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Weather Modification Laws in the United States of America

12-14-2016 • Climate Viewer

Below are the laws governing weather control experiments and operations in the USA, if you are able to find any laws I missed, please comment below with links.

For more information on weather modification and geoengineering see our research page and articles.

World Wide Law

1978 ENMOD
Convention on the Prohibition of Military and Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

In its Article I the Convention, which is part of disarmament efforts, prohibits the Contracting Parties from engaging in "military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects as the means of destruction, damage or injury to any other State Party". Article 2 specifies what is meant exactly by the term "environmental modification techniques".

https://www.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/460
http://www.unog.ch/enmod

United States of America (Federal Law)

Weather Modification Reporting Act of 1972
https://www.law.cornell.edu/topn/weather_modification_reporting_act_of_1972

National Weather Modification Policy Act of 1976
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-90/pdf/STATUTE-90-Pg2359.pdf

15 U.S. Code Chapter 9A "WEATHER MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES OR ATTEMPTS; REPORTING REQUIREMENT"
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-9A
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/15C9A.txt
http://cfr.regstoday.com/15cfr908.aspx

Weather Modification Report Forms
http://web.archive.org/web/20121119043808/http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/~noaaforms/eforms/nf17-4.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20130218182517/http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/~noaaforms/eforms/nf17-4a.pdf

INITIAL REPORT ON WEATHER MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES

INTERIM ACTIVITY REPORTS AND FINAL REPORT

State Laws

California

Laws

California Wilderness Act 5093.36.(c)(3)
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=prc&group=05001-06000&file=5093.30-5093.40
ftp://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_2901-2950/ab_2945_bill_20080701_amended_sen_v96.html

WATER CODE SECTION 400-402
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=wat&group=00001-01000&file=400-402

WATER CODE SECTION 225-238 (235)
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=wat&group=00001-01000&file=225-238

CHAPTER 6.5. Hazardous Waste Control 25141.5.(B) (xvii)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=25141.5.

Senior Meteorologist, Water Resources. California State Personnel Board Specification
http://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/pages/3057.aspx

Programs

Weather Modification Operations in California 1952-1956
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/docs/historic/Bulletins/Bulletin_16/Bulletin_16__1957.pdf

Weather Modification Operations in California 1964
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/docs/historic/Bulletins/Bulletin_16/Bulletin_16__1965.pdf

Weather Modification Operations in California 1972
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/docs/historic/Bulletins/Bulletin_16/Bulletin_16__1972.pdf

OPTIMIZING CLOUD SEEDING FOR WATER AND ENERGY IN CALIFORNIA 2007
http://www.energy.ca.gov/2007publications/CEC-500-2007-008/CEC-500-2007-008.PDF

Weather Modification Operations in California 2009
https://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/Projects/Cloudseeding/2009MND.pdf

Weather Modification Operations in California 2011
http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/docs/cwpu2013/Final/Vol3_Ch11_Precip-Enhancement.pdf

More Info

The 1976 – 1977 California Drought: A Review (pg 118)
http://www.water.ca.gov/watertransfers/docs/9_drought-1976-77.pdf

The 1989 – 1990 California Drought (pg 33)
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/docs/3_jan-1991.pdf

"Does weather modification help during droughts?
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/docs/drought_FAQs_for_website_dec2013.pdf

Weather modification ("cloud seeding") requires cloud masses suitable for seeding. Its
use during droughts is limited by the number of available storms, which are typically
being blocked from reaching California by atmospheric high pressure zones."

Colorado

Colorado Weather Modification Rules & Regulations
http://cwcb.state.co.us/water-management/water-projects-programs/Documents/WeatherModification/AdoptedRules02012-00297.pdf

State Statutes and Legislation Governing Weather Modification Permitting
http://cwcb.state.co.us/legal/Documents/Rules/WeatherModRegs.pdf

Programs

COLORADO Water Conservation Board, Department of Natural Resources
http://cwcb.state.co.us/water-management/water-projects-programs/pages/%C2%ADweathermodificationprogram.aspx

Deleware

CHAPTER 68, FORMERLY SENATE BILL NO. 197
http://delcode.delaware.gov/sessionlaws/ga133/chp068.shtml

Idaho

Weather Modification (Artificial Rainfall)
http://www.agri.idaho.gov/Categories/PlantsInsects/Weather/indexweathermod.php

WXMOD report form:
http://www.agri.idaho.gov/Categories/PlantsInsects/Documents/Forms/artificialrainfall.pdf

CHAPTER 43 WEATHER MODIFICATION DISTRICTS
http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title22/T22CH43.htm

TITLE 46 MILITIA AND MILITARY AFFAIRS CHAPTER 10 STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ACT 46-1015.
http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title46/T46CH10SECT46-1015.htm

More Info

Eastern Idaho Cloud Seeding Project Informational Meetings
http://highcountryrcd.weebly.com/cloud-seeding.html

DRAFT WEATHER MODIFICATION, Frequently Asked Questions, August 31, 2009
https://www.idwr.idaho.gov/waterboard/WaterPlanning/CAMP/ESPA/WorkingGroups/PDF/WM/2009/09-15-09_WeatherMod-FAQs.pdf

Minnesota

CHAPTER 42. Weather modification
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=42 (Repealed 1999)

CHAPTER 42. Weather modification (1997)
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=42&view=chapter&year=1997

Nevada

CHAPTER 544 – MODIFICATION OF WEATHER
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-544.html

North Dakota

WEATHER MODIFICATION LICENSE APPLICATION NORTH DAKOTA ATMOSPHERIC RESOURCE BOARD SFN 53574 (10/2002)
http://www.swc.nd.gov/4dlink9/4dcgi/GetContentPDF/PB-457/license.pdf

Other WXMOD Permits
http://www.swc.nd.gov/4dlink9/4dcgi/GetSubCategoryRecord/atmospheric%20resources/License%20and%20Permits

Programs

North Dakota Cloud Modification Project (NDCMP)
http://www.swc.nd.gov/4dlink9/4dcgi/GetSubCategoryRecord/atmospheric%20resources/ND%20Cloud%20Modification%20Project

Pennsylvania

Title 3 P.S. Agriculture, Chapter 16. Weather Modification
https://govt.westlaw.com/pac/Browse/Home/Pennsylvania/UnofficialPurdonsPennsylvaniaStatutes?guid=NFEB95092D33E4178B4ACA60046D85DE0&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&bhcp=1

Texas

Agriculture Code, Title 9, Weather and Climate – Chapters 301 and 302 Administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
(Effective September 1, 2007)
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/weather/weatherlaw.htm

WEATHER MODIFICATION Administrative Rules of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation 16 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 79 Effective February 1, 2012
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/weather/weatherrules.htm

WEATHER MODIFICATION Forms
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/weather/wmodforms.htm

Programs

Harvesting the Texas Skies in 2015 – A Summary of Rain Enhancement (Cloud Seeding) Operations in Texas
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/weather/summary.htm

Region G – Final Report – Section 4B.10 Weather Mod | Link

TEXARC Texas Excercise in Augmenting Rainfall through Cloud-Seeding | Link

2010 Annual Evaluation Report – Texas Cloud Seeding Project Results | Link

2009 Annual Evaluation Report – Texas Cloud Seeding Project Results | Link

2008 Annual Evaluation Report – Texas Cloud Seeding Project Results | Link

2007 Annual Evaluation Report – Texas Cloud Seeding Project Results | Link

2010/09 – The Texas Weather Modification Courier | Link

2009/12 – The Texas Weather Modification Courier | Link

2009/02 – The Texas Weather Modification Courier | Link