A bill recently passed by the Washington State Senate could unleash hundreds of millions of dollars for school seismic retrofits over several years.
Washington has the second largest population at risk from significant earthquake damage in the U.S., but trails California, Oregon, and British Columbia in disaster preparedness, particularly for schools, according to a report in the Seattle Times. Hundreds of schools in the state are likely to incur major damage and cause severe injury in the event of a significant tremor, the report said.
The bill would formally establish a school seismic safety committee to help the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) assess, plan, and implement retrofits, and to advise on school seismic safety. The state, to date, has assessed the geologic risk of more than 560 schools statewide to help prioritize the most urgent seismic retrofits.
The bill awaits a decision by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
