tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21722609550914314862024-02-20T20:48:20.466-05:00The Vacation Lane BlogThe Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comBlogger480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-74367306180771712752012-06-04T10:38:00.000-04:002012-06-04T10:38:59.441-04:00NFIP two month extension-Impact on 2nd homes!See:
The Office of the Federal Register has assigned law numbers to the following bill(s) approved by the President:
H.R. 5740 / Public Law 112-123
To extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes. (May 31, 2012; 126 Stat. 365; 2 pages)
This short extension also contains an increase in flood insurance rates to full actuarial rates for second homes over 4 years at 25% per year. I tried to get a total second home cutoff of federal flood insurance and will continue to try to do so. I also would prohibit federal disaster relief for second homes.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-4528176387787122332012-05-23T09:54:00.001-04:002012-05-23T09:54:37.912-04:00What is a Framework?The various frameworks mandated under PPD-8 and elsewhere continue to struggle towards finality with an announced deadline of June 30th at the White House. So the word "framework" largely undefined will be the principal contribution towards planning and preparedness of the Obama 1st term (assuming a second one occurs!
The first so-called National Framework was the spring 2008 issuance of the National Response Framework issued by the Bush Administration reflecting supposedly the lessons learned and correcting problems in the NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN issued final final in April 2005 and never fully implemented before Hurricane Katrina occurred. A brief history of that effort appears in Claire B. Rubin's first and second edition of her book--EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT-The American Experience issued under the auspices of PERI--now largely defunct.
A more detailed examination of this evolution will be available this fall from the Institute for Naval Proceedings in a book principally written and edited by John F. Morton.
The bottom line is that the so-called FRAMEWORKS were designed to kick off detailed plans, SOP's, Concept of Operations and other documents. With the 15 original scenarios now consolidate to eight (8)or less, none of which deal with critical infrastructure failures from whatever the cause, the result is chaos and little common understanding of what exactly can be expected from the federal government in almost any probable scenario and certainly not in any catastrophic event context.
So drafts of the FRAMEWORKS incorporating public comments have now been issued. Finalization by review or signature by President Obama is unknown but I suspect it is the next Administration that will finalize while the Obama Administration and the NEW FEMA hope and pray that the "big one" does not occur before the election.
Time will tell!The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-22287554685037312892012-05-21T09:02:00.001-04:002012-05-21T09:02:37.642-04:00NRC and NEI and FukishimaThe NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] has in fact registered that Fukishima may directly and indirectly threaten the nuclear power industry that is regulated by the NRC. Offsite safety issues, which should involve FEMA due to its assigned tasks going back to President James Early Carter as the expert judges of offsite safety considerations but does not has left NRC to deal with the issues arising out of Fukishima. All repeat all nuclear power reactors are NOW shut down in Japan and with a tense summer facing the Japanese over brownouts or worse as they shut off 30% of their energy supply by shutting the reactors it will be quite interesting to see what happens.
In the meantime, the NEI [Nuclear Enterprise Institute] continues to launch a daily stream of "Be happy, don't worry" press releases over US impacts and even Japanese impacts of the Fukishima event.
The potential for further problems from Reactor #4 at Dai Ichi seems to be the dominant issue with some experts expecting further dire outcomes from that reactor.
NEI was of course the Edison Electric Institute but changed its names over a decade ago. It remains the "trade association" for the nuclear power industry.
All in all since March 11th, 2011, when the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan the fallout from the event grows daily in Japan and elsewhere. The trend line for further problems in nuclear power is up not down IMO.
And waste storage and uranium supplies over the rest of the century continue to be problematic.
Andy Mitchell continues to run the TECH HAZARDS programs in FEMA.
I recently posted on HLSWatch.com on the history of E.O. 12657 published in November 1988 and requiring FEMA to prepare for the contingency that STATES and their local governments fail to adquately plan or prepare for a core melt accident, OR RESPOND! Meaning the STATES and/or their local governments fail to respond adequately.
The NRC used its RASCAL modeling system to model the Fukishim event and recommend a 50 mile evacuation zone from the reactors. IF FEMA were forced to adopt a 50 mile EPZ by NRC it would in fact create absolute chaos in that program. The REPP [radiological emergency preparedness program] continues to be unable to face the advent of social media 2.0 on its various preparedness programs.
With the JIC now at the White House in large scale events, few will be understanding of why that is a disaster in itself.
Still, President Obama may just escape from office by defeat by not having any large scale catastrophic events [other than those led by Wall Street] during his time in office. His basic strategy in HAITI--ignore HAITI. His basic strategy in FUKISHIMA--ignore Fukishima. So far due to the incompetence of the MSM it has succeeded and neither appear to be election issues.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-25299657789164264192012-05-21T08:40:00.003-04:002012-05-21T08:40:50.398-04:00Reminder-My other blogs!I continue to use my FACEBOOK page as my third blog. Also continue to post on http://www.vacationlanegrp.wordpress.com
Also continue to post comments on HLSWatch.com blog.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-48574676044133558002012-04-26T17:32:00.001-04:002012-04-26T17:32:12.846-04:00Expiration of NFIP and ReformThe NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program codified at 42 USC 4001 and following] will expire the end of May. It probably will be extended but a single legislative change could reform the program adequately for many years. Sales of insurance could be conducted only in mapped areas under the NFIP. This would require the following language to be inserted in any appropriate place in the statute:
National Flood Insurance availability:
Insurance under the NFIP will only be made available after December 31, 2012, in areas designated as numbered or unnumbered A or V zones on NFIP maps.
This would help to ensure that further taxpayer subsidy of the NFIP are unnecessary. This seemingly simple change which conforms to the original statutory intent would have numerous implications that I leave to others to discern.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-122674540709150642012-04-16T18:07:00.000-04:002012-04-16T18:07:41.430-04:00PDM--Predisaster Mitigation Goes Bye bye!The FY 2013 Obama Administration requests no funding for predisaster mitigation. I have learned that HILL staff working for the appropriations committee do not intend to reverse that decision. Whatever the benefits of predisaster mitigation for an agency working resilience issues and whole of community issues this is tragic.<br />
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FEMA is now almost completely a response organization trying to perfect handing out monies and info with some expedition. The fact that much of this activity will be lost in the next disaster does not seem to both the leadership.<br />
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FEMA's real job, a tough one is to reduce disaster outlays, not increase them. Too bad neither the Congress, the Administration, or FEMA's leadership understands that fact.<br />
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As currently administered, disaster relief and flood insurance are aggravating the future flood losses IMO.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-4510077770805048052012-03-20T09:59:00.000-04:002012-03-20T09:59:52.510-04:00Leaders and Lawyers in FEMA!I was a member of the FEMA General Counsel office from 1979-1999 when I retired. I have posted on my other blog at http://www.vacationlanegrp.wordpress.com an article about the SALT effort in the current OCC.<br />
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Some background: Of the five General Counsels I worked with only two could be characterized as activists. The others lawyered carefully and defensively which was good but really only served to provide rationales for inaction to the FEMA leadership.<br />
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I often said that if I was made the GC I would only issue the NO opinions while all those working for me could issue the YES opinions. I was also never allowed to guide the legal direction of the statute that gave the widest discretion to FEMA, specifically the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 [Public Law 93-288]that was superseded in part, revised in part, and supplemented in part by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [Public Law 100-707] both codified in Title 42 of the US Code starting at Section 5121.<br />
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Oddly perhaps only two of the Directors of FEMA I served under were activists, specifically Lewis O. Guiffrida and James Lee Witt. They did not exactly overlap the activists lawyer General Counsel's willing to say yes.<br />
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But I am glad to see the SALT effort being made by current Chief Counsel Brad Keiserman.<br />
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This October 1st I will have been retired 13 years from FEMA. In that time I have had only one official call back to provide some factual information and that concerned the so-called FAST BREAKER nuclear accident/incident at a power reactor. I stated then as now that FEMA's REPP did NOT take into account that event nor did NRC's regulatory efforts.<br />
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Perhaps Lessons Learned from FUKISHIMA will change that conclusion.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-6299012946745762282012-03-18T14:58:00.000-04:002012-03-18T14:58:45.635-04:00Executive Order 12919 rescinded by new EO!Executive Order 12919 issued in June 1994 and which replaced EO 10480 has been rescinded by an Executive Order issued Friday by the President. The new Order will have a number assigned by NARA this week.<br />
It is not a significant change except it repairs the Presidential delegation it represents to directly place obligations on the Department of Homeland Security as opposed to the Administrator FEMA.<br />
More importantly it continues to delegate authority to multiple agencies and departments, including the Commerce Department which is threatened by a proposed Presidential reorganization.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-1684680549154155502012-03-10T11:06:00.000-05:002012-03-10T11:06:31.041-05:00Text of Executive Order 12241 [1980]Executive Order 12241--National Contingency Plan<br />
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Source: The provisions of Executive Order 12241 of Sept. 29, 1980, appear at 45 FR 64879, 3 CFR, 1980 Comp., p. 282, unless otherwise noted.<br />
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By the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America under Section 304 of Public Law 96-295 (94 Stat. 790) and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, and in order to provide for the publication of a plan to protect the public health and safety in case of accidents at nuclear power facilities, it is hereby ordered as follows:<br />
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1-101. The functions vested in the President by Section 304 of Public Law 96-295 (94 Stat. 790) are delegated to the Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency.<br />
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1-102. A copy of the National Contingency Plan shall, from time to time, be published in the Federal Register.<br />
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EO IS UNAMENDED SINCE ISSUED!<br />
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THE LAST FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE OF CHANGES TO THE FRERP [FEDERAL RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN] WAS IN 1986!<br />
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IMO any formal change to the FRERP should have been published in the Federal Register or at least Referenced by Notice.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-6414987253361834932012-03-10T10:56:00.000-05:002012-03-10T10:56:48.622-05:00When [Not if but when] FEMA is Reorganized!Many know that I think the forthcoming Commerce Department termination under President Obama's Reorganization Proposals will also impact the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] and the Mitigation % Insurance Directorate in FEMA.<br />
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But I am now willing to predict that FEMA's REPP [Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program] may well be on its way to EPA the organization who EPZ PAGs [Protective action guidance] determine the perimeter of that zone. FDA of course has its own PAGs that determine the 50 mile demarcation for the INGESTION Pathway for food and animals.<br />
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Why this prediction? As each day passes it is becoming more and more obvious that the FUKISHIMA events may be a MOM [maximum of maximums] for Japanese society and culture at least for this century. To be brief, already looking like beyond the capability of that very capable developed country to handle.<br />
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Japan studied in some detail FEMA's REPP and determined for a variety of reasons, some corrupt, that it was unnecessary to develop an equivalent in Japan. France also made that determination.<br />
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So as we pass the one year mark, and FEMA's REPP established originally under President James Earl Carter in 1980 enters its 4th decade the question arises as to its staffing and expertise. <br />
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EPA does have an office of Emergency Response led by a capable up-thorugh-the-ranks SES, Deborah Dietrich, and that office probably should have had REPP from the onset except that FEMA was victim based on its inability to understand what was involved and defend itself. The original MOU between FEMA and NRC was excuted by NRC personnel detailed from NRC when REPP was established. Marshall Sanders, a retired b-52 pilot was one of the NRC detailees and he stayed on at FEMA until his second retirement.<br />
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As my sworn deposition at the Seabrook Power Station, and my several days of sworn testimony before the ASLB, this amazing bit of bureacratic corruption apparently bothered no one but me.<br />
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At least EPA employes Health Physicists as FEMA and DHS do not.<br />
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So all it would take is a revised Executive Order, including revision of E.O. 12241 to give the lead to EPA. Based on what we now know from FUKSIMA this revision and reassignment of functions and activities could occur immediately since the REPP is funded totally by USER FEES and their are few budget implications.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-65007899021623158842012-02-26T10:13:00.001-05:002012-02-26T10:15:36.916-05:00FEMA and HAITI and FUKISHIMA--What did FEMA know and When did they know it?wWell it has been over two years since the Haiti Earthquake and almost a year since the Fukishima event! Why blog about these two events when FEMA has little or no authority to operate internationally. It did have a NATO civil security role under Executive Order 12656 as amended but now that is a DHS role. And in fact in my time at FEMA 1979-1999 FEMA officials parked at NATO went native and contributed almost nothing to the agency's understanding of comparative civil security and Emergency Management issues and policies in the NATO countries. This is somewhat ironic since some of the EU countries are well ahead of the USA in both HS and EM. Proof check out the London Olympics this summer. And guess what intensive and extensive plans now exist to evacuate all of LONDON if its necessary including the transportation dependent. NYC and DC not even close.<br />
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So given the passage of time, what has FEMA contributed to the response and recovery of these events, and more important what has it learned? I would argue ALMOST NOTHING!<br />
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If my position is correct then FEMA really does not understand these events, the possibility of their occurring in the USA and does not have any really quality technical analytical and policy personnel that can understand the implications of these two events for the USA.<br />
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In an effort to measure metric wise what is a Catastrophe, and remember I always measure any incident or event that knocks out the capability of any level of government to respond and recovery as a catastrophe for that governmental unit, whatever others say, then metrics don't really count. But here is one anyway.<br />
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ANY EVENT THAT IS GOING TO BE LABELED A NATIONAL CATASTROPHIC EVENT IS ONE IN WHICH IMMEDIATE NON0INSURABLE DAMAGES EXCEED $10 B!<br />
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What actually has happened in Haiti is that a pretend nation-state a mere 700 miles offshore has been allowed to internally collapse. After just a four month term the new Prime Minister has resigned. This festering mess is a large large black mark on an Administration that will be intervening IMO in Syria this year. See my other blog at http://www.vacationlanegrp.wordpress.com and HLSWATCH.COM for discussion and comments by me.<br />
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And in Japan, the world's 2nd largest economy is struggling with the FUKISHIMA event although no one in Japan wants to label it accurately as a continuing catastrophic event.<br />
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HAS the FEMA REPP [radiological emergency preparedness program] now headed by Andy Smith learned anything from this event? Has Mr. Smith visited Japan or Adminsitrator FUGATE or DEPUTY Serrino? AFter all Director James Lee Witt visited Japan after the KOBE Earthquake and he learned a lot from that trip that impacted FEMA policies.<br />
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So let's have some Congressional oversight of FEMA's efforts on Haiti, Fukishima, and perhaps even New Zealand which is a country facing up to the fact that Christchurch will never be the same city, unlike the pretensions of all that NOLA can be fully restored to pre-Katrina levels of society.<br />
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These could be issues in the Campaign but won't be because the BUSH 43 Administration believed that FEMA was not an important component of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.<br />
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COULD THIS BE THE YEAR OF THE BIG ONE IN THE USA?The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-22316252358366954602012-02-21T19:18:00.000-05:002012-02-21T19:18:14.175-05:00Death of Patricia Gormley, Esq.I was notified that Patricia Gormley the only female General Counsel of the independent Executive Branch agency FEMA died this AM one year after her husband.<br />
Pat served as the GC of FEMA from August 1990 to January 20, 1993,and was the first four striper female NAVY JAG officer and a former Counsel to the IG at the Veterans Administration before she came to FEMA. She had been a Marine officer and converted to NAVY JAG after graduating from law school when she ranked as a Marine Corps Major.<br />
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IN my considered opinion she was the best of the best, the most courageous GC of FEMA ever, and I loved her unrequited of course.<br />
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She will be buried in the future in Arlington Cemetery alongside her husband.<br />
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I still think of her and the various challenges she faced as GC of FEMA, me not the least. But she had the highest standards.<br />
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Sympathy to all her family and friends that survive her.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-49873345941933976642012-01-30T16:14:00.000-05:002012-01-30T16:14:39.722-05:00LTG Frank Camm, RET. Death notice!President James Earl Carter created FEMA in his Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 which was implemented by two Executive Orders, 12127 and 12148.<br />
General Camm was confirmed by the Senate in the position of Associate Director of Plans and Preparedness by the Armed Services Committee of the Senate and full Senate. He served until January 20, 1981, and was delegated authority from the Director of FEMA John Macey for the former functions of the Federal Preparedness Agency (GSA) and the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DoD) that were two of several predecssor organizations of FEMA.<br />
General Camm graduated from West Point in 1943. An obituary appeared in the WAPO on January 29, 2012.<br />
He was succeeded in his position by Col. John Brinkerhoff, RET., West Point Class of 1950, who served until a reorganization of FEMA was conducted by Director Louis O. Guiffrida, an appointee also confirmed by the US Senate, of President Ronald Reagan.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-22946541923770532512012-01-27T09:31:00.001-05:002012-01-27T09:33:19.289-05:00Quick Update on Current Events and this blog!It has been over 20 days since I last posted on this blog. It will however continue because a bunch of FEMA policy and organizational issues will be hitting the proverbial fan this spring. Why? FEMA performance in a record 14 billion dollar disasters in 2011 will be looked at closely. Also the President's reorganization efforts may have fall out for FEMA. And the NFIP expires again this summer and many on the HILL are vowing reforms. I have seen few reforms actually suggested as most would do nothing but continue defective policies in place. The NFIP should only provide flood insurance in the mapped and enforced 100 year flood plain actually the 1% annual excedence interval flood plain.<br />
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So here is my take on other current events. <br />
And by the way my FACEBOOK page--William R. Cumming--is now my third blog. Try it and you may like it.<br />
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And my main blog is still found at http://www.vacationlanegrp.wordpress.com<br />
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CURRENT EVENTS:<br />
The STATE of the UNION message flopped.<br />
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The ARAB SPRING flopped.<br />
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The ECONOMY continues to flop!<br />
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The military efforts in Afghanistan continue to flop!<br />
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The EUROZONE financial crisis continues and rescue efforts for Greece have flopped.<br />
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CAIN, PERRY, BACHEMAN, PALIN, HUNTSMAN, PAWLENTY, and others flopped bigtime in 2011. All current candidates will stay in through Supertuesday.<br />
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Joe Biden is a flop even as VP and will be replaced by Obama on the ticket.<br />
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Wall Street has flopped.<br />
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The Japanese response to the FUKISHIMA event has flopped.<br />
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PUTIN has flopped!<br />
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The theory that the climate has not entered a long term warming period has flopped.<br />
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Your questions answered, perhaps incorrectly, at vlg338@yahoo.com<br />
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Still 9 weeks of "winter" whatever that means for the weather!The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-37844020162853362522012-01-06T10:07:00.000-05:002012-01-06T10:07:35.152-05:00FEMA as safety net!No FEMA director or administrator has ever resigned or departed from the job voluntarily. But suppose a crisis of conscience did occur with that result. W. Craig Fugate has pretty much had a successful tenure as Administrator of FEMA since May of 2009 but he might be a candidate.<br />
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Why?<br />
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FEW anywhere understand that FEMA is not the federal safety net for either domestic crisis management, prevention, response, recovery and mitigation. It is still even with expansion of numbers a relatively small underfunded federal agencies whose major partners, the OFAs [other federal agencies] are experiencing rapid decline in their preparedness capability and this will accelerate over the next calendar year. The same holds true for FEMA's state and their local government partners. And now Administrator Fugate advocates FEMA policy and the Stafford Act being brought into alignment with SCOTUS rulings and USA history and treating the Federally Recognized Native American Tribes as being direct recipients of FEMA grants and agreements. I support this effort by the way. The problem of course is that the 500+ federally recognized tribes have almost no Emergency Management or HS capability and won't have it until built over at least a decade. So the complex administration of FEMA's efforts to have full fledged partners to help out is still a long way off and promises to recede even further into the future.<br />
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So perhaps W. Craig Fugate needs to get the Administration and Congress to address the issues raised by FEMA not being the safety net, and merely a small cooperative and collaborative agency that does not do that particularly well either.<br />
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Time runs out on Fugate whether because of a catastrophic event or whatever! Hope he survives and can address the issues underlying this post in a successful manner. Otherwise by by like all others who held his position before him.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-5531209305409736842012-01-05T09:19:00.000-05:002012-01-05T09:19:29.251-05:00Welcome to 2012Well 2012 is finally here. And guess what at least 10 countries that may well impact this century in good and bad ways have Presidential elections including the USA.<br />
My take on Iowa is pretty meaningless as New Hampshire and S. Carolina will soon demonstrate.<br />
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Barring a catastrophe and poor FEMA response W. Craig Fugate is very likely to be a holdover whomever is the next President. Longest serving FEMA Director or Administrator is still James Lee Witt, arriving early in 1993 and departing in January 2001. His greatest contribution to FEMA policy was a management decision to implement the recommendations of the Trefry Report issued in 1992 that recommended a reduction of cleared personnel in FEMA and he did that by 45%. Thus, information sharing was encouraged not discouraged by the "need-to-know" doctrine often utilized by bureaucrats to prevent discovery of waste, fraud, and abuse.<br />
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Two greatest financial problems in FEMA history. Alleged defalcation by a Senior Accounting Official of $21 million and some change. And the immediate disposal post exercise of a communications system that cost about $70 million to create and was totally inadequate for the job.<br />
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Well the future is now for FEMA. By the way PKEMRA 2006 had lots of HUMAN CAPITAL mandates for FEMA and wonder when GAO or OIG/DHS will investigate current compliance?<br />
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Here is to a year without CAT 5 storms, no major dam or levee failures, no earthquakes, and no tornadoes. Unlikely I know.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-12511710303688946602011-12-31T00:45:00.001-05:002011-12-31T00:46:29.022-05:00Statutory Mandates and FEMAFEMA in 2011 definitely staffed up but quality and competence yet to be established by the acid test of events. Still a start made on the decline in staffing from January 20, 2001 to August 29, 2005 {Hurricane Katrina]!<br />
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But it should be noted that extensive HUMAN CAPITAL mandates were included in PKEMRA 2006 largely effective on March 31, 2007.<br />
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It would be helpful if FEMA published more about its demographics and the cohorts involved as to length of service. That latter number is not outcome determinative as to competence and skills but it certainly is a marker.<br />
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And since in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, FEMA with its administration of the DRF makes some other agencies much less significant when it comes to actual numbers. <br />
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Again a year in which certain disasters such as radiological releases and terrorism not specifically included in the events subject to disaster declarations. This should happen.<br />
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A compilation of FEMA legislative proposals sent to OMB and Congress and outcome would be of interest. NFIP reform also died on the vine.<br />
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But hey thanks to those who offered reform legislation in both the Executive Branch and the Congress.<br />
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Happy New Year and welcome to the 2nd Session of the 112th Congress.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-17089476647555448832011-12-29T07:01:00.000-05:002011-12-29T07:01:53.815-05:00The End is Near! 2011 that is!I had long speculated that President Obama would break the century mark for declarations this year. He may just be short of that figure for major disasters. Still quite a year. With 10 billion dollar disasters a good warm up year for FEMA and the big one or ones to come.<br />
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I find the most interesting story of the year the FUKISHIMA tragedy. It now appears that event alone may well knock Japan out of the top ten leading countries of the world this century. This should motivate USA Emergency Management and Homeland Security to understand the importance of their efforts to improve the disaster paradigm of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Note that "prevention" added by Congress in PKEMRA 2006 but undefined. Now defined in part by PPD-8 issued on March 31, 2011 and partially implemented.<br />
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Political and economic consolidation of the Eurasian heartland and extremes suffered some large blows this year but eventually perhaps 2 centuries down the road its history will have shaped a new dominant force in world history. One that if it can manage environmental issues and change that may last a long long time.<br />
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Despite a half-century of independence it now looks more and more like Africa will again undergo domination by foreign powers including those with resource shortages and the economic muscle to exploit Africa's richest.<br />
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And the USA and DHS and FEMA seem content to remain ignorant of policy impacts of new scientific developments and technology.<br />
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The most important development in the last decade has been social media and web 2.0 but few have really captured its potential or dangers to EM and HS.<br />
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Whatever the outcome of the 2012 elections it is apparent that self-delusion about American exceptionalism and ourselves will continue to be the dominating factors in American politics. It is never fun to watch people, cultures, or civilizations commit suicide so hoping none of that in 2012, but I may just be averting my eyes not escaping reality.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-75281745600107925832011-12-20T10:21:00.000-05:002011-12-20T10:21:31.110-05:00In two years the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 will be 40!Well the 13th short term extension until September 30, 2012 is now law. Congrats to Congress for failing to understand what it has wrought.<br />
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As 2011 winds up the real question is what did the dramatic changes wrought by that 1973 legislative enactment accomplish for mitigation and the closely related mandatory "mitigation" placed in the Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1974, Public Law 93-288? Both laws were designed in tandem to hopefully reduce disaster outlays over time and use a quasi-insurance mechanism to make the communities with flood plains bear the full costs of that occupancy, in particular for placing houses in the flood plain.<br />
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I think it is plain that after almost 40 years part of the problem is that FEMA did not get the message when it was formed that it real job was preventing disasters and doing mitigation not creating a moral hazard with "free" disaster relief as was the worry of Senator William Proxmire and others in not opposing the creation of FEMA. There were no ATMs at the time in 1978 and 1979 but many worried that FEMA would just become another focus of federal largesse largely creating even more problems.<br />
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So as the year winds up announcing that the year 2012 will be the year flood insurance and federal disaster relief are reformed. How will be explained in a series of posts although much has already been laid out for the last few years here in this blog.<br />
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So here is the new FEMA mantra: Prevent Disasters Don't Promote them!<br />
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And as a subset further analysis will be made on how FEMA has in fact through its policies and bureacratic dishonesty undermined the STATES and their local governments in their preparedness, prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.<br />
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Hoping Congressional hearings will delve into these concerns this spring even as the spring runoff occurs.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-75814602594621373592011-12-20T10:09:00.001-05:002011-12-20T10:10:33.777-05:00A compliment to FIMAThe Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration should really be more honest and be named the Flood Insurance and Natural Hazards Mitigation Directorate. This may well be its last year in FEMA. However, I do have to compliment that FEMA Directorate for its helpful webpage on FEMA.gov! <br />
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The webpage gives some history and lists current guidance in a quite helpful manner.<br />
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So thanks and happy holidays in that directorate. Wish all of mitigation in FEMA was housed with you. But hey I fought and lost that issue with a former GC of FEMA who did accomplish expansion of OGC FEMA DAE lawyers but little else.<br />
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Happy Holiday to all my friends and enemies in FEMA. 12 years and marking at this point since I left you behind.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-24564056712395749912011-12-19T03:12:00.000-05:002011-12-19T03:12:19.671-05:00The Budget Cycle and FEMAWhile the rest of US enjoy the holidays the budget nomes at OMB are doing their thing having given the departments and agencies pass backs on their budget requests for Fiscal Year 2013 that begins October 1st of 2012. This could be the last budget submission of any Obama Administration ever and if the Republicans win or lose it probably is dead on arrival when transmitted with the State of the Union Address or shortly thereafter in early February. So why is in even being submitted? Well for one thing required by law. For another serves as a marker for all the debates and appropriations efforts to follow. And finally it does to some degree reflect how the Administration sees the world and its own role in world and US history.<br />
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Most of FEMA budget is in the 045 category of fiscal codes--meaning state and local support. Most of the rest of DHS is in other fiscal codes. For example, General Government is fiscal code 800. It is hard to get ahold of how these assignments are made but they often foreshadow problems to come. For example, when Civil Defense left the 050 national security budget and became part of 045 it ended its role as being of any interest at all to the Armed Services Committees or the Armed Services Appropriators. Until 1995 FEMA always had one or two Associate Directors whose Senate confirmation ran through the Armed Services Committee. Once that stopped with repeal of the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, Public Law 920 of the 81st Congress, DoD pretty well shrugged its shoulders on FEMA issues, and did learn from the 1992 LA riots not to federalize the NG for riots and civil disorders. In another blog I have recently argued that the real state role of the NG is in law enforcement for the Governors in riots and civil disorders and that the current lack of training of the NG for that role is dangerous. Others disagreed. See blog Sic Semper Tyrannis.<br />
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In recent blog posts here and elsewhere I have argued that in fact the EM community is small and growing smaller. Even the rest of the PUBLIC SAFETY budgets are in danger of full scale erosion with over 500,000 State and Local workers laid off many in the Public Safety arena. Now FEMA has take a huge hit, over $2 billion IMO, to its support for the STATES and their local governments first response community. This is enough to make it almost certain that some capability will not be just lost now but forever.<br />
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With over 100 declarations in CY 2012 by the President for disasters, an all-time high, is part of this reflection of diminished STATES and their local government capability? DoD really does not care what happens to STATES and their local governments just hoping to be kept out of their problems. That is why on base housing and schools is such a big issue. Isolation from the General Public is a conscience DoD strategy for both force protection and ensuring that the Armed Forces are not burdened with the problems of STATES and their local governments.<br />
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In the meantime, I understand the OMB passback on the FEMA budget was devastating reflecting a definite change in policy by the President with respect to FEMA. Not the least the Presidential deferrment of construction money for FEMA at St. Elizabeths. So far only the US Coast Guard and the DHS support staff locked in for that location.<br />
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The bottom line--stand by for an absolutely amazing State of the Union address as the President sallies forth to meet the voters in the fall. None seem happy with current disaster policy or the NFIP either in FEMA or Congress or the Administration. The result could be dramatic in 2012.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-64005003622819476592011-12-14T03:25:00.000-05:002011-12-14T03:25:08.095-05:00FEMA and Climate ChangeWould it not be interesting to know what FEMA's official position is on Climate Change and whether that comports with what most of its officials and employees believe? FEMA of course can only rely on second hand reports and analysis since no PhD Climate Scientists is now or ever has been on its payroll. In fact it is not exactly clear whether FEMA has ever held a conference or other public meeting wherein it gathered information on Climate Change and its actual or potential impact on its programs, functions, or activities.<br />
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Why? Well for one thing the culture in FEMA is not a scientific one, or a social service agency, or in fact anything that involves much intellectual curiosity about the natural world even though its business is largely natural disaster response and recovery. This is because it key Congressional Committee is Transportation and Infrastructure in the HOUSE the home of PORK.<br />
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Merely transferring the Stafford Act jurisdiction to almost any other committee would change how FEMA does business overnight.<br />
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And surprise surprise, all of the Republican candidates have quite unusual positions with respect to FEMA, disaster relief, and the role of FEMA in the federal system. Standby for some big surprises.<br />
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And did you know the President himself postponed efforts to house FEMA in the new DHS HQs building in S.E. Washington? Wondering why? Perhaps Climate Change?The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-70706457124976332222011-12-13T05:38:00.001-05:002011-12-13T05:40:40.894-05:00The SNRA Synopsed!A seven page document unclassified has been released by DHS discussing the Classified Strategic National Risk Assessment. Don't worry though because neither the released document or the SNRA appear to have been designed to accomplish much.<br />
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From the shorter document see this disclaimer:<br />
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"Impacts and Future Uses<br />
The SNRA was executed in support of PPD-8 implementation and has served as an integral part of the development of the National Preparedness Goal, assisting in integrating and coordinating identification of the core capabilities and establishing a risk-informed foundation for the National Preparedness System. Participants mapped the core capabilities identified in the Goal to the events assessed in the SNRA to identify any additional core capabilities that may need to be included. In addition, the SNRA can be used to inform discussions on priorities for capability investment decisions. Finally, the SNRA results will be used to drive other preparedness priorities at the national level.<br />
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In addition, conducting a Strategic National Risk Assessment will support the National Preparedness System by providing a consolidated list of ―national level events for consideration and augmentation for Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment processes at multiple jurisdiction levels. <br />
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Conclusion<br />
Although the development of the SNRA is an important first step, further analysis through the execution of regional- and community-level risk assessments will help communities better understand their risks and form a foundation for their own security and resilience. The Nation’s preparedness is dependent on a whole-of-community understanding of risk and comprehensive consequences at and across all levels of government. In conjunction with Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, the SNRA will be expanded and enhanced and will ultimately serve as a unifying national risk profile to facilitate preparedness efforts"!<br />
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So you can see most the work to be done not really yet completed and that was the statutory mandate. Well DHS will be gone before most of its key assignments will have been accomplished.<br />
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For some discussion of the SNRA see the posts of yesterday December 12th on the blog HLSWATCH.comThe Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-53592042319408469142011-12-07T17:23:00.001-05:002011-12-07T17:26:30.573-05:00GAO on NG WMD Preparedness and ResponseOdd that I posted on November 29th on FEMA and DHS have almost no identified role in WMD preparedness and response. I also listed recently to an EMForum presentation on the Radiologically Resilient Community. Now GAO [not in so many words but in substance] concludes that the NG is not prepared or able to respond to a WMD incident/event. Perhaps it won't happen but who knows. The GAO report can be accessed on my other blog at http://www.vacationlanegrp.wordpress.com! <br />
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It was in winter of 1995 that then Senator Sam Nunn panicked over the Executive Branch's failure to be able to explain either WMD response systems or terrorism response systems. Remember the Oklahoma City Bombing had been earlier that year and President William Jefferson Clinton has issued PD-39 attempting to delineate a crisis management role and a consequences management role for DOJ and FEMA. In driving on an answer before the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, Nunn had led enactment of a statute that mandated Executive Branch preparedness and response to both terrorism and WMD incident/events. FEMA begged off the state and local training role and so the President acceded to the statutory assignment to DoD of that mission for a three year period. Then the President was allowed to transfer it from DoD to some other Department or Agency. Again FEMA begged off and so DOJ took the role and created the NDPO [National Domestic Preparedness Office]supplementing the Office of Domestic Preparedness established in DOJ to administer the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. That Act had pass through monies to FEMA's USFA [US Fire Administration] to assist in training the FIRE SERVICE on terrorism exclusive of WMD.<br />
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And in DoD the NG created civil response teams that were to be the lead on WMD and terrorism preparedness and response.<br />
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Well given the GAO report you can obviously tell no one is in charge and few even understand the problems. Perhaps the terrorists will take advantage of this major error.<br />
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And did I mention that DHS was formed in part with the primary Executive Branch mission of WMD preparedness and response yet I can still not identify budget or staff devoted to anything but detection. And of course detection is good but does not really encompass preparedness and response.The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172260955091431486.post-60383147767456316212011-11-30T14:09:00.000-05:002011-11-30T14:09:11.875-05:00FEMA Delegated Authority prior to DHS (March 1, 2003)Presidential Executive Orders Specifically Delegating Program, Function, or Activity Legal Authority to the Independent Executive Branch FEMA<br />
Prior to Incorporation Into DHS on March 1, 2003<br />
[Note some of these EOs listed also delegate to<br />
other Executive Branch Organizations]<br />
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Carter Administration:<br />
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1. Executive Order 11988 of May 24, 1977, as amended, Floodplain Management, 3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 117, 42 U.S.C. §4321 note p.191. (See 44 CFR Part 9)<br />
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2. Executive Order 12127 of March 31, 1979, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 3 CFR, 1979 Comp., p. 376. (Implements Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1978)<br />
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3. Executive Order 12148 of July 20, 1979, as amended, Federal emergency management, 3 CFR, 1979 Comp., p. 412. (Implements Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1978)<br />
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4. Executive Order 12241 of September 29, 1980, National Contingency Plan [Radiological Emergencies], 3 CFR, 1980 Comp., p. 282. (Note-Source of FRERP).<br />
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Reagan Administration:<br />
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1. Executive Order 12472 of April 3, 1984, Assignment of national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications functions, 3 CFR, 1984 Comp., p.193. (See 47 CFR Part 201)<br />
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2. Executive Order 12580 of January 23, 1987, as amended, Superfund Implementation, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 193 (Note: Amended by E.O. 12777 of October 18, 1991, and further amended by E.O. 13016 of August 28, 1996). (See 40 CFR Part 300, currently under revision).<br />
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3. Executive Order 12656 of November 18, 1988, Assignment of Emergency Preparedness Responsibilities, 3 CFR, 1988 Comp., p. 585. (See also 47 CFR Part 201)<br />
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4. Executive Order 12657 of November 18, 1988, Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance in Emergency Preparedness Planning at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants, 3 CFR, 1988 Comp., p. 611. (See 44 CFR Part 352)<br />
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Bush Administration:<br />
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1. Executive Order 12673 of March 23, 1989, Delegation of Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Functions, 3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 309. (See 44 CFR Part 206)<br />
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2. Executive Order 12699 of January 5, 1990, Seismic Safety of Federal and Federally Assisted or Regulated New Building Construction, 3 CFR, 1990 Comp., p. 269.<br />
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3. Executive Order 12742 of January 8, 1991, National Security Industrial Responsiveness, 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p. 309.<br />
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Clinton Administration:<br />
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1. Executive Order 12919 of June 3, 1994, National Defense Industrial Resources Preparedness, 3 CFR, 1994 Comp., p. 901. (See 15 CFR Part 700, 44 CFR Parts 321- 336)<br />
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2. Executive Order 12941 of December 1, 1994, Seismic Safety of Existing Federally Owned or Leased Building, 3 CFR, 1994 Comp. , p. 955.<br />
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[Executive Orders serve to delegate legal authority, provide legal interpretation, and provide policy guidance. When issued specifically pursuant to express statutory authority Executive Orders have the force and effect of federal law.]The Vacation Lane Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433073781935646251noreply@blogger.com