MorningSong
6th March 2014, 21:07
I just ran across this...wanted to sound out a warning (if necessary):
NPR: Operators struggle with major crack in dam; Spillway could topple — AP: “Extends all 65 ft across monolith”; About 20 miles from Hanford nuclear site — TV: “Pretty crazy… one of biggest dams in state, going to be a catastrophe if something happens”
Published: March 4th, 2014 at 1:02 am ET
By ENENews
Northwest Public Radio, NPR network, Mar. 3, 2014 (emphasis added): Dam operators are struggling to find a solution for a major underwater crack in the Wanapum Dam. It spans the Columbia River in central Washington [...] The worst-case scenario is if the spillway was to topple. But [Thomas Stredwick, Grant County Public Utility District] thinks other sections of the dam would hold on and downstream communities should be safe. >> Listen to the broadcast here
AP, Mar. 3, 2014: [...] Pressure caused a slight bowing in the dam that was first detected Feb. 24 by a staff member who noticed a curb on the road on top of the spillway was out of alignment. Engineers sent down divers who discovered the crack Thursday, 75-feet below the waterline. The crack extends all 65 feet across the monolith, which is 126 feet tall and 92 feet thick. Stredwick doesn’t think the crack extend all the way through the pier [...] about 20 miles downriver is the Priest Rapids dam, near the Hanford nuclear reservation.
KIMA-TV, Mar. 2, 2014:
KIMA: The Wanapum Dam built almost 50 years ago has a crack in it. Officials don’t know how it happened, and neighbors are worried.
Kyle Rosskelly: “The aging of these structures and we should be on top of it, so if there’s something we could have done to prevent it, it’s pretty surprising it hasn’t been done.”
Thomas Stredwick, Grant County Public Utility District: “That’s what they’re really inspecting at this time, so right now, we don’t have any information either way. What we’re doing is stabilizing” […]
KIMA: Kyle is still concerned about the worst-case scenario.
Kyle: “It’s pretty crazy. It’s one of the biggest dams in the state, and it’s going to be a catastrophe if something happens.”
http://enenews.com/npr-dam-operators-are-struggling-with-major-underwater-crack-tv-its-pretty-crazy-its-one-of-the-biggest-dams-in-the-state-its-going-to-be-a-catastrophe-if-something-happens-video
Emergency plan activated after ‘massive’ crack found in dam near nuclear site — Official: ‘Serious problem’; Failure risk ‘sufficiently high’ — NOAA: “Potential for rapid increase in flows” — Gov’t: Flooding could release radioactive waste from Hanford
Published: March 2nd, 2014 at 4:35 am ET
By ENENew
Seattle Times, Feb. 28, 2014 (emphasis added): ‘Serious problem’: 65-foot crack found in Columbia River dam — A massive crack in a major Columbia River dam poses enough of a risk of dam failure that Grant County authorities have activated an emergency-response plan. [...] “At this point we already know there’s a serious problem,” said Thomas Stredwick, spokesman for the Grant County Public Utility District (PUD). “We want to make sure the spillway is stable enough that inspectors are safe when inspecting it. [...] This is a situation that’s really changing as more information becomes available” [...]
Seattle Times, Feb. 28, 2014: There’s no immediate threat to public safety from the crack in the Wanapum Dam [...] Stredwick said [...] officials analyzed the divers’ data and decided Friday that the failure risk was sufficiently high that they should notify other government agencies [...]
Columbia Basin Herald, Mar. 1, 2014: [T]his large of a crack has never been found on a Grant PUD dam. [...] engineers noticed something unusual on the water level [...] the crack, which spans the entire length of the dam, had formed about 70 feet under water.
Oregon Public Radio: Worst-case scenario is if the spillway was to topple. But Stredwick thinks other sections of the dam would hold on and downstream communities should be safe.
NBC News, Mar. 1, 2014: [NOAA's] National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Grant County through the weekend as the water is drawn down because “the potential exists for a rapid increase in flows from Wanapum Dam.”
Eugene Weekly, Nov. 27, 2013: Dam failure was also examined, [David Swank, assistant VP at Columbia Generating Station] says, using flood maps provided by the Army Corps of Engineers [...] “Flood level would not get to the plant,” Swank says, providing nothing has changed in the 30 years since the mapping was done. [...] “It’s always tough to say with certainly that a facility is 100 percent prepared for an unknown disaster,” says Geoff Tyree of the Department of Energy. He says the DOE has looked at the possibility of the worst-case scenario where the Grand Coulee Dam partially fails on the Columbia River. He says that flooding could result in the release of radioactive material from portions of Hanford into the water, but he says that same water would dilute the radiation to a very low level off site [...]
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION FINAL SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (pdf), Dec. 2011: Grand Coulee Dam is ~250 river miles upstream from the CGS nuclear reactor, while the Wanapum Dam is ~60 river miles from the reactor and ~30 river miles from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
http://enenews.com/emergency-response-plan-activated-after-massive-crack-found-in-major-dam-50-miles-from-hanford-nuclear-site-officials-theres-a-serious-problem-dam-failure-risk-sufficiently-hig
TV: Is cracked dam a ticking time bomb? “Next 24-48 Hours Critical” — “Preparing for worst-case scenario” — No ‘immediate’ threat — Feds monitor structure, ‘sudden release’ possible — “Very few have faced this” — NPR: New photo shows ‘pronounced curve’ — Docks near Hanford nuke site closed
Published: March 5th, 2014 at 12:24 am ET
By ENENews
KAPP-TV, Mar. 4, 2014 (emphasis added): It’s been almost a week since workers at the Wanapum Dam made a startling discovery. A 65 foot crack along one of the spillways underwater […] The utility district says the crack poses no immediate threat to people living downstream.
NPR, Mar. 4, 2014: A photo posted by the utility [right] shows what the county employee saw last week: a pronounced curve in a conduit and part of the concrete, just below the guardrail
One News (Columbia Basin), Mar. 4, 2014: “It’s something that we’re taking very seriously,” [PUD spokesman Chuck Allen] said. […] [Dawn Woodward, PUD hydro director] told the commissioners it’s unknown what caused the crack and how deep it is. The lower water level ensures a sudden release of water from the dam will fit into the river’s existing channel, Allen said. The utility and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission continue to monitor the dam to see if anything else occurs with the structure. The utility has closed the boat launches and docks at Wanapum and Priest Rapids ["near the Hanford nuclear reservation"] dams for safety precautions and because of the drop in the water elevation. It remains unknown how the crack can be fixed. Allen said. […]
KHQ, Mar. 3, 2014: As dozens of engineers and technical experts continue to inspect a 65-foot crack found Thursday in one of the 12 spillways of the Wanapum Dam, inspectors believe the risk of public danger is low, but they are preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Stephanie Vigil, KHQ anchor: Is the Wanapum Dam a ticking time bomb? […] There was a hidden danger no one knew about until a few days ago.
Watch the KHQ broadcast here
KHQ, Mar. 3, 2014: ‘The Next 24-48 Hours Are Critical’
Kelsey Watts, KHQ reporter: Federal officials, dozens of engineers and technical staff are on the ground with the top priority of stabilizing that compromised section.
Thomas Stredwick, Grant County PUD spokesperson: “It’s something that we haven’t faced before – and there are very few hydroelectric plants that have faced this before.”
Watts: Despite this 65 foot crack being discovered — one of the largest engineers are aware of here at one of the dams they operate –They say the risk to the public tonight is still very low. However they are monitoring this very closely in the coming days and weeks to determine what danger may exist for the people in this area.
http://enenews.com/tv-is-cracked-dam-a-ticking-time-bomb-next-24-48-hours-critical-they-are-preparing-for-worst-case-scenario-no-immediate-threat-downstream-very-few-have-faced-this-before
NPR: Operators struggle with major crack in dam; Spillway could topple — AP: “Extends all 65 ft across monolith”; About 20 miles from Hanford nuclear site — TV: “Pretty crazy… one of biggest dams in state, going to be a catastrophe if something happens”
Published: March 4th, 2014 at 1:02 am ET
By ENENews
Northwest Public Radio, NPR network, Mar. 3, 2014 (emphasis added): Dam operators are struggling to find a solution for a major underwater crack in the Wanapum Dam. It spans the Columbia River in central Washington [...] The worst-case scenario is if the spillway was to topple. But [Thomas Stredwick, Grant County Public Utility District] thinks other sections of the dam would hold on and downstream communities should be safe. >> Listen to the broadcast here
AP, Mar. 3, 2014: [...] Pressure caused a slight bowing in the dam that was first detected Feb. 24 by a staff member who noticed a curb on the road on top of the spillway was out of alignment. Engineers sent down divers who discovered the crack Thursday, 75-feet below the waterline. The crack extends all 65 feet across the monolith, which is 126 feet tall and 92 feet thick. Stredwick doesn’t think the crack extend all the way through the pier [...] about 20 miles downriver is the Priest Rapids dam, near the Hanford nuclear reservation.
KIMA-TV, Mar. 2, 2014:
KIMA: The Wanapum Dam built almost 50 years ago has a crack in it. Officials don’t know how it happened, and neighbors are worried.
Kyle Rosskelly: “The aging of these structures and we should be on top of it, so if there’s something we could have done to prevent it, it’s pretty surprising it hasn’t been done.”
Thomas Stredwick, Grant County Public Utility District: “That’s what they’re really inspecting at this time, so right now, we don’t have any information either way. What we’re doing is stabilizing” […]
KIMA: Kyle is still concerned about the worst-case scenario.
Kyle: “It’s pretty crazy. It’s one of the biggest dams in the state, and it’s going to be a catastrophe if something happens.”
http://enenews.com/npr-dam-operators-are-struggling-with-major-underwater-crack-tv-its-pretty-crazy-its-one-of-the-biggest-dams-in-the-state-its-going-to-be-a-catastrophe-if-something-happens-video
Emergency plan activated after ‘massive’ crack found in dam near nuclear site — Official: ‘Serious problem’; Failure risk ‘sufficiently high’ — NOAA: “Potential for rapid increase in flows” — Gov’t: Flooding could release radioactive waste from Hanford
Published: March 2nd, 2014 at 4:35 am ET
By ENENew
Seattle Times, Feb. 28, 2014 (emphasis added): ‘Serious problem’: 65-foot crack found in Columbia River dam — A massive crack in a major Columbia River dam poses enough of a risk of dam failure that Grant County authorities have activated an emergency-response plan. [...] “At this point we already know there’s a serious problem,” said Thomas Stredwick, spokesman for the Grant County Public Utility District (PUD). “We want to make sure the spillway is stable enough that inspectors are safe when inspecting it. [...] This is a situation that’s really changing as more information becomes available” [...]
Seattle Times, Feb. 28, 2014: There’s no immediate threat to public safety from the crack in the Wanapum Dam [...] Stredwick said [...] officials analyzed the divers’ data and decided Friday that the failure risk was sufficiently high that they should notify other government agencies [...]
Columbia Basin Herald, Mar. 1, 2014: [T]his large of a crack has never been found on a Grant PUD dam. [...] engineers noticed something unusual on the water level [...] the crack, which spans the entire length of the dam, had formed about 70 feet under water.
Oregon Public Radio: Worst-case scenario is if the spillway was to topple. But Stredwick thinks other sections of the dam would hold on and downstream communities should be safe.
NBC News, Mar. 1, 2014: [NOAA's] National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Grant County through the weekend as the water is drawn down because “the potential exists for a rapid increase in flows from Wanapum Dam.”
Eugene Weekly, Nov. 27, 2013: Dam failure was also examined, [David Swank, assistant VP at Columbia Generating Station] says, using flood maps provided by the Army Corps of Engineers [...] “Flood level would not get to the plant,” Swank says, providing nothing has changed in the 30 years since the mapping was done. [...] “It’s always tough to say with certainly that a facility is 100 percent prepared for an unknown disaster,” says Geoff Tyree of the Department of Energy. He says the DOE has looked at the possibility of the worst-case scenario where the Grand Coulee Dam partially fails on the Columbia River. He says that flooding could result in the release of radioactive material from portions of Hanford into the water, but he says that same water would dilute the radiation to a very low level off site [...]
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION FINAL SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (pdf), Dec. 2011: Grand Coulee Dam is ~250 river miles upstream from the CGS nuclear reactor, while the Wanapum Dam is ~60 river miles from the reactor and ~30 river miles from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
http://enenews.com/emergency-response-plan-activated-after-massive-crack-found-in-major-dam-50-miles-from-hanford-nuclear-site-officials-theres-a-serious-problem-dam-failure-risk-sufficiently-hig
TV: Is cracked dam a ticking time bomb? “Next 24-48 Hours Critical” — “Preparing for worst-case scenario” — No ‘immediate’ threat — Feds monitor structure, ‘sudden release’ possible — “Very few have faced this” — NPR: New photo shows ‘pronounced curve’ — Docks near Hanford nuke site closed
Published: March 5th, 2014 at 12:24 am ET
By ENENews
KAPP-TV, Mar. 4, 2014 (emphasis added): It’s been almost a week since workers at the Wanapum Dam made a startling discovery. A 65 foot crack along one of the spillways underwater […] The utility district says the crack poses no immediate threat to people living downstream.
NPR, Mar. 4, 2014: A photo posted by the utility [right] shows what the county employee saw last week: a pronounced curve in a conduit and part of the concrete, just below the guardrail
One News (Columbia Basin), Mar. 4, 2014: “It’s something that we’re taking very seriously,” [PUD spokesman Chuck Allen] said. […] [Dawn Woodward, PUD hydro director] told the commissioners it’s unknown what caused the crack and how deep it is. The lower water level ensures a sudden release of water from the dam will fit into the river’s existing channel, Allen said. The utility and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission continue to monitor the dam to see if anything else occurs with the structure. The utility has closed the boat launches and docks at Wanapum and Priest Rapids ["near the Hanford nuclear reservation"] dams for safety precautions and because of the drop in the water elevation. It remains unknown how the crack can be fixed. Allen said. […]
KHQ, Mar. 3, 2014: As dozens of engineers and technical experts continue to inspect a 65-foot crack found Thursday in one of the 12 spillways of the Wanapum Dam, inspectors believe the risk of public danger is low, but they are preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Stephanie Vigil, KHQ anchor: Is the Wanapum Dam a ticking time bomb? […] There was a hidden danger no one knew about until a few days ago.
Watch the KHQ broadcast here
KHQ, Mar. 3, 2014: ‘The Next 24-48 Hours Are Critical’
Kelsey Watts, KHQ reporter: Federal officials, dozens of engineers and technical staff are on the ground with the top priority of stabilizing that compromised section.
Thomas Stredwick, Grant County PUD spokesperson: “It’s something that we haven’t faced before – and there are very few hydroelectric plants that have faced this before.”
Watts: Despite this 65 foot crack being discovered — one of the largest engineers are aware of here at one of the dams they operate –They say the risk to the public tonight is still very low. However they are monitoring this very closely in the coming days and weeks to determine what danger may exist for the people in this area.
http://enenews.com/tv-is-cracked-dam-a-ticking-time-bomb-next-24-48-hours-critical-they-are-preparing-for-worst-case-scenario-no-immediate-threat-downstream-very-few-have-faced-this-before