Sorry, for the bad words but this situation in East Tennessee is just the dumbest thing America has going for it while at the same time being one of the most brilliant too. It is a complete logistic nightmare while also technology that if done right could power the world. Its been cluster f...ked by ugh cheap little mindedness into nothing but a house of cards. And Powell Construction backing Roe for nothing more than 90K in an attempt to keep from having to save the public from the mental illness of mercury exposure from their little coal mine is just the icing on the cake! I have two letters from the NRC one stating they would do something about a problem and the next dated Nov. 16TH no coincidence after the election I lost to Roe that they now will not. So, for a little 90Ks worth of petty politics our National Defense is placed at risk. There's a movie I loved as a kid called "It's a Wonderful Life" and in my opinion, Phil Roe is the Mr. Potter of East Tennessee.
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Refill
Photograph from AFP/Getty Images
Workers in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou (map) worked into the night filling in a large sinkhole that opened up under a group of multistory buildings on January 28. (Watch video of the buildings collapsing into the hole.)
The sinkhole, estimated to be about 30 feet (9 meters) deep and between 1,000 and 3,200 square feet (100 and 300 square meters) across, appeared near a subway construction site, according to news reports.
—Jane J. Lee
Published January 31, 2013
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A Sinkhole’s Destruction
Photograph from AFP/Getty Images
Despite the loss of a group of buildings (pictured), no injuries were reported. Construction workers noticed the land starting to sink and were able to warn people in time to evacuate.
The first building collapsed into the hole around 4 p.m. (local time), and three adjacent buildings went later that evening, according to reports from The Telegraph.
Published January 31, 2013
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Filled In
Photograph from AFP/Getty Images
Although it's unclear whether construction work caused the collapse of Monday's sinkhole (pictured filled in), there are numerous reports of previous sinkholes around China produced through improper infrastructure maintenance.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, sinkholes are common in areas where the underlying rock is made of limestone, carbonate rocks, salt beds, or other rocks that are easily dissolved by water.
As the water circulates through cracks and pores in the rock, the liquid gradually eats away at the formation until an empty pocket forms. It gets larger and larger until the overlying soil and rocks collapse, forming a sinkhole.
Published January 31, 2013
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Aftermath
Photograph from AFP/Getty Images
The sinkhole that formed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou (pictured) is, unfortunately, not a new occurrence for the country.
Many areas of the world are susceptible to these sudden formations, including the U.S. Florida is especially prone, but Guatemala, Mexico, and the area surrounding the Dead Sea in the Middle East are also known for their impressive sinkholes. (See pictures of a sinkhole in Beijing that swallowed a truck.)
Published January 31, 2013
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See Pictures Of a Monster Sinkhole in Guatemala City
Photograph by Daniel LeClair, Reuters
Published January 31, 2013
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