DisastersProposed Salt Lake City prison at risk from tsunami waves in event of earthquake
Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker is warning Utah state leaders that if a proposed prison is constructed on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, it could be at risk of a major tsunami damage in the event of an earthquake in the region. “It all sounds far-fetched that a big earthquake could result in tsunami-like waves on the lake, but it is possible. Basically, I think it is a terrible idea to put a prison there or an industrial park or any other major development because of the hazard from the lake,” says one seismologist.
Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker is warning Utah state leaders that if a proposed prison is constructed on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, it could be at risk of a major tsunami damage in the event of an earthquake in the region, leading to inmates escaping in the event of an emergency evacuation.
As Insurance Journal reports, many experts and officials in the area are concerned.
“It all sounds far-fetched that a big earthquake could result in tsunami-like waves on the lake, but it is possible. Basically, I think it is a terrible idea to put a prison there or an industrial park or any other major development because of the hazard from the lake,” said James Pechmann, a seismology professor at the University of Utah.
These warnings come in the face of inquiries by the state Prison Relocation Commission (PRC), looking at sites near the water — one north of the Salt Lake City airport, and the other near Interstate 80.
In a technical report given to the PRC by Becker and others, the legislature members which make up the commission were warned of potential dangers.
“If there is a seismic event, there is not going to be time to do this orderly evacuation of a facility,” said Becker, “It should be a primary factor both for the safety of the prisoners and the employees who are at the prison, but also the community around it.”
He also alluded to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union which referred to flooding at the New Orleans Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, resulting in guards trapped at their stations and inmates being forced to stay in chest-high sewer water.
At the behest of the theSalt Lake Tribune, Pechmann investigated the two proposed sites for the prison and concluded that both could be at risk of flooding in the event of “extreme circumstances.” PRC officials have reported that they have factored in potential water elevations into their plans for the sites.
Further, the paper cites historical data, including a 1909 6.0 magnitude quake in nearby Hansel Valley, which included reports of waves covering shoreline railroad passes, meaning that they would have to be 12-feet high.
While Pechmann is skeptical of such historic reports, he said that they do show that big waves might be possible.
He claimed that a bigger concern would be general flooding, either due to rising lake levels or tilted lands due to a fault line fracture.
“It is a very poor choice for a prison or any other critical facility,” he summarized.
The PRC will continue deliberations about the potential construction sites.
