National Weather Service Modernization and Restructuring

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Weather Service Modernization and Restructuring

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is well underway toward completing

the largest modernization and restructuring of the National Weather

Service in history. This will result in substantial improvements to

weather services provided nationwide. The Department of Commerce

requests comments on service areas where it is believed that current

weather services may be degraded as existing radars are decommissioned

or as field offices are closed, consolidated, automated or relocated

during the modernization of the Weather Service.

DATES: Comments are due by January 3, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Julie Scanlon, National Weather Service, 1325 East-West

Highway #9372, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Julie Scanlon at 301-713-1413 or Nick Scheller at 301-713-0454.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In this notice, including the Study

Guidelines in Appendix 1, the following terms and acronyms have the

meaning indicated:

Field office means any National Weather Service Office or National

Weather Service Forecast Office.

MTC means the Modernization Transition Committee established by

Section 707 of the Act.

NEXRAD means the Next Generation Radar also referred to as the WSR-

88D radar.

NIP means the National Implementation Plan for the modernization of

the Weather Service required by Section 703 of the Act.

NRC means the National Research Council of the National Academy of

Sciences.

NWS means the National Weather Service.

Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce and, with respect to a

function under the Act, an officer or employee of the Department of

Commerce authorized to perform the function.

Service Area means the geographical area for which an existing

field office provides weather services or conducts observations.

Weather service means a service or product provided to a service

area by a field office.

WSMA or Act means the Weather Service Modernization Act (Pub. L.

102-567, 15 U.S.C. 313n.)

Pursuant to the WSMA, the Secretary has established procedures to

ensure that the modernization of the Weather Service will not result in

degradation of weather services currently provided. See 15 C.F.R. part

946 (58 FR 18317; 59 FR 9921).

To strengthen public confidence in these procedures, without

unnecessarily delaying the modernization process, the Department of

Commerce has adopted and will apply the Study Guidelines of Appendix 1.

These guidelines expand the opportunity for public participation in the

modernization process as provided in these guidelines. The Secretary

has also contracted with the NRC to develop additional independent

scientific criteria to identify where weather services could be

degraded as existing radars are decommissioned. The Secretary will

apply these additional criteria as well as other criteria previously

recommended by the NRC to ensure that services will not be degraded as

radars are decommissioned or as field offices are closed, consolidated,

relocated or automated.

The Department of Commerce requests comments where commentors

believe that current weather services may be degraded as existing

radars are decommissioned or as field offices are closed, consolidated,

automated or relocated.

Commentors are requested to state the basis for their belief as

fully as possible, and include a description of local weather

characteristics (including unique weather phenomena) and weather

related concerns which involve a substantial threat to public safety

which they believe affect the weather services provided.

Comments received prior to the deadline will be forwarded promptly

to the NRC. The full procedures the Secretary will follow regarding

reviewing the adequacy of the nation's overall NEXRAD coverage, to

ensure a solid scientific and technical basis for the decision making

process, and to assure meaningful participation by the public are set

forth in the Study Guidelines in Appendix 1.

Dated: October 31, 1994.

D. James Baker,

Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere.

Appendix 1--Study Guidelines

Section 1:

(a) Modernization of the NWS is essential to public safety and

should proceed without unnecessary delay.

(b) The WSMA establishes procedures that assure that the

modernization of the NWS will not result in the degradation of

weather services currently provided to the public but these

procedures do not provide for the independent review of decisions

until shortly after the actual event; and

(c) It is appropriate to review the adequacy of the nation's

overall NEXRAD coverage, to ensure a solid scientific and technical

basis for the decision making process, and to assure meaningful

participation by the public.

Section 2:

The purposes of this document are to provide the fullest

opportunity for public participation in the modernization process

without unduly delaying this process; and to ensure, through the

application of independent scientific criteria that weather services

provided in each service area will not be degraded as obsolete

radars are decommissioned or as field offices are closed,

consolidated, relocated or automated.

Section 3:

The definitions contained in section 702 of the WSMA shall apply

to the terms in this document. In addition, the term ``area of

concern'' means a service area identified in a timely public comment

in response to the Federal Register notice required by section 4 of

this document.

Section 4:

Within 30 days the Secretary shall publish a notice in the

Federal Register requesting comments on service areas where it is

believed that current weather services may be degraded as existing

radars are decommissioned or as field offices are closed,

consolidated, automated or relocated. The notice shall allow 60 days

for the submission of comments. Persons submitting comments shall

state the basis for their belief as fully as possible, and shall

include a description of local weather characteristics (including

unique weather phenomena) and weather related concerns which involve

a substantial threat to public safety which they believe affect the

weather services provided in areas of concern. All comments received

by the Secretary shall be provided promptly to the NRC.

Section 5:

(a) Within 30 days the Secretary shall contract with the NRC, or

amend an existing contract as necessary, to conduct an independent

scientific assessment of proposed NEXRAD radar coverage and

consolidation of Field Offices in terms of ``no degradation of

services'' and to establish criteria for identifying service areas

where the decommissioning of existing radars could degrade service

to affected users.

(b) Within 180 days, but not earlier than 60 days after the

close of the comment period provided in the Federal Register notice

of section 4, the NRC shall furnish to the Secretary the assessment

and criteria required by subsection (a) together with

recommendations regarding the need and timing for any future

independent studies by the NRC.

Section 6:

(a) After receipt of the NRC report, the Secretary shall apply

the NRC criteria and other applicable criteria previously approved

by the NRC pursuant to the WSMA to areas of concerns and, taking

into account the comments received in response to the Federal

Register notice of section 4, identify those where he/she believes

that actions to decommission a radar or to close, consolidate,

relocate, automate a field office noted in the current version of

the NIP are not likely to satisfy the requirements of the WSMA. The

Secretary shall report the results of his/her review to the

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and

the Committee on Science, Space and Technology of the House of

Representatives. If the Secretary believes that additional radars

are needed to satisfy the requirements of the WSMA, he/she shall

also identify the number and location of the radars needed.

(b) Submission of a report under this section shall not relieve

the Secretary from the requirement of section 706(b) of the WSMA to

certify no degradation of service when she/he restructures a field

office. If the field office is located in an area of concern, the

Secretary shall provide all comments relating to that area of

concern received pursuant to section 4 of the MTC during the

certification process.

Section 7:

(a) The Secretary shall not close, consolidate, relocate, or

automate any field office or decommission any NWS radar until the

public has had an opportunity to identify areas of concern.

(b) Regardless of the contents of the most recent NIP, the

Secretary shall not decommission a radar or close, consolidate,

automate or relocate a field office in an area of concern unless--

(1) The Secretary has reported to the Congress as provided in

section 6 that he/she believes that the action contemplated would

not result in a degradation of service; and

(2) 30 days have expired from the date the report was submitted

to Congress.

[FR Doc. 94-27364 Filed 11-3-94; 8:45 am]

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