U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono joined three Senate colleagues in reintroducing a bipartisan measure that would reauthorize a U.S. Geological Survey program focused on detecting and warning about volcanic threats.

What You Need To Know

  • The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Systems Act was reintroduced by Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska
  • The act expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2023
  • If reauthorized, the measure would appropriate a total of $75 million over 10 years
  • Hirono: "Reauthorizing this program is necessary to ensure that officials at volcano observatories throughout the country can continue to provide real-time hazard information for residents, visitors and emergency responders"

“In 2022, Hawaii Island residents experienced an eruption from Mauna Loa for the first time in nearly 40 years and they have continued to see new eruptions from the summit of Kilauea volcano,” Hirono said in a statement issued on Monday. “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. These improvements will further enable our scientists to provide comprehensive, up-to-date volcanic hazard information that keeps our communities safe.”

Hirono reintroduced the measure with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.

The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Systems Act funds USGS’s efforts to “organize, modernize, standardize and stabilize” systems operated by U.S. volcano observatories, including that of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Hawaii Island.

The act expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.

If reauthorized, the measure would:

  • Appropriate a total of $75 million over 10 years;

  • Add the U.S. Forest Service to the interagency coordination list;

  • Require five-year management plans on a regular basis, and include coordination with new or existing cooperative partners;

  • Establish an implementation committee to help provide recommended requirements, implementation steps and performance standards for the system;

  • Establish public communication and messaging responsibilities for coordination between partners to avoid confusion or duplication;

  • Expand the list of emerging technologies for advanced monitoring networks to support modernization of data collection and networks; and update technical language.

"Reauthorizing this program is necessary to ensure that officials at volcano observatories throughout the country can continue to provide real-time hazard information for residents, visitors, and emergency responders," Hirono said.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.