Disasters

"Nuclear Rules in Japan Relied on Old Science"

"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."

Source: NY Times, 03/28/2011

"Pipeline Safety Agency’s Senior Leaders Exit Amid Trump Push"

"More than half of the senior executives at a key US government regulatory body responsible for overseeing safety of the US pipeline system will depart the agency in the next three months, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg."

Source: Bloomberg, 02/28/2025

"Mass Layoffs Begin at NOAA, With Hundreds Said to Be Fired in One Day"

"The Trump administration has begun firing employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the world’s premier centers for climate science."

Source: NYTimes, 02/28/2025

"Trump Removes “Zombie” Pipeline Safety Rules"

"The Trump administration has withdrawn a slate of proposed carbon dioxide safety regulations inspired by a pipeline failure that sent nearly 50 people to the hospital with “zombie”-like symptoms, and the new regulator overseeing these matters previously worked as a lobbyist for the pipeline industry."

Source: Lever/ExxonKnews, 02/27/2025

"Early Landings Of Alaska Crabs Show Signs Of Recovery"

"Fishermen have unloaded nearly 3 million pounds of Alaska snow crab at the Port of Dutch Harbor in the Bering Sea, a strong indication the species is recovering from a catastrophic collapse caused by a marine heat wave in 2018 and 2019, fishermen and fisheries officials say."

Source: E&E News, 02/25/2025

"What The Firings At FEMA Could Mean For The Next Hurricane Or Wildfire"

"More than 200 employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been fired, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. ... The loss is likely to hinder FEMA's ability to respond to disasters, according to several current and former FEMA employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity over concerns of reprisal."

Source: NPR, 02/25/2025

"Trump Administration Drops Work On Stronger Building Codes For Disasters"

"For the past 25 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has helped develop building codes, the construction standards that help houses survive hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. Now, the Trump Administration has ordered that to stop, according to people involved with the work."

Source: NPR, 02/24/2025

"Cuts To U.S. Weather And Climate Research Could Put Public Safety At Risk"

"One month into the new Trump administration, firings of scientists and freezes to U.S. research funding have caused an unprecedented elimination of scientific expertise from the federal government. Proposed and ongoing cuts to agencies like the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, could hobble efforts to keep Americans safe during and after disasters."

Source: Yale Climate Connections, 02/24/2025

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