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B-133202 Need for a National Weather Modification Reseach Program

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B-133202 Need for a National Weather Modification Reseach Program B-i33202 Multiagency UN1 STA rUG.23~976 I .a COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON. D.C. 20546 B-133202 To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate This is our rep,ort entitled “Need for a National Weather Modification Research Program. Weather modification research activities are ad- ministered by the Departments of Commerce and the Interior, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies. Our review was made pursuant to the Budget and Accounting Act, 1921 (31 u. s. c. 53), and the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950 (31 U. S. C. 67). We are sending copies of this report to the Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Commerce; the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Transportation; the Director, National Science Founda- tion; and the Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Comptroller General of the United States APPENDIX Page VII Letter dated‘september 12, 1973, from the Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget 54 VIII Letter dated September 27, 1973, from the As- sistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Transportation 60 Ii Principal officials of the departments and agen- cies responsible for administering activities discussed in this report 61 ABBREVIATIONS GAO General Accounting Office ICAS Interdepartmental Committee for Atmospheric Sciences NACOA National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere NAS National Academy of Sciences NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NSF National Science Foundation OMB Office of Management and Budget Contents Page DIGEST i CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .1 Scope 2. 2 NEED FOR A NATIONAL WEATHER MODI- FICATION RESEARCH PROGRAM 3 Federal activities in weather modi- fication research 4 Federal legislation on weather modification activities 7 Independent studies evaluating Federal weather modification. research 7 ICAS efforts to establish national programs 15 Problems in coordinating a national program-- National Hail Research Experiment 1% 3 CONCLUSIONS, AGENCY COMMENTS, AND REC- OMMENDATIONS 22 Conclusions 22 Agency comments and our evaluation Recommendations APPENDIX I Weather modification programs and Federal partic- ipants in fiscal year 1974 30 II Letter dated August 23, 1973, from the Chief, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture 37 III Letter dated September 13, 1973, from the Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of Commerce 40 Iv Letter dated November 12, 1973, from the Di- rector of Defense Research and Engineering 45 V Letter dated September 18, 1973, from the Di- rector of Survey and Review, Department of the Interior 48 VI Letter dated October 4, 1973, from the Director, National Science Foundation 50 COMPTROLLER GENERAL’S NEED FOR A NATIONAL WEATHER REPORT TO THE CONGRESS MODIFICATION RESEARCH PROGRAM Multiagency B-133202 ------DIGEST WHY THE REVIEW WAS MADE --Ineffective coordination. Weather modification research is --Insufficient resources to achieve part of an attempt to understand timely, effective results. the atmosphere of the earth and other planets. Through this re- Most studies proposed a national search, which is primarily fed- program to resolve the problems. erally supported, it may be possible (See pp. 7 to 15. ) to alleviate drought, reduce de- structive forces of hurricanes, Y The Interdepartmental Commit- p, lF?P suppress lightning and damaging tee for Atmospheric Sciences, hail, and dissipate fog. part of the Federal Council for Science and Technology, is During fiscal year 1974 seven responsible for identifying op- Federal departments and portunities for improving at- agencies- -Agriculture, Com- mospheric sciences programs. merce, Interior, Defense, Trans- It, however, has no authority portation, the National Science to direct Federal research Foundation, and the National programs. (Seep. 4.) Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration- -conducted weather The Committee’s efforts to modification research. establish a national weather modification research pro- Estimated cost for this research gram have not been successful. increased from about $3 million in fiscal year 1959 to about $17.4 In 1966, the Committee recom- million in fiscal year 1974. mended that a single agency assume responsibility for Because of multiagency partici- developing a national. weather pation and increased Federal modification program. This support, GAO reviewed the suggestion was not implemented. administration of weather modi- (See p. 15. ) fication research. In 1971 the Committee recom- mended that national weather FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS modification research projects be established to accelerate For nearly a decade, studies of progress by bringing together the administration of Federal resources of agencies perform- weather modification research ing similar research. have identified common prob- lems hindering progress: Seven major research areas, along with suggested lead and participating agencies, were --No central authority to direct identified, Each lead agency Federal departments efforts. was to create a coordinating Tear Sheet. Upon removal, the report cover date should be noted hereon. i I. .r ~“... c-- __/_. -. committee of representatives from --Defense did not furnish helicopters participating agencies which would as planned but did provide personnel develop plans and submit progress (See p. 20. ) reports to the Committee. C3ee p. 15.) --The Atomic Energy Commission could not have provided technical GAO found, however, tl at the rec- assistance without the Foundation’s ommendations resulted in little funding. (See p. 20. ) change in multiagency participation or in general project administration. --Transportation provided personnel (See pp. 15 to 18. ) as planned. (See p. 20. ) The National Bail Research Experi- In the most recent operating season ment, identified as a major research (summer 1973), the Foundation had area in the 1971 Committee report, similar problems obtaining support was already planned as a coordinated from the agencies participating in effort with the National Science Foun- the Experiment. (See pp;* 20, 27, dation as lead agency. ’ and 28, j Even though the Experiment was well A national weather modification re- planned, requiring extensive inter- search program, administered and agency participation, GAO found, in maintained by a lead agency, is comparing planned efforts with actual needed to effectively administrate efforts that, for the most part, agen- fragmented Federal weather modi- cies could not and did not meet all fication research activities. The their obligations. program should include goals, priorities, and plans for allocating For example, during the Experi- resources to meet priority objec- ment’s first operational season (sum- tives. mer 1972): --Agriculture planned to assess crop RECOMMENDATIONS damage from hail and study the z-7 economic effects of hail suppres- s’ ‘GAO recommends that the Office sion. The Foundation, however* had of Management and Budget should, to subsequently fund the later study. in cooperation with the Federal Also, Agriculture could not coordi- departments and agencies in- nate and direct the Experiment’s volved in weather modification electrical studies as planned. research: (See p. 19. ) --Develop a national program with --Commerce did not furnish radars goals, objectives, priorities, and all aircraft as planned and was and milestones, designating one able to provide technical ground of the agencies, which would work only with the Foundation’s have a major program respon- funding. The unanticipated Com- sibility, to administer and main- merce request for funds caused tain the national program. the Foundation to cancel other items in the program plan. (See --Develop a plan to define and re- pp. 19 and 20.) assign, if appropriate, the ii --responsibilities of Federal depart- The legislation would transfer three ments and agencies providing sup- agencies’ weather modification activ- port or conducting weather modifi- ities to the proposed department. cation research. In GAO’s opinion, problems of ad- ministration and management would --Develop a plan to allocate resources continue because weather modifica- to the national program elements. tion activities would still be frag- 63a mented. (See p. 23. ) AGENCY ACTIONS AND NUR Agriculture, Defense, Interior, and the Foundation generally supported Most of the agencies acknowledged the Committee’s lead agency ap- administrative and management proach. Their comments on GAO’s problems in weather modification recommendations, which in some research but, except for Commerce, cases were shared by the Office of did not agree with GAO’s recommen- Management and Budget, and GAO’s dations for a national program. evaluation are on pages 24 to 29. The Office of Management and Budget MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION believed some consolidation of BY THE CONGRESS weather modification research was desirable and that proposed legisla- Because of longstanding problems tion to establish a Department of caused by a fragmented Federal Energy and Natural Resources would organization for carrying out accomplish the appropriate degree weather modification research, a of consolidation. (See p. 23. ) national program is necessary to effectively administer activities. Commerce, although agreeing with This report should be useful to GAO’s recommendations, also com- the Congress in considering the mented that proposed legislation proposed legislation creating a would bring together
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