DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003 TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2002 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Ernest F. Hollings (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Hollings, Reed, Gregg, Stevens, and Domenici. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION STATEMENT OF CONRAD C. LAUTENBACHER, JR., VICE ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY (Ret.), UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE PREPARED STATEMENT Senator HOLLINGS. The committee will come to order. We welcome Admiral Lautenbacher, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Admiral, we appreciate your appearance here. We have your statement. It will be included in its entirety in the record and you can summarize it or deliver it as you wish. [The statement follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF CONRAD C. LAUTENBACHER, JR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Committee, for this opportunity to testify on the President's fiscal year 2003 Budget Request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Let me begin by saying that this budget supports and enhances the goals of the President and the Department of Commerce. NOAA has established itself as one of the world's premier scientific and environmental agencies. We are an agency that deals with environmental change. We are an agency whose products form a critical part of the daily decisions made by Americans across the Nation and have economic impacts which affect our Nation's Gross Domestic Product. From our climate predictions that impact farming and financial decisions, to our hydrological products that affect public utilities and energy consumption, NOAA is a critical part of our Nation's economic security. We are experts in climate, with its cooling and warming trends. We are an agency that manages fluctuating fisheries and marine mammal populations. We observe, forecast and warn the public about the rapidly changing atmosphere and especially severe weather. We monitor currents and tides, and beach erosion. We survey the ocean bottom and provide mariners with products to maintain safe navigation. We operate the Nation's most important constellation of earth-observing satellites. Lastly, we provide all this knowledge and exploration to citizens everywhere, especially to schools and young people across our Nation through our website www.noaa.gov. We provide this as a result of our mission to advance environmental assessment, environmental prediction, and natural resource stewardship for our great Nation. This budget supports products that are essential for decision makers in every part of our economy. NOAA's budget will continue to fund products that assist in protecting the health and safety of this Nation's citizens from both routine and severe environmental changes. This budget supports our research, science and services from the local weather forecast offices around the Nation to our Fisheries Research Vessels that ensure sustainable stocks of our Nation's fisheries. It provides for technology infusion and critical infrastructure protection to reduce single points of failure for our satellite and weather prediction programs; continues our special partnerships with universities, states, and local governments around the Nation; and invests in education and human resources. This budget also supports our vast infrastructure, which will allow NOAA to continue its mission in years to come. In a period of strongly competing Presidential priorities for our national defense, and economic security, the President's fiscal year 2003 Budget Request for NOAA is $3,330.5 million in total budget authority, and represents a decrease of $45.4 million below the fiscal year 2002 enacted level. Within this funding level, NOAA proposes essential realignments that allow for a total of $148.8 million in program increases, and $129.0 million in base adjustments. NOAA's request highlights critical areas such as People and Infrastructure, Improving Extreme Weather Warnings and Forecasts, Climate Services, Modernization of NOAA Fisheries, and other key NOAA programs such as Energy, Homeland Security, Ocean Exploration, and Coastal Conservation. PEOPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE: $129.0 MILLION ADJUSTMENT-TO-BASE NOAA's people and infrastructure are at the heart of what NOAA is and does. From our hurricane research center in Miami, FL to NOAA's weather service office in Barrow, AK, these are the underlying and interconnecting threads that hold NOAA and its programs together. Investments in NOAA's scientific and technical workforce as well as NOAA's facilities and equipment is essential for us to carry out our mission into the 21st Century. "People and Infrastructure" is about investing in the future, and about maintaining NOAA's infrastructure that has been built over the last thirty-one years. IMPROVING EXTREME WEATHER WARNINGS AND FORECASTS Critical to meeting our 21st Century mission is the continuity of NOAA's Satellites and Severe Weather Forecasts. There are few things that the Federal Government does that are as critical as issuing severe storm warnings and protecting the life and safety of Americans. Listed below is NOAA's request for this $84.3 million endeavor. Tornado Severe Storm Research.-NOAA requests a total of $1.0 million to develop new technologies for forecasting and detecting tornadoes and other forms of severe weather, and to disseminate this information to emergency managers, the media, and the general public for appropriate action. This new technology has the potential to significantly extend lead times for tornadoes and other forms of severe and hazardous weather. Coupled with advanced decision support systems, tornado lead times may double from 10 to 22 minutes using this technology. The bottom line is that this investment will help save lives. U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP).-NOAA requests an increase of $1.0 million for a total of $3.8 million to transition research and development into operations in order to reach a USWRP goal of improving forecasts of inland heavy precipitation associated with hurricane landfalls. This increase will be used to address the improvement of the forecasts of heavy and frequent, flood-producing rains associated with hurricanes and tropical storms as they move inland. Weather & Air Quality Research Laboratories.—NOAA_requests an increase of $4.2 million for a total of $48.1 million to recapitalize the laboratories that conduct weather and air quality research, which includes funding for ongoing operational scientific activities to continue operation of the Wind Profiler Network and NOAA's Space Weather Program. Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service (AHPS).—NOAA requests an increase of $4.7 million for a total of $6.2 million to accelerate nationwide implementation of improved flood and river forecasts services in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic, and Southeast regions of the United States, including the states of: New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. As implemented, AHPS will: (1) produce new information with better predictions of river height and flood potential to reduce loss of life and property; (2) deliver high resolution, visually oriented products to provide partners and customers with valuable information for life decisions; (3) refresh aging hydrologic forecasting infrastructure to support rapid infusion of scientific advances; and (4) leverage NOAA's investments in observational systems and atmospheric models to enhance accuracy and resolution of river forecasts. Weather & Climate Supercomputing.-NOAA requests an increase of $6.2 million for a total of $21.2 million to continue operations and maintenance of the current National Weather Service (NWS) supercomputer, and to transition the next generation weather and climate supercomputing system into operations. The NWS supercomputer is the foundation for all NWS weather and climate forecasts. Operational transition of the next generation supercomputer will enable the NWS to improve the resolution and forecast accuracy of the prediction models. Radiosonde Replacement.-NOAA requests an increase of $2.0 million for a total of $7.0 million to continue replacing and modernizing the upper air radiosonde network. The radiosonde network provides critical upper air observations which are a vital component of all weather forecast models. The current network is obsolete and nearing collapse, risking widespread loss of data within the next two to three years. Aviation Weather.-NOAA requests a total of $2.5 million to initiate a 7-year plan to help improve U.S. aviation safety and economic efficiencies by providing stateof-the-art weather observation and forecast products responsive to aviation user needs. Weather accounts for over 70 percent of all air traffic delays, which results in greater expenditures by both airline customers and the airlines. In addition, an average of 200 general aviation pilot fatalities per year are caused by weather-related accidents across the United States. This initiative will provide a means for the NWS to improve its aviation weather forecast services through 3 major components which include: (1) increasing the number and quality of aviation weather observations; (2) transitioning successful applied research efforts to operational products; and (3) developing and implementing new training programs for forecasters, pilots, and controllers. This initiative has the goal of a 10 percent reduction in National Airspace System weather-related air traffic delays, which would save $600 million annually in potential economic losses, and reduce general aviation weather related fatalities by 25 percent, or 50 lives annually. Huntsville, AL Weather Forecast Office.-NOAA requests a total of $1.4 million to pay for recurring operations and maintenance costs at the new Huntsville, Alabama Weather Forecast Office (WFO). The Huntsville WFO was established in fiscal year 2002 at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. The $1.4 million requested will provide for NWS employee salaries, facilities rent and maintenance, and operational equipment and supplies to operate and maintain weather forecast and warning services in the Huntsville area. Polar Orbiting Systems.-NOAA requests a net increase of $64.3 million for Polar Orbiting Systems, which are comprised of NOAA Polar K-N and the National Polar Operational Earth Satellite System. The net increase requested is described as follows: -NOAA Polar K-N'-NOAA requests a decrease of $15.6 million for a total of $122.9 million for the NOAA Polar K-N'. The Polar K-N program is completing major procurement items and therefore does not need to continue the funding levels of previous years. -National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS).-NOAA requests an increase of $79.9 million for a total request of $237.3 million for the continuation of the tri-agency NPOESS program that will replace the NOAA POES program after completion of the current NOAA K-N' series of satellites. This request represents NOAA's share of the converged NOAA/DOD/NASA program. In fiscal year 2003, funds will be required to continue the development and production of the NPOESS instruments, including the Visible Infrared Image Radiometer, the Conical Microwave Imager Sounder, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder, the Ozone, Mapping and Profiler Suite, the Global Positioning System Occultation Sensor, and the Space Environmental Sensing Suite. The continued development of these instruments is critical for their timely and cost effective delivery to replace both the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and the NOÀA POES spacecraft when needed. -Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES).—NOAA requests a decrease of $35.1 million for a total request of $227.4 million to support continued post launch requirements for GOES I-M; the continued procurement of the GOES-N series satellites, instruments, ground systems, and systems support necessary to maintain continuity of Geostationary operations; and planning and development for the GOES-R series of satellites and instruments. This decrease represents a program change resulting from the successful launch of GOES M, and the continued success of the GOES I-M series. Earth Observing System Data Archive & Access System Enhancement.-NOAA requests a total of $3.0 million to ensure that NOAA can fully utilize the vast amounts of new satellite-based environmental data becoming available, process and distribute that data in a variety of formats, provide stewardship for the data, and make the data accessible to users in a variety of economic, research, government, and public sectors. Joint Center for Data Assimilation.-NOAA requests an increase of $2.6 million for a total of $3.4 million for the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation. NWS, the Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR), and NASA also provide funding as partners in this coordinated national effort to more fully realize the potential of the vast quantities of new satellite data that are becoming available. Coastal Ocean Remote Sensing.-NOAA requests a total of $6.0 million to develop and deploy a prototype high-resolution imaging sensor to meet long-standing NOAÀ requirements. This initiative will allow NOAA to work with NASA to develop conceptual design and capabilities of this instrument, which will continuously monitor coastal ocean areas for harmful algae blooms, coral reef deterioration, pollution changes, fisheries management, and navigation. This instrument will provide continuous, high resolution monitoring in unprecedented detail of terrestrial features such as vegetation changes, flooding, wild fires, volcanic eruptions, and ash cloud transport. Satellite Command & Data Acquisition (CDA) Facility.-NOAA requests an increase of $1.0 million for a total of $4.6 million to continue the Satellite CDA Infrastructure program. Improved facilities reduce the risk of outages and service disruptions caused by failure of the supporting buildings, facilities, and infrastructure. This program minimizes the risk of spacecraft loss and data loss and allows NOAA to continue supporting worldwide requirements for critical operational satellite data and services. Satellite Command and Control.—NOAA requests an increase of $4.4 million for a total of $34.8 million for satellite command and control. This investment supports the operations of the NOAA satellite systems, the ingesting and processing of satellite data, and the development of new product applications required for continuity of operations. NOAA provides satellite command and control services on a 24 hours per day, 365 days per year schedule. Two critical components of this initiative are: -Protecting Critical Satellite Control Facilities.-NOAA requests $0.3 million to enhance security at the satellite Command and Data Acquisition ground stations by upgrading and expanding security lighting. -Satellite Command and Data Acquisition Station Operations.-NOAA requests $2.2 million for the operation of the polar Satellite Command and Data Acquisition (CDA) ground station. NOAA will use these funds to obtain the appropriate technical, management, and administrative contractor support to operate and maintain the acquisition and throughput of data from NOAA and DOD polarorbiting satellites to NOAA's Satellite Operations Control Center, and to National Weather Centers. Product Processing and Distribution.—NOAA requests an increase of $6.7 million for a total of $27.7 million to process and analyze data from NOAA, DOD, and other Earth-observing satellites; supply data, interpretations, and consulting services to users; and operate and maintain the Search and Rescue mission control center. This includes supplying satellite data that makes up approximately 85 percent of the data used in NWS numerical weather prediction models. NOAA will use the requested program increase to support the following two mission critical functions: -Reducing the Risk to Continuity of Critical Operations.-NOAA requests a program increase of $3.1 million to expand on-site maintenance and staffing levels to ensure that all critical functions are performed. This ensures vital and timely information to customers and staff during times of peak workload. -Improved Support for Weather and Hazards.-NOAA requests a program increase of $2.0 million to automate wild fire detection algorithms to speed up the delivery of information to customers, to integrate the information into geographic information systems for detailed location information, and to integrate new fire detection sensors from non-NOAA satellites. G-IV Instrumentation.—NOAA requests a total of $8.4 million to begin upgrading instrumentation aboard the G-IV aircraft. Improvements in NOAA's Gulfstream IV aircraft's remote-sensing systems will enhance NOAA's hurricane-reconnaissance capability. New technology will use remote sensors to develop 3-dimensional profiles of hurricanes from 45,000 feet down to the surface and would provide forecasters with unprecedented real-time information on size and intensity. In addition, radar composite maps will provide critical rainfall information that is crucial to forecasters and to the emergency management community for preparedness and evacuations. CLIMATE SERVICES NOAA maintains a balanced program of focused research, large-scale observational programs, modeling on seasonal-centennial time scales, and data management. In addition to its responsibilities in weather prediction, NOAA has pioneered in the research and operational prediction of climate variability associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). With agency and international partners, NOAA has also been a leader in the assessments of climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and the global carbon cycle. Our confidence in our recent El Niño prediction is based upon a suite of robust observing systems that are a critical component in any forecast. The agency-wide Climate Services activity represents a partnership that allows NOAA to facilitate the transition of research observing and data systems, and knowledge into operational systems and products. During recent years, there has been a growing demand from emergency managers, the private sector, the research community, and decision-makers in the United States and international governmental agencies for timely data and information about climate variability, climate change, and trends in extreme weather events. The economic and social need for continuous, reliable climate data and longer-range climate forecasts has been clearly demonstrated. NOAA's Climate Services Initiative responds to these needs. The following efforts will be supported by this initiative: Climate Change Research Initiative.-On February 14, 2002, President Bush announced the Clear Skies and Global Climate Change initiatives. The Clear Skies plan aims to cut power plant emissions of three pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury) by 70 percent. The new Global Climate Change initiative seeks to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent over the next decade. The President's proposal supports vital climate change research and ensures that America's workers and citizens of the developing world are not unfairly penalized. NOAA's expertise will be extremely important in the area of climate research. NOAA, along with NASA, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Agriculture will implement a multi-agency Climate Change Research Initiative totaling $40 million. The following sections detail NOAA's $18.0 million request to address key priorities of the CCRI. -Climate Modeling Center.-NOAA requests $5.0 million to establish a climate modeling center at Princeton, New Jersey. This center will focus on model product generation for research, assessment and policy applications. NOAA has played a central role in climate research, pioneering stratospheric modeling, seasonal forecasting, ocean modeling and data assimilation, and hurricane modeling. This core research capability will be enhanced to enable product generation and policy related research. -Global Climate Atmospheric Observing System.-NOAA requests $4.0 million to work with other countries to reestablish the benchmark upper-air network. NOAA will emphasize data sparse areas, and place new Global Atmosphere Watch stations in priority sites to measure pollutant emissions, aerosols, and ozone, in specific regions. -Global Ocean Observing System.─NOAA requests $4.0 million to work towards the establishment of an ocean observing system that can accurately document climate scale changes in ocean heat, carbon, and sea level changes. -Aerosols-Climate Interactions.-NOAA requests $2.0 million to contribute to the interagency National Aerosol-Climate Interactions Program (joint partnership with NASA, DOE, NSF) currently under development. Specifically, NOAA will establish new and augment existing in-situ monitoring sites and conduct focused field campaigns to establish aerosol chemical and radiative properties. -Carbon Monitoring.-NOAA requests $2.0 million to augment carbon monitoring capabilities in North America as well as observations of globally relevant parameters in key under-sampled oceanic and continental regions around the globe. -Regional Integrated Science Assessments Program.—NOAA requests $1.0 million for the Regional Integrated Science Assessments Program (RIŠA). Working with the National Science Foundation (NSF), NOAA will augment its research capability in assessing climate change impacts vulnerability by utilizing the research on "Decision Making in the Face of Uncertainties" in the framework of the RISA programs, e.g. Pacific Northwest. Arctic Research.-NOAA requests a total of $2.0 million in support of the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) to improve monitoring of the elements |