Snow lines the ridges above the crater at the summit of Mount St. Helens.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., addressed a new law that will dedicate more resources to volcano monitoring during a Thursday visit to the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver.
The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act, which was signed into law last week as part of a massive land management package, directs resources into early warning and monitoring systems. The idea is to give scientists the tools to provide faster, more accurate information in the case of an emergency.
The law allocates $55 million over five years to beef up volcano monitoring systems with more sensors, seismometers and GPS devices. It also combines the network of five volcano monitoring stations nationwide into a single system in an effort to ensure 24/7 coverage and standardize the monitoring process.
"We definitely can't stop volcanoes from erupting. But we can put better tools in place to give the communities and scientists in place better information," Cantwell said, addressing a room of scientists and local policymakers. "And from that, our local communities can develop better communication and response plans."
Bart Hansen, Vancouver's mayor pro tem, also attended the event. He said that Southwest Washington's growth since Mount St. Helens' major eruption in 1980 means that the stakes are even higher now.
"This is an amazing place to live. You don't have to worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, but every now and then you've got to be mindful of a volcano," Hansen said.
"Natural events such as these affect every aspect of our residents' lives and the work that we do -- transportation, water, electricity, overall health and safety, business impacts, our ports, our airport."
During a tour of the Cascades Volcano Observatory facility, scientist-in-charge Seth Moran said that Mount St. Helens provides a good model for how we should be monitoring all our active volcanoes. Because of its recent eruptions, it's closely watched. Observatory staff track the volcano's activity with around 20 seismometers and 20 GPS devices.
Comparatively, Glacier Peak, in Snohomish County, is home to a single seismometer that "rattles along," Moran said.
"With multiple stations, we can tell where signals are located," Moran told the senator. "It's very difficult for us to be able to locate earthquakes with just this one station."
An eruption at Glacier Peak might not be as fresh in the memories of policymakers -- the last one was a few hundred years ago -- but it has the potential to be devastating. Several millennia ago, it erupted at five times the strength of Mount St. Helens.
"It's one that you definitely want to keep tabs on," Moran said.
Washington is home to some of the most dangerous volcanoes in the country. In addition to Mount St. Helens and Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker also require close monitoring. In Oregon, Mount Hood, Three Sisters, Newberry Volcano and the Crater Lake caldera are active volcanoes.
"This part of the Pacific Northwest is an epicenter for these kinds of potential threats," Cantwell said.
The full land management package was sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. President Donald Trump signed it into law on March 12.
S. 47, or the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, combined 130 separate bills.
In addition to volcano monitoring, the act permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired on Sept. 30, 2018. In total, the package also designates 1.34 million acres of new wilderness, 2,600 miles of new national trails and four new national monuments.
