Schiff seeks funds for early warning system for earthquakes
Members of the media are given a demonstration of an early earthquake warning system, which displays the estimated intensity of an earthquake in this file photo from Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.
Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Susan DelBene (D-WA) on Wednesday pressed the House Appropriations Committee for increased federal funding to build and maintain an early warning system for earthquakes along the West Coast.
Schiff and DelBene were joined by 39 of their Congressional colleagues in sending the committee a letter that calls for $16.1 million in the Fiscal Year 2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, almost double the $8.2 million that had been approved for Fiscal Year 2016.
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According to Schiff’s office, the estimated price tag for a full system of sensors along the coastal states of California, Oregon and Washington is $38.2 million.
“It is imperative that Congress help to fund construction and continued maintenance of an earthquake early warning system along the West Coast,” Rep. Schiff said in a statement. “The West Coast resides on top of hundreds of fault lines — making our residents and infrastructure particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. The technology has proven itself both in testing here in the United States as well is in countries like Mexico and Japan and it would be irresponsible not to fund this critical technology before the next ‘big one’ hits.”
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Carol Cormaci, carol.cormaci@latimes.com
Twitter: @CarolCormaci
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