In case you missed it the first time around... In the wake of today's 5.8 ( or 5.9, or 6.0- depending on who you listen to) earthquake in Virginia which rattled americans as far away as Vermont it seemed pertinent to republish this article detailing the upgraded US nuclear plant earthquake risk list.
After the evacuation today of the Pentagon, and elsewhere in Washington, perhaps elected officials will take the possibility of earthquakes a bit more seriously than they have in the past.
MSNBC l Bill Dedman 17 March, 2011
What are the odds that a nuclear emergency like the one at Fukushima Dai-ichi could happen in the central or eastern United States? They'd have to be astronomical, right? As a pro-nuclear commenter on msnbc.com put it this weekend, "There's a power plant just like these in Omaha. If it gets hit by a tsunami...."
It turns out that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has calculated the odds of an earthquake causing catastrophic failure to a nuclear plant here. Each year, at the typical nuclear reactor in the U.S., there's a 1 in 74,176 chance of an earthquake strong enough to cause damage to the reactor's core, which could expose the public to radiation. No tsunami required. That's 10 times more likely than you winning $10,000 by buying a single ticket in the Powerball multistate lottery, where the chance is 1 in 723,145.
And it turns out that the nuclear reactor in the United States with the highest risk of an earthquake causing core damage is not the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, with its twin reactors tucked between the California coastline and the San Andreas Fault.
Top ten plants at risk of an earthquake that could damge the reactor core:
1. Indian Point 3, Buchanan, N.Y.: 1 in 10,000 chance each year. Old estimate: 1 in 17,241. Increase in risk: 72 percent.
2. Pilgrim 1, Plymouth, Mass.: 1 in 14,493. Old estimate: 1 in 125,000. Increase in risk: 763 percent.
3. Limerick 1 and 2, Limerick, Pa.: 1 in 18,868. Old estimate: 1 in 45,455. Increase in risk: 141 percent.
4. Sequoyah 1 and 2, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.: 1 in 19,608. Old estimate: 1 in 102,041. Increase in risk: 420 percent.
5. Beaver Valley 1, Shippingport, Pa.: 1 in 20,833. Old estimate: 1 in 76,923. Increase in risk: 269 percent.
6. Saint Lucie 1 and 2, Jensen Beach, Fla.: 1 in 21,739. Old estimate: N/A.
7. North Anna 1 and 2, Louisa, Va.: 1 in 22,727. Old estimate: 1 in 31,250. Increase in risk: 38 percent.
8. Oconee 1, 2 and 3, Seneca, S.C.: 1 in 23,256. Old estimate: 1 in 100,000. Increase in risk: 330 percent.
9. Diablo Canyon 1 and 2, Avila Beach, Calif.: 1 in 23,810. Old estimate: N/A.
10. Three Mile Island, Middletown, Pa.: 1 in 25,000. Old estimate: 1 in 45,455. Increase in risk: 82 percent.
Video 22:55. "We're on the front line of markets and finance. There's a global war going on - savers vs speculators, financial terrorists vs the rest of us. And the front line of this markets and finance extends past just banks. It also included companies like Monsanto (symbol: MON, NYSE)."
Video 4:59. This is a non-commercial attempt to highlight the fact that world leaders, irresponsible corporates and mindless 'consumers' are combining to destroy life on earth.
Video 2min 20sec. Tuesday’s haboob in the Phoenix area was one of the worst in years, residents said, and videos of it went viral on the web. Strong winds, gusting up to 95 km/h, moved an 80-km-wide dust cloud across Phoenix and surrounding cities of Avondale, Tempe and Scottsdale, downing trees, delaying air flights and leaving thousands without power.
Video 5min 40sec. The Millions Against Monsanto campaign is taking action against genetically modified organisms (GMO) across the country. Protests will continue, leading up to World Food Day, which will be the largest day of action in US history on October 16th, 2011.