U.S.
considers closer watch on volcanoes
The Oregonian
Portland, Oregon
July 13, 2006
By Richard L. Hill
Interior chief - Visiting the Northwest, Dirk Kempthorne says
all that's needed is money
VANCOUVER -- The nation's new secretary of the interior said
Wednesday that plans are being considered for an expanded
monitoring system to keep watch on hazardous U.S. volcanoes.
Dirk Kempthorne, who recently succeeded Gale Norton as head of
the Interior Department, said that "we would like to have more
monitoring capability" of volcanoes that would provide for rapid
notification of unrest and eruptions.
Kempthorne said money would have to be found for more detection
and communication systems, but said there's a cost benefit to
protecting lives and property from volcanic activity. "There's
no such thing as a remote volcano," he said, because ashfall and
mudflows from eruptions can affect communities far from a
mountain.
The former Idaho governor and U.S. senator made his remarks
during a news conference at the Cascades Volcano Observatory,
which is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, one of the
agencies he oversees. A report last year by agency scientists
said several of the Northwest's volcanoes -- including Mount
Hood, Crater Lake, South Sister and Mount Adams -- need
increased surveillance.
A flight for Kempthorne to view the Northwest's most active
volcano, Mount St. Helens, was scrapped Wednesday because of
weather.
Kempthorne, who grew up in Spokane, made the observatory the
first stop on his first official trip as interior secretary. The
U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination to the post by President
Bush six weeks ago.
In response to a question about the financial problems faced by
the National Park Service, Kempthorne said he is committed to
keeping the federal parks in sound physical shape. He said the
Bush administration and Congress have committed $4.7 billion to
a park maintenance backlog that has completed 6,000 projects.
A recent article in The Oregonian reported that national parks
in the Northwest are feeling a financial pinch because of rising
operating costs. Officials at Crater Lake National Park, for
example, have been unable to fix two of the park's three
snowplows because of a lack of money for repairs.
"We will continue to work on the operations budget," Kempthorne
said, noting that the Bush administration is seeking a $23
million increase in the parks' operating funds in next year's
budget.
Richard L. Hill: 503-221-8238; richardhill@news.oregonian.com
