This is in regard to a recent Tribune article by Courtney Tanner, “Earthquake threat, could this be your school?”
Although I am extremely pleased you are keeping this earthquake safety issue alive, the article does point out one glaring point. School districts have access to provide public school bonds to help finance earthquake retrofits and mitigations. Property owners do not. It says they may have access to grant money, if available, but mostly low cost loans through the SBA. More debt without visible return on investment.
Unless we become like the “earthquake nut,” it is hard to get the political will to make changes. Humans are notorious for not heeding warnings and putting their heads in the sand.
I view the 5.7 magnitude March 18, 2020 earthquake in Magna as a warning. The overdue 7.0 earthquake expected along the Wasatch Fault will be devastating, especially with about 147,000 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings in the state.
Now is the time to get educated and prepare. I owned a URM building in Magna and feel lucky it wasn’t worse. Several sources online will help. Try atcouncil.org, and look for the completed project ATC-137-2 report.
Marilyn Marshall, Magna
