Idaho Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Legislation
(ID‐1) Idaho Disaster Preparedness Act of 1975 as amended (Idaho State Code Chapter 10, Title 46) is the key controlling State legislation for disaster planning in Idaho, establishing the foundation for disaster damage reduction. Further, the Governor’s Executive Order, 2000‐04 establishes mitigation as a State priority, assigns mitigation duties to various State agencies, and directs coordination responsibilities. The Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security (BHS) in the Military Division serves as the lead coordinating agency for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts throughout the State.
(ID‐2) Executive Order, 2000‐04. The Executive Order assigns primary responsibility for formulating and directing the State’s geologic hazard reduction effort to the Idaho Geologic Survey. Duties include hazard identification, analysis and mapping of the geologic threats, and provision of representatives for hazard mitigation teams. The Executive Order also assigns the Response and Recovery duties relevant to earthquakes: Idaho Transportation Department ‐ engineering support to State mitigation activities ; State Department of Education – promotion of mitigation activities to reduce the risk from structural and nonstructural hazards in school facilities; Office of the State Board of Education ‐ promotion of mitigation activities to reduce the risk from structural and nonstructural hazards in colleges, universities and area vocational‐technical facilities; Idaho State Historical Society/State Historic Preservation Officer – promotion of mitigation activities to reduce the potential loss of the State’s historic and cultural resources and support NEPA review of all projects within the State; Division of Building Safety ‐ promotion and development of mitigation activities in conjunction with the Departments of Administration and Education and the Bureau of Homeland Security. The Division of Buildings also works with local jurisdiction in the adoption and implementation of the IBC; and Idaho Department of Water Resources ‐ Operation of the Dam Safety Program.
(ID‐3) Idaho Code Title 39 Chapter 41 establishes the IBC including seismic provisions as the statewide building code standard.
(ID‐4) Idaho Code Title 39 Chapter 80‐The Idaho Legislature enacted legislation in 1990 to assure that all new school buildings are checked for conformity with the IBC which provides minimum earthquake safety standards). The Administrator for the Idaho Division of Building Safety is charged with implementing this statute and with the inspection of public school buildings.
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Information taken from the Washington State Seismic Mitigation Policy Gap Analysis: A Cross-State Comparison, by Scott B. Miles, Ph. D. and Brian D. Gouran, L.G.