The Oregon agency that studies earthquakes could be abolished after going over budget

The state agency in charge of earthquake study and preparation, as well as monitoring mining efforts in Oregon, could be shut down after going over budget for the second time in four years.

The Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, widely known as DOGAMI, will lose three staff members and the Governor’s office is considering whether the agency should continue to exist in its current form given its financial woes.

For the 2013-2015 budget cycle, the agency needed an extra $800,000 from the general fund. For 2017-2019 cycle, it needed $650,000. Agencies needing more cash is unusual said John Terpening, a legislative analyst for the state who reviewed the budget proposal. Needing more cash twice in as many budget cycles is cause for concern.

“This type of thing should be very rare,” he told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/06/the-oregon-agency-that-studies-earthquakes-could-be-abolished-after-going-over-budget.html