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• North Korea's January 6, 2016, Nuclear Test [January 7, 2016]

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  "North Korea announced that it successfully tested a 'hydrogen bomb' (its fourth nuclear test) on January 6, 2016. The official statement also called the device an experimental or 'pilot H-bomb.' It emphasized that North Korea would continue its policy of both building up its nuclear weapons program and developing its economy in parallel, and said that North Korea would not proliferate nuclear weapons to others. The statement reiterated that North Korea would not suspend or dismantle its nuclear weapons program unless the United States changed its 'hostile policy' toward the country. Observers have been anticipating a new nuclear test by North Korea since a December 2015 statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed that the country had a hydrogen bomb. Earlier statements by North Korean scientists cited fusion technology development, the basis for a hydrogen bomb, in the country. The U.S. Geological Survey detected a non-earthquake seismic event with a magnitude of 5.1 near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea. The Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said in a January 6 statement and press briefing that its monitors had detected a seismic event at the same North Korean location as the February 2013 nuclear test, and that the 'seismic signals are largely consistent with those picked up during the last announced nuclear test on 12 February 2013.' The U.S. government has said that it was a nuclear test, but a White House spokesman said that initial data was 'not consistent' with North Korean claims of detonating a hydrogen bomb."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham

  2016-01-07
• Status of Puerto Rico's Recovery and Ongoing Challenges Following Hurricanes Irma and María: FEMA, SBA, and HUD Assistance [November 13, 2020]

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  From the Summary: "Three years after Hurricanes Irma and María, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation to communities, homes and property, businesses, and infrastructure that was caused by the hurricanes. At the same time, Puerto Rico has faced destruction caused by an earthquake swarm, which began in 2019 and is continuing into 2020, as well as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These consecutive disasters have complicated response and recovery for each incident."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Webster, Elizabeth M.; Cecire, Michael H.; Horn, Diane P. . . .

  2020-11-13
• Disaster Debris Management: Requirements, Challenges, and Federal Agency Roles [September 06, 2017]

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  "Every year, disasters such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, and winter storms affect American communities. In the aftermath of a major disaster, a potential threat to safety and obstacle to recovery is the presence of significant amounts of disaster debris. Depending on the type of disaster, debris may include waste soils and sediments; trees, limbs, and shrubs; man-made structures (e.g., collapsed homes, buildings, or bridges); and personal property. Residents' ability to return to the area and live in a safe and healthy environment may depend on how quickly and effectively a community manages its debris. To avoid overburdening existing landfill space, many communities attempt to divert as much debris as possible from area landfills through recycling, burning, composting, or another method of volume reduction. The logistics of such diversion can prove complicated without proper predisaster planning."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Luther, Linda G.

  2017-09-06
• Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal [April 24, 2015]

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  "Management of civilian radioactive waste has posed difficult issues for Congress since the beginning of the nuclear power industry in the 1950s. Federal policy is based on the premise that nuclear waste can be disposed of safely, but proposed storage and disposal facilities have frequently been challenged on safety, health, and environmental grounds. Although civilian radioactive waste encompasses a wide range of materials, most of the current debate focuses on highly radioactive spent fuel from nuclear power plants. The United States currently has no disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) calls for disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. NWPA established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) in the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop such a repository, which would be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Amendments to NWPA in 1987 restricted DOE's repository site studies to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. DOE submitted a license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository to NRC on June 3, 2008. The state of Nevada strongly opposes the Yucca Mountain project, citing excessive water infiltration, earthquakes, volcanoes, human intrusion, and other technical issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Holt, Mark

  2015-04-24
• Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal [May 9, 2018]

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  "Management of civilian radioactive waste has posed difficult issues for Congress since the beginning of the nuclear power industry in the 1950s. Federal policy is based on the premise that nuclear waste can be disposed of safely, but proposed storage and disposal facilities have frequently been challenged on safety, health, and environmental grounds. Although civilian radioactive waste encompasses a wide range of materials, most of the current debate focuses on highly radioactive spent fuel from nuclear power plants. The United States currently has no disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) calls for disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. NWPA established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) in the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop such a repository, which would be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Amendments to NWPA in 1987 restricted DOE's repository site studies to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. DOE submitted a license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository to NRC on June 3, 2008. The State of Nevada strongly opposes the Yucca Mountain project, citing excessive water infiltration, earthquakes, volcanoes, human intrusion, and other technical issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Holt, Mark

  2018-05-09
• Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal [September 6, 2018]

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  "The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) calls for disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. NWPA established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management in the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop such a repository, which would be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Amendments to NWPA in 1987 restricted DOE's repository site studies to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. DOE submitted a license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository to NRC on June 3, 2008. The State of Nevada strongly opposes the Yucca Mountain project, citing excessive water infiltration, earthquakes, volcanoes, human intrusion, and other technical issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Holt, Mark

  2018-09-06
• Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal [August 5, 2015]

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  "Management of civilian radioactive waste has posed difficult issues for Congress since the beginning of the nuclear power industry in the 1950s. Federal policy is based on the premise that nuclear waste can be disposed of safely, but proposed storage and disposal facilities have frequently been challenged on safety, health, and environmental grounds. Although civilian radioactive waste encompasses a wide range of materials, most of the current debate focuses on highly radioactive spent fuel from nuclear power plants. The United States currently has no disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) calls for disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. NWPA established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) in the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop such a repository, which would be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Amendments to NWPA in 1987 restricted DOE's repository site studies to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. DOE submitted a license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository to NRC on June 3, 2008. The state of Nevada strongly opposes the Yucca Mountain project, citing excessive water infiltration, earthquakes, volcanoes, human intrusion, and other technical issues. […] DOE requested $30 million for FY2016 to develop an integrated waste management system as outlined by the new waste strategy--up from $22.5 million provided for FY2015. The House on May 1, 2015, approved $175 million for DOE and NRC to continue the Yucca Mountain licensing process and provided no funding for DOE's integrated waste strategy (H.R. 2028, H.Rept. 114- 91). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the funding bill on May 21, 2015 (S.Rept. 114-54) with no funds for Yucca Mountain but authorization for an interim spent fuel storage facility."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Holt, Mark

  2015-08-05
• EPA's Role in Emergency Planning and Notification at Chemical Facilities [September 18, 2017]

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  "Chemicals and the facilities that manufacture, store, distribute, and use them are essential to the U.S. economy. However, incidents occasioned by natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, floods), unintentional events (e.g., fire, accidents), or security threats (e.g., terrorism) show that the handling and storage of chemicals are not without risk. Incidents such as the 2017 fire at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, the 2013 explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, and the 1984 release of methyl isocyanate at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, have motivated many in federal, state, and local governments to back efforts to reduce the risk of chemical accidents in the United States."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lattanzio, Richard K.; Bearden, David M.

  2017-09-18
• Haiti's Political and Economic Conditions [Updated March 5, 2020]

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  From the Summary: "Since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti has struggled to overcome its centuries-long legacy of authoritarianism, disrespect for human rights, underdevelopment, and extreme poverty. Widespread corruption remains an impediment to changing that legacy. Haiti made significant progress in improving governance prior to the 2010 earthquake, but recovery since then has been slow. Democratic institutions remain weak and stability fragile. Poverty remains massive and deep, and economic disparity is wide. Due to its proximity to the United States and its chronically unstable political environment and fragile economy, Haiti has been an ongoing policy issue for the United States. Many in the U.S. Congress view Haiti's increasing instability with concern and have shown a commitment to improving conditions in the country through continued support for U.S. foreign aid."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Taft-Morales, Maureen

  2020-03-05
• Curriculum Recommendations for Disaster Health Professionals: Disaster Behavioral Health, Second Edition

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  From the Introduction: "A wide variety of extreme events produce psychological, social, and biological sequelae labeled with terms such as stress, trauma, grief, and bereavement. These consequences are experienced by individuals, families, workplaces, schools, communities, and nations. They result from causal factors that are natural, human-generated, or both. While all disasters are extreme events, not all extreme events would be considered disasters. [...] This document focuses on the general topic of disasters and other extreme events. For the purposes of this document, disasters are considered: 1) extreme events in which needs of the impacted population and/or area exceeds the local response and recovery resources, and external resources must be utilized (e.g., pandemics, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes); and 2) events in which local resources may be fully utilized and not be exceeded (e.g., mass violence, terrorism, industrial accidents, chemical spills), but result in adverse psychological and behavioral responses for affected individuals and communities that are similar to other disasters in which resources are exceeded. More disaster behavioral health training for healthcare professionals, including behavioral health personnel, is being conducted today than ever before. Despite this, few healthcare professionals receive education on the unique psychological and behavioral impacts of disaster events during formal training programs. The vast majority of training occurs after degree conferral and is frequently experiential. Specific training in disaster behavioral health for most healthcare professionals is rare."

  National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (U.S.); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress

  Flynn, Brian W., Ed.D.; Vance, Mary C.; Morganstein, Joshua C.

  2020
• Effects of Tohoku Tsunami and Fukushima Radiation on the U.S. Marine Environment [August 17, 2012]

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  "The massive Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, caused extensive damage in northeastern Japan, including damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power installation, which resulted in the release of radiation. Some have called this incident the biggest manmade release ever of radioactive material into the oceans. Concerns arose about the potential effects of this released radiation on the U.S. marine environment and resources. Both ocean currents and atmospheric winds have the potential to transport radiation over and into marine waters under U.S. jurisdiction. It is unknown whether marine organisms that migrate through or near Japanese waters to locations where they might subsequently be harvested by U.S. fishermen (possibly some albacore tuna or salmon in the North Pacific) might have been exposed to radiation in or near Japanese waters, or might have consumed prey with accumulated radioactive contaminants."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Buck, Eugene H.; Upton, Harold F. (Harold Frank)

  2012-08-17
• Effects of Radiation from Fukushima Dai-ichi on the U.S. Marine Environment [April 2, 2012]

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  "The massive Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, caused extensive damage in northeastern Japan, including damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power installation, which resulted in the release of radiation. Some have called this incident the biggest manmade release ever of radioactive material into the oceans. Concerns arose about the potential effects of this released radiation on the U.S. marine environment and resources. Both ocean currents and atmospheric winds have the potential to transport radiation over and into marine waters under U.S. jurisdiction. It is unknown whether marine organisms that migrate through or near Japanese waters to locations where they might subsequently be harvested by U.S. fishermen (possibly some albacore tuna or salmon in the North Pacific) might have been exposed to radiation in or near Japanese waters, or might have consumed prey with accumulated radioactive contaminants."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Buck, Eugene H.; Upton, Harold F. (Harold Frank)

  2012-04-02
• Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues [July 1, 2015]

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  "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in spots around the world, concerns arise over the safety of foreign nationals from these troubled places who are in the United States. Provisions exist in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to offer temporary protected status (TPS) or relief from removal under specified circumstances. A foreign national who is granted TPS receives a registration document and an employment authorization for the duration of TPS. The United States currently provides TPS to over 300,000 foreign nationals from a total of 12 countries: El Salvador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Liberians have had relief from removal for the longest period, first receiving TPS in March 1991 following the outbreak of civil war, and again in 2014 due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. The Administration recently designated Nepal for TPS due to the devastation caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Under the INA, the executive branch grants TPS or relief from removal. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, has the discretion to issue TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months and can extend these periods if conditions do not change in the designated country. Congress, however, has also provided TPS legislatively."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seghetti, Lisa M.; Ester, Karma; Wasem, Ruth Ellen

  2015-07-01
• Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues [September 2, 2015]

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  "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in spots around the world, concerns arise over the safety of foreign nationals from these troubled places who are in the United States. Provisions exist in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to offer temporary protected status (TPS) or relief from removal under specified circumstances. A foreign national who is granted TPS receives a registration document and an employment authorization for the duration of TPS. The United States currently provides TPS to over 300,000 foreign nationals from a total of 12 countries: El Salvador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Liberians have had relief from removal for the longest period, first receiving TPS in March 1991 following the outbreak of civil war, and again in 2014 due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. The Administration recently designated Nepal for TPS due to the devastation caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seghetti, Lisa M.; Ester, Karma; Wasem, Ruth Ellen

  2015-09-02
• Interim NIOSH Training for Emergency Responders: Reducing Risks Associated with Long Work Hours

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  This is an online training from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). From the Introduction: "The intended audience for this training is emergency responders who may need to work longer than normal day shifts. This training program was developed for emergency workers who deploy to work at disaster sites caused by weather, earthquakes, epidemics, and other catastrophic events. This training gives strategies to reduce risks from fatigue due to the need to work long day shifts during the emergency response and recovery operations. Although certain parts of your deployment will be unique, others are more universal: [1] Deployment can be a very rewarding experience. [2] Deployment can mean extended and unusually long shifts. [3] During deployment, it is important to remember your own health. This online training addresses the last two points and will help you take care of yourself while deployed."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

  Caruso, Claire C.; Funk, Renee; Butler, Corey R. . . .

  2020-04-01?