Safety Valves Required on Gas Connections
The U.S.
Department of Transportation, which governs gas pipeline safety through its
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, issue rules
that require safety valves to be installed on all new or replacement gas
service lines for apartments and small businesses. Excess flow valves
automatically shut off the flow of gas when a line is ruptured, limiting the
amount of gas that can escape, which will prevent or reduce the severity of
fires.
Such valves have been required for new and replacement connections for
single-family residences since 2009. The rule does not require existing
connections to be retrofitted with the valve.
Tennessee Valley Authority Puts
Unfinished Nuclear Plant on the Market
The Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) is offering for sale its Bellefonte Nuclear Plant.
TVA began construction of the plant, located near the northeast Alabama
town of Hollywood, in the 1970s, but never completed it because regional power
demand did not grow as anticipated.
TVA has set a minimum bid of $36.4 million for the plant and 1,600
acres of land along the Tennessee River. This is fraction of the $5 billion the
authority has spent on the project. In addition to the unfinished nuclear
reactors, the property includes power transmission lines, roads, and several
buildings.
TVA cites economic development as a reason for the sale. It hopes
industry will be attracted to the developed site and provide employment in the
region.
Wind Farm to Start Operation in
Missouri
Next Era Energy Resources is
anticipating completing construction of a wind farm in rural DeKalb County, MO,
in November. The facility will have 97 turbines and be capable of generating
200 MW. Kansas
City Power and Light will purchase the energy. Find
out more in this article from the St. Joseph News-Press.
ENGINEERING
Engineering Educators Elect First
Black Woman President
The American
Society for Engineering Education elected Bevlee Watfort as its president.
She is the first black woman to hold the office. Her term will begin in June
2017. Watford is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Virginia Tech’s College
of Engineering.
Missouri Testing Solar Sidewalk
at Rest Stop
The Missouri
Department of Transportation (MoDOT)
announced it will install sidewalk made of solar panels at its Route 66 Welcome
Center. The sidewalk will cover a 12-foot by 20-foot area at the rest stop on
Interstate 44 near Conway, MO.
The panels will be supplied by Solar
Roadways of Sandpoint, ID. The solar
panels and electronics are sandwiched between to ½-inch thick layers of
tempered glass. MoDOT will test the materials for durability under various
weather conditions. It will also test the suitability of the panel’s built-in
LEDs as substitutes for road striping.
MoDOT does not expect to sell power from solar projects. It envisions
that solar roadways may generate enough power to supply rest areas. The power
generated by this project will be directed to the welcome center building.
Bill to Change Missouri Water
Commission Overcomes Veto
The Missouri
General Assembly overturned a veto by Governor Jay Nixon of a bill that
could change the composition of the Missouri
Clean Water Commission. The bill would change the composition of the
commission, allowing agriculture and mining interests to have a larger
representation. The commission has authority over rulemaking under the state
clean water law. You can read more about this here.
Oklahoma Shuts Down Waste Wells
in Light of Earthquake Threat
The September 3rd earthquake on a newly discovered fault near Pawnee, Oklahoma,
has prompted state and federal officials to halt injection of oil and gas
wastewater into 67 wells in the area. There is a growing scientific consensus
that wastewater injection has contributed to recent earthquakes in the
Oklahoma.
Wastewater produced from oil and gas extraction is disposed of by injecting
it deep into the ground. Reducing the amount of wastewater that can be injects
also reduces the amount of oil or gas that can be collected. The wastewater
cannot readily be disposed of by other means.
The magnitude 5.8 quake was felt in neighboring states (Facebook
friends of this contributor reported feeling it in St. Louis
and the Missouri Bootheel). The U.S. Geologic
Survey reports that it was felt as far away as Nevada and Florida.
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