education and State agencies designating the institutions of higher education and State agencies as volcano observatory partners for the System.

(D)The Secretary shall coordinate the activities under this section with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, including—

(i)the Secretary of Transportation;

(ii)the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration;

(iii)the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

(iv)the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(E)The Secretary of Commerce shall collaborate with the Secretary to implement activities carried out under this section related to the expertise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including observations and modeling of emissions of gases, aerosols, and ash, atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and ocean chemistry resulting from volcanic eruptions.

(4)Annually, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the activities carried out under this section.

(c)(1)There is authorized to be appropriated to the United States Geological Survey to carry out this section $55,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

(2)There is authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2024.

(3)Amounts made available under this subsection shall supplement, and not supplant, Federal funds made available for other hazards activities and programs of the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(a), added pars. (2) and (4) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3). Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(b), added cl. (iii). Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(c)(1), struck out “and” before “spectrometry” and inserted “, and unoccupied aerial vehicles” after “emissions”. Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(c)(2), added subpar. (C). Subsec. (b)(3)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(d)(1), added cl. (iii). Subsec. (b)(3)(E). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(d)(2), added subpar. (E). Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(e)(1), inserted “, United States Geological Survey” after “appropriations” in heading and “to the United States Geological Survey” after “appropriated” in text. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(e)(3), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3). Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 117–263, § 10501(e)(2), (4), redesignated par. (2) as (3), struck out “United States Geological Survey” before “hazards activities”, and inserted “of the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” after “programs”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definition of “Secretary” Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, see section 2 of Pub. L. 116–9, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

§31k National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System