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Inslee listens to a constituent.

Montage of Wing Point in Bainbridge Island and the Edmonds Ferry.

Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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Tsunami Detection

Creating Worldwide Tsunami System

14 January 2005

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee expressed support for today's announcement by the Bush administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that they will expand the current Pacific Tsunami Warning System, and build a new tsunami warning system for the Atlantic coast of the United States and the Caribbean. Inslee also announced plans to introduce legislation that will deploy between forty and fifty high-tech ocean-based sensors in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as coordinate and forecast international warnings about tsunamis.

Said Inslee:

We welcome the President's decision to join our congressional efforts to enhance America's tsunami detection capabilities. With Redmond's Paroscientific Inc. and local NOAA scientists, we have the expertise right here in the Puget Sound area to accomplish our tsunami detection goals.

This proposal is a good first step. Now we need lead the way in building a more robust global warning system. I will soon be introducing legislation with Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)to deploy a worldwide tsunami detection system and work with other countries in sharing the costs. The United States has the opportunity to provide security to our own population while cooperating with other countries to minimize future tragedies.

Inslee's legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives will serve as a counterpart to U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's proposed "Global Tsunami Detection and Warning System Act." The legislation will deploy between forty and fifty high-tech ocean-based sensors in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as coordinate and forecast international warnings about tsunamis. The legislation will also authorize funding to purchase the sensors and cover the United States' contributions to the international early warning system.

Background

The United States currently has six pressure sensors deployed on the ocean floor off the West Coast. These sensors detect real-time changes in deep water tsunamis and send an acoustic signal to an associated deep water buoy, which then transmits this signal to scientists at Tsunami Warning Centers in Hawaii and Alaska. Three of the six American buoys are currently out of commission and awaiting repair.

Last week Inslee met with scientists from NOAA and Redmond-based Paroscientific to discuss NOAA's use of these deep ocean buoys in detecting and warning about tsunamis. The NOAA buoys are equipped with pressure transducers made by Paroscientific that are precise enough to detect a tsunami as small as two centimeters in height.

The administration proposal today would commit 37.5 million dollars over next three years to expand the U.S. detection and monitoring capabilities in the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans. This plan would enhance the current system by adding 32 new deep sea buoys and other sensors, such as sea-level tide gauges. The legislation will also improve the monitoring at America's tsunami warning centers, expand research on tsunami forecasting, and improve response capacity with community response plans and public education.