Delays
[stextbox id="custom" color="000000" bcolor="000000" bgcolor="ffffff" image="null"]This update also appeared today on the blog for the Spot.us story I’m working on about seismic risks at Eastern Washington’s nuclear power facilities. Expect the final story, uh, soon.[/stextbox]
Today's my deadline. Well. Technically, my deadline was yesterday, but with today being Monday I felt I had some "start of the week" mojo to work with.
So then, where's the story? Wow, I've never had to make an excuse to dozens of donors at once!
It turns out that the day was a pretty busy one when it comes to news about nuclear plants, Washington State geology and even earthquakes in the Tri Cities. Here's the rundown:
Petition Setback: Late this afternoon Nuclear Regulatory Commission staffers urged commisioners to deny a petition by anti-nuclear activists to suspend all licensing and rulemaking until a task force completes a review of nuclear safety in the U.S. Now the petitioners will have to wait for the NRC make a decision, but I wouldn't hold my breath for commissioners to go over the heads of their staff.
Paper Acceptance: The Journal of Geophysical Research told Brian Sherrod and Rick Blakely that it accepted their paper describing their findings that seismic structures east and west of the Cascades may be connected. Until recently, most Earth scientists thought each side of the cascades was a separate tectonic province. Blakely and Sherro's findings could reshape understanding of the forces that have shaped and continue to reshape the Pacific Northwest.
Earthquake near the plant: A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck an area just east of the Columbia Generating Station Saturday night. Centered just 2 km below the earth, no damage was reported from the quake and, according to the Tri-City Herald, the quake didn't register on sensors at the power plant. To find the most recent earthquake near you, take a look at the information on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network's Recent Earthquakes page.
Each of these items matter my piece, so I wanted to make sure to give them some attention before putting the finishing touches on my piece. Fortunately, this is the sort of subject that will only gain flavor as it stews a little longer. But never fear, I'm on the case, and the feast is soon.
Hooray for Garrett!
Meanwhile an extra special thanks to Garrett Cobarr. He's donated some time to help me with some of my photo curation and editing for this project's final piece. I only wish I'd met him sooner. A Tri-Cities native who now lives in Seattle, his wealth of insights about the region and its culture, plus suggestions of some great spots for shooting photos, would have come in handy for this story.
