Short Takes – 7-19-23

CSB Urges FEMA to Include the Location of Chemical Facilities and Their Proximity to Communities in FEMA National Response Index. CSB.gov new-release. Pull quote: “In its letter [link added], the CSB notes that chemical facilities are often located in close proximity to communities that are socially and/or economically disadvantaged. Those communities are potentially at risk for harm from chemical hazards if an incident resulting from an extreme weather event occurs at a nearby facility.”

Senate puts NASA on notice over Mars mission. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “As NASA has been working on developing the technology needed for the [Mars sample return] mission, costs have ballooned. First estimates indicated the cost of this mission would be around $4 billion, but according to the committee’s report, the space agency has already spent more than $1 billion. The subcommittee also flagged that the planned 2028 launch date is very aggressive and likely to slip, increasing cost overruns.”

Democrats press Homeland Security on domestic extremism in workforce. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “The report [link added] found that DHS had no official definition of or guidance about what constitutes a violent extremist, no workforce training to identify and report extremist activity, and insufficient funding for the already existing DHS Insider Threat Program. The report made 15 recommendations for the department to be able to define, identify and respond to reports of extremists within DHS.”

‘Underground climate change’ is deforming the ground beneath buildings, study finds. CNN.com article. Pull quote: “Studied for the past 25 years, underground climate change can cause issues such as groundwater contamination or problems with underground railways by making tracks prone to buckling or causing passengers to become ill due to excessive heat. Its effects on civil infrastructure, however, had not been explored until this study [link added], according to Rotta Loria.”