Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on Navy Secretary Richard Spencer to quickly ensure the quick completion of damage assessments for Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in response to two major earthquakes earlier this month. Repairs to the base, located 100 miles east of Bakersfield, Calif., may require additional emergency funding from Congress.

            “As the City of Ridgecrest and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake recover from this month’s devastating earthquakes, I ask that you ensure damage assessments at China Lake are completed as quickly as possible so that Congress can provide any additional resources needed for repairs and reconstruction,” wrote Senator Feinstein.

            “With the Senate Appropriations Committee scheduled to begin its Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations process in September, it is critical that the Navy submit to Congress any damage assessments as soon as possible.”

            Full text of the letter is available below.

July 31, 2019

The Honorable Richard V. Spencer

Secretary of the Navy

1000 Navy Pentagon

Washington, DC 20350-1000

Dear Secretary Spencer,

            As the City of Ridgecrest and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake recover from this month’s devastating earthquakes, I ask that you ensure damage assessments at China Lake are completed as quickly as possible so that Congress can provide any additional resources needed for repairs and reconstruction.

            The magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes that struck the Ridgecrest area on July 4th and 5th caused significant damage to the City of Ridgecrest and China Lake. Given that China Lake is a valuable national asset, critical to the local economy, and the site of the city’s waste water treatment facility, it is essential that any repairs to China Lake and the waste water treatment facility be completed as quickly as possible.

            While the City of Ridgecrest can begin receiving disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency once the California Governor requests, and the President approves, a disaster declaration, repairs to China Lake will require internal Navy reprograming or additional emergency funding from Congress. With the Senate Appropriations Committee scheduled to begin its Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations process in September, it is critical that the Navy submit to Congress any damage assessments as soon as possible.

            Thank you for attention to this request, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein

United States Senate