GOVERNMENT

Two earthquake authorities from academia and the private sector have been appointed by Patrick Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to serve on the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).

Established by the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, NEHRP is the federal government’s program to reduce the risks to life and property from earthquakes. NEHRP consists of four federal agencies: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and NIST, which serves as lead agency.

The new ACEHR members, whose terms extend to July 31, 2016, are: James Goltz, branch chief emeritus, Earthquake, Tsunami and Volcanic Hazards Program, California Emergency Management Agency, South Pasadena, Calif., and Peter May, distinguished professor and chair, Department of Political Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. They join a group of 10 previously appointed academic, industry and government experts on the ACEHR.

The committee’s responsibilities include assessing:

• Trends and developments in the science and engineering of earthquake hazards reduction;
• The effectiveness of NEHRP in performing its statutory activities (improved design and construction methods and practices; land use controls and redevelopment; prediction techniques and early-warning systems; coordinated emergency preparedness plans; and public education and involvement programs);
• Any need to revise NEHRP; and
• The management, coordination, implementation and activities of NEHRP.

More information on NEHRP and the ACEHR can be found at www.nehrp.gov.