Portland's Fukushima

 roa_web_banner.png

Hosted by: 
Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
Air date: 
Mon, 03/13/2023 - 10:00am to 11:00am
CEI Hub flyover

This week marks the 12th anniversary of the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami caused the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. There were meltdowns of three of the Fukushima reactors, discharge of radioactive water in Fukushima and associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. But as we observe the anniversary of this disaster, we need to realize that Portland faces a potential disaster of equal proportion.

On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Jay Wilson, an emergency manager in the Portland area and the former Chair of the Oregon Seismic Commission, about what will happen to the hundreds of aging tanks in the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub along the North Reach of the Willamette River, when a powerful earthquake rattles the region. These tanks store hundreds of millions of gallons of volatile fuels and chemicals, including 90% of all the liquid fossil fuel for the state of Oregon. They are not in any way ready to withstand an earthquake or any other serious accident. We will talk about the lessons we can learn from Fukushima as we seriously address this impending catastrophe at our doorstep.

Download audio file

Episode Playlist

  • Time
    10:00
    Artist
    Tal Farlow
    Song
    Autumn Leaves
    Album
    Just One Of Those Things
    Label
    ORCHARD - A Riff Supreme
  • Time
    10:00
    Artist
    Doc Watson
    Song
    Deep River Blues
    Album
    Headman
    Label
    BELIEVE - Headmans re.
  • Time
    10:00
    Artist
    Gillian Welch
    Song
    Wichita (Revival Outtake)
    Album
    Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg
    Label
    WMG - Acony
  • Time
    10:57
    Artist
    Sting
    Song
    Fragile
    Album
    Nothing Like The Sun
    Label
    Universal Music

Audio by Topic: