The 2004 re-authorization of
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) directed that the Director of the U.S.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical s ...
(NIST) establish the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) to assess:
* 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
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and ...
methods and practices;
**
land use
Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. Land use by humans has a long ...
controls and redevelopment;
**
prediction
A prediction (Latin ''præ-'', "before," and ''dicere'', "to say"), or forecast, is a statement about a future event or data. They are often, but not always, based upon experience or knowledge. There is no universal agreement about the exact ...
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 the NEHRP.
On June 27, 2006, the official ''Charter of the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction''
[http://www.nehrp.gov/pdf/acehr_charter_signed.pdf ] was established by the
U.S. Department of Commerce, parent agency for NIST. The committee is to be widely representative of the stakeholder community. Federal employees may not serve on the committee. As established by the charter, ACEHR will have 11–15 voting members, in addition to having the Chairperson of the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
(USGS) Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) serve in an capacity.
References
External links
*{{official website, http://www.nehrp.gov/index.htm
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
United States Department of Commerce
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Disaster preparedness in the United States
Earthquake and seismic risk mitigation
Government agencies established in 2006
2006 establishments in the United States