Federal Buildings: Many Are Threatened by Earthquakes, but Limited Action Has Been Taken
GGD-92-62
Published: May 06, 1992. Publicly Released: May 06, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on: (1) the number and value of federally owned and leased buildings in areas of seismic risk; and (2) federal agencies' efforts to reduce those buildings' vulnerability.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Given the lack of comprehensive information on the vulnerability of federal buildings and the high cost of retrofitting buildings, Congress may wish to consider targeting initial funds for the rigorous studies needed to identify: (1) agencies' most vulnerable buildings; and (2) the costs associated with reducing their seismic risk. Congress could then identify priorities and judiciously allocate scarce resources for costly retrofits of the most vulnerable federal buildings. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Congressional action is no longer needed to implement this recommendation because the President issued Executive Order 12941 on December 1, 1994, which implements this recommendation. It sets a four-year timeframe for agencies to develop an inventory of all buildings they own or lease and estimate the costs of mitigating seismic risks in any buildings that do not meet the standards that were developed by the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction (ICSSC). By December 1, 1995, the executive order requires ICSSC to establish requirements that agencies must meet in developing their inventory and cost estimate. |
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Topics
Building inspectionEarth sciencesEnvironmental monitoringFacility repairsFederal facilitiesGovernment facility constructionOccupational safetyProperty damagesRepair costsSafety standardsEarthquakes