AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Wednesday Briefing: Earthquakes Shake Fagradalsfjall in Iceland

By
Fagradalsfjall volcano earthquakes Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for December 22, 2021: Fresh Express recalls multiple bagged salads due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination; Northern California was rocked by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on Monday; an investigative report identifies gaps in dam safety in New York; Icelandic officials declared the Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption over, but nonstop earthquakes began on Tuesday; TEPCO has applied for approval to release treated radioactive water into the ocean; Boeing and Airbus CEOs sent a letter requesting a delay in the rollout of 5G cell service; the Kilauea volcano continues its effusive eruption at fluctuating levels; and the Tehama County Action Agency is set to assist at-risk residents with food replacements after PSPS.

1. Fresh Express issued a recall for its bagged salads due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The company distributed the products in retailers across the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States and two provinces in Canada. The products were manufactured at the Streamwood, Illinois, facility. They include the Fresh Express label and multiple other brand names, including Giant Eagle, Marketside, Simply Nature, and Wellsley Farms, along with a variety of lettuces and lettuce mixes.

2. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Northern California coast on Monday. Although there was significant shaking from the temblor, the region is sparsely populated. The earthquake struck off the coast of the small town of Petrolia, near Eureka, and was at a shallow depth of about 4 miles. Several roads were closed due to rock slides from the earthquake, and according to reports, the shaking lasted about 20 seconds.

3. Dam safety has the potential to affect the lives of hundreds or thousands of residents below the dam. Gaps in dam structure oversight or safety revealed by an investigative report has prompted New York to consider a push in reviving dam safety efforts. The investigative report found 147 large and potentially dangerous dams in New York were “unsound,” while others had not been inspected in at least 20 years or more. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2021 Report Card gave dams across the nation an overall D rating, noting that the number of deficient high-hazard-potential dams now exceeds 2,300.

4. Icelandic officials have officially declared that the eruption at the Fagradalsfjall volcano is now over. The volcano has not produced a lava flow in three months, ending what was the country’s longest eruption in over 50 years. However, hundreds of earthquakes have struck the region since Tuesday, likely indicating the eruption may begin again. Fagradalsfjall, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, began erupting on March 19, and produced spectacular lava flows that drew thousands of people to the area.

5. Safety authorities have received an application for a planned water release from the operator of the failed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. The approval request includes its intent to build an undersea tunnel and other facilities needed to release copious amounts of treated, radioactive waste water from the failed nuclear plant destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. The tunnel would go outward 0.6 miles (one kilometer), sending the treated, yet still radioactive water into the ocean, allegedly to minimize the impact on fishing and the environment.

6. A letter sent to the Transportation Secretary by the CEOs of Boeing and Airbus seeks to delay the rollout of the 5G cell service on January 5. The urgent letter states that there are grave concerns the new towers could cause interference that may adversely affect the ability of aircraft to operate safely. According to reports, industry analysts have stated the interference could allegedly impact hundreds of thousands of flights each year, causing delays or diversions.

7. The Kilauea volcano located on Hawaii Island continues to have an effusive eruption at fluctuating levels. The lava flow continues its pausing-reactivating cycle and paused its lava flow into the lava lake again on Tuesday. A glow is still visible and even though the lava flowed has ceased temporarily from the western fissure vent, officials believe it will reactivate again shortly.

8. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) have become common in high-fire-threat districts across California. One community seeks to address at least one issue created by the PSPS – food replacement for at-risk populations, especially senior citizens. The Tehama County Action Agency is set to provide food service to seniors impacted by PSPS or other non-PSPS related power outages. PG&E will provide the zip codes of residents affected by PSPS or other outages before and after the outages. That will help the agency to identify and assist those in need.

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.