COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DON FUQUA, Florida OLIN E. TEAGUE, Texas, Chairman WALTER FLOWERS, Alabama RAY THORNTON, Arkansas JIM LLOYD, California JEROME A. AMBRO, New York BOB GAMMAGE, Texas ANTHONY C. BEILENSON, California ALBERT GORE, JR., Tennessee WES WATKINS, Oklahoma ROBERT A. YOUNG, Missouri JOHN W. WYDLER, JR., New York BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., California CARL D. PURSELL, Michigan HAROLD C. HOLLENBECK, New Jersey ROBERT K. DORNAN, California EDWIN B. FORSYTHE, New Jersey SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ATMOSPHERE TIMOTHY E. WIRTH, Colorado ROBERT S. WALKER, Pennsylvania EDWIN B. FORSYTHE, New Jersey SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, AVIATION AND WEATHER DALE MILFORD, Texas, Chairman JIM LLOYD, California ROBERT A. YOUNG, Missouri JOHN W. WYDLER, JR., New York BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., California (II) CONTENTS WITNESSES Dr. Richard Hallgren, Acting Associate Administrator for Oceanic and Honorable Dan Glickman, U.S. Representative from the State of Kansas.. Honorable Bill Armstrong, U.S. Representative from the State of Colorado. Honorable Dan Daniel, U.S. Representative from the State of Honorable John Ashbrook, U.S. Representative from the State of Dr. Richard Hallgren, Acting Associate Administrator for Oceanic and Honorable Al Ullman, U.S. Representative from the State of Honorable John J. McFall, U.S. Representative from the State of Honorable Virginia Smith, U.S. Representative from the State of Honorable Louis Frey, U.S. Representative from the State of Florida; accompanied by Robert N. Blackford, vice president for Government Affairs, Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce; George W. Mowris, con- sulting meteorologist; and John F. Meacham, AAE, Greater Orlando Honorable Richard Kelley, U.S. Representative from the State of Florida. Leo Harrison, National Weather Service Employees Organization Honorable Mark Hannaford, U.S. Representative from the State of Califor- Honorable Skip Bafalis, U.S. Representative from the State of Florida Dr. Richard Hallgren, Acting Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATION CLOSINGS TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1978 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE Washington, D.C. The subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dale Milford, chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Aviation and Weather, presiding. Mr. BROWN. The subcommittees will please come to order. The presiding chairman this morning when he arrives will be Congressman Milford, who is temporarily detained at another subcommittee, and in the interest of time, I am going to start the meeting. Mr. Milford will take over when he arrives from his other committee, and shortly after that I will have to leave for another committee hearing of my own. I am Congressman Brown, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Environment and Atmosphere. This morning the two subcommittees, one chaired by Congressman Milford on Transportation, Aviation, and Weather, and the Subcommittee on the Environment and Atmosphere, are beginning 2 days of hearings on a recently announced policy of the Administration regarding the National Weather Service. We have been notified that the President's budget for fiscal year 1979 for NOAA, of which the National Weather Service is a major component, calls for the closing of 19 weather service stations around the country. This proposal would eliminate 58 positions and the savings are estimated at slightly more than $1.7 million. The decision to close those 19 weather service stations can be looked at from two points of view. First, these closings will inevitably have the effect of reducing the coverage which the Weather Service has nationwide for the acquisition of weather data. While certain steps may be taken to ameliorate the impact of 19 fewer points on the map producing data, such as the installation of automated equipment, or greater reliance upon State weather facilities, it seems clear that some data will be lost. Second, the closing of these stations will result in the reduction of 58 positions in the National Weather Service personnel ceiling. (1) |