The "common-use charges" supporting solely the "Executive Direction Subactivity", based on historical data, for FY 1989 are estimated as a subset of the total as follows:

Question: Is it correct that the "common use" charges are the sum of those two items, or in fiscal year 1988 budget estimates $238.7 million?

Answer: No, the "common-use" charges supported by the "Executive Direction Subactivity" in FY 1988 total $163,500 and are a subset of the Total Common Use Charges which total $75,210,000.

Question: What is the basis of the assessments mentioned in each program area for general administrative expenses? Why are these small amounts deemed necessary? For what are they used?

Answer: These adjustments were necessary because the line items for General Administration are below an efficient operating level. These assessments were created to make the funding for General Administration cover actual costs.

Question: Where are the 18 quarters the Survey has? What is the condition of the quarters?

Answer: The Geological Survey's quarters, which are all associated with geomagnetic or seismic observatories, are located as follows:

As a general characterization, all of these structures are in fair condition, with no drastic or out of the ordinary maintenance problems.

Question: In reimbursable programs, what is the nature of the program

and the reason for the increase or decrease of the following:

National mapping, Department of Agriculture, increase from 1987 to

1988

Geologic mapping, BIA, decrease from 1987 to 1988

- Geologic mapping, DOD, military, increase from 1987 to 1988

- Geologic mapping, Department of State (Saudi Arabia), decrease from 1987 to 1988

Water Resources, DOD, military, increases from 1987 to 1988 to 1989

Water Resources, DOD, civilian, increase from 1987 to 1988

Water Resources, DOE, increases from 1987 to 1988 to 1989

Water Resources, Department of State (other foreign), increase from 1987 to 1988

Answer: The description of each of these reimbursable programs and an explanation of the changes in funding levels follows:

- National mapping, Department of Agriculture, increase from 1987 to 1988

Reimbursable funding from the Department of Agriculture is primarily to support the acquisition of altitude photography. The amount reflected in the Budget Justification for FY 1988 includes amounts previously planned for late FY 1987 that were postponed to FY 1988.

- Geologic mapping, BIA, decrease from 1987 to 1988

In reality, the estimated decrease did not materialize. Arrangements have been made for the transfer of $2,909,324 from BIA to the USGS in FY 1988, a reduction of only a little over $200,000. Fluctuations in BIA reimbursable programs are to be expected as a result of varying requirements of the Indian tribes.

- Geologic mapping, DOD, military, increase from 1987 to 1988

The estimated increase is, in all liklihood, not going to materialize. Rather, there will probably be a $5.5 million decrease from the FY 1987 level.

- Geologic mapping, Department of State (Saudi Arabia), decrease from 1987 to 1988

The program consists of geologic mapping, mineral resource assessment, and development of scientific infrastructure. The area under consideration is mainly the Precambrian Shield adjacent to the Red Sea where the resource potential is dominantly in metals and industrial minerals. Results include discovery of a 1-million-ounce gold deposit now being mined, and resources in phosphate, aluminum, iron, tin, and tungsten. Current activities include drilling on gold and cobalt prospects and analysis of the development potential of phosphate deposits that seem well situated for use on the agriculturally-depleted soils of Africa. The U.S. Geological Survey's reimbursable budget has decreased in approximate proportion to the shrinking national budget of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

- Water Resources, DOD, military, increases from 1987 to 1988 to 1989

The USGS is providing support to the DOD, Installation Restoration Program (IRP). The IRP program is equivalent to the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Program, and the USGS and DOD have developed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUS) covering USGS support to this DOD program. The increase from 1987 to 1988 is due to increase from twelve to twenty-one military bases (chiefly U.S. Air Force) at which the USGS is carrying out IRP studies. The increase from 1988 to 1989 reflects anticipated additional studies and the progress of some of the existing studies form the stage of confirming the presence of contamination to the stage of determining the amount of contamination that has taken place and the distribution of the contamination.

Water Resources, DOD, civilian, increase from 1987 to 1988

The increase provides for the increased costs of operating the surfacewater data-collection stations supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in their cooperative program with the USGS. Additional funds are also forecast to equip selected stations with upgraded instruments for satellite data-relay as part of flood-warning networks. Funds also have been identified for installation of new gaging stations, as well as maintenance and rehabilitation required on existing stations.

Water Resources, DOE, increases from 1987 to 1988 to 1989

Increases in the DOE reimbursable program are due to support of the DOE Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program during characterization of the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. Characterization activity is anticipated to escalate during the next few years.

- Water Resources, Department of State (other foreign), increase from 1987 to 1988

Under terms of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and USGS, signed in February 1988, a 4year study of the ground-water resources of parts of Abu Dhabi Emirate was begun in fiscal year 1988. The increase in reimbursable program (other foreign) for fiscal year 1988 reflects the estimated first-year costs of this project.

- Facilities, GSA, increase from 1987 to 1988.

This program is the allocation from the General Services Administration (GSA) to cover the cost of the John Wesley Powell Federal Building operations and maintenance, under the terms of a delegation agreement between GSA and the Department of the Interior, effective August 2, 1987. The 1987 amount of $612,000 cover costs for the last 2 months of FY 1987; the amount for 1988 covers the entire year of FY 1988.

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY CONGRESSMAN RALPH REGULA

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SIDE-LOOKING AIRBORNE RADAR (SLAR)

Question: What is the status of completion of FY 86 work to be done by

INTERA?

Answer: INTERA, the company awarded the FY 1986 SLAR data acquisition contract, completed delivery of all required products on May 3, 1988.

Question: How is the FY 87 work under contract by Aero Services progressing? Please provide a status report on this work as well.

Answer: The protest by INTERA against the USGS award of the FY 87 contract to Aero Service was denied by the Government Accounting Office on February 3, 1988. Aero Service will begin acquisition of SLAR data in late May 1988.

Question: When will the contract for work to be done with FY 88 funds be awarded?

Answer: The RFP for the FY 1988 contract will be released during May 1988. The contract award is expected to be made in August or September 1988.

Question: What areas do you plan on flying in FY 88?

Answer: Areas to be flown in FY 88 with FY 1988 funding include five mandatory project areas consisting of 17 1° x 2° quadrangles:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Williamsport/Rochester to complete statewide coverage of New York and Pennsylvania

Cortez/Durango in Colorado and Utah

Van Horn/Marfa in the Great Bend region of Texas

Cedar City, Utah

5. Poplar Bluff in Arkansas and Missouri

Depending on acquisition costs, the following optional project areas will be acquired:

1.

Campbellton/Edmunston to complete statewide coverage of Maine

(51° x 2° quads or partial quads)

Victoria/Seattle in Washington and Oregon (6 quads).

Skagway/Juneau, Alaska (5 quads)

Pensacola in Florida and Alabama (1 quad)

2.

3.

4.

Minot, North Dakota (1 quad)

5.

6.

7.

8.

Toledo/Fort Wayne in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan (2 quads)

Kingman/Needles in California, Arizona, and Nevada (2 quads)

Las Cruces, New Mexico (1 quad)

Question: Am I correct that INTERA is barred from competing for this work in FY 88 due to a Department of Transportation ruling?