February 09, 2016

Murray, Kilmer Praise Inclusion of Early Earthquake Warning System Investments in President’s Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Derek Kilmer applauded the President for including $8.2 million in his budget proposal to Congress to bring the early earthquake warning system for the West Coast online. This system, being developed at the University of Washington in partnership with other West Coast universities, could save lives and mitigate destruction in the event of a megaquake along the Cascadia subduction zone. 

“President Obama’s proposal to invest further in the West Coast’s early earthquake warning system would be another important step toward fulfilling our promise to do what we can to keep our families and communities safe from these potential disasters,” said Senator Murray. “I was proud to fight for investments in earthquake preparedness last year, and this proposed funding would do even more to make sure we’re prepared to respond – even a few seconds of warning from this system could make all the difference.”

“An Earthquake Early Warning System is essential to serve as eyes and ears for folks on the West Coast,” said Representative Kilmer. “A few crucial seconds can make all the difference to help Washingtonians get out of harm’s way if a large quake strikes. I’m glad the Administration and the nation have taken notice of how important investing in this project is to protect the entire West Coast. I’ll continue to partner with Senator Murray and my colleagues to keep this going and bring the system completely online.”  

Murry and Kilmer helped secure more than $8 million for the system in the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act signed into law by President Obama.

The Earthquake Early Warning System has been in the works since 2005 and is being developed by the University of Washington, the California Institute of Technology, University of California-Berkeley, and the University of Oregon with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is designed to detect the first tremors of a major earthquake and provide users with anywhere from seconds to minutes of warning before a quake hits, which would provide crucial, life-saving time for safety precautions. The system is expected to cost an estimated $38.2 million for the West Coast, with annual operating and maintenance costs of $16.1 million. 

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