Enormous New Dam Fails In Brazil

New Scientist ^ | 7-10-2006

[blam]

Enormous new dam fails in Brazil

10 July 2006
From New Scientist Print Edition.

GIANT cracks have opened in one of the world's tallest dams, just months after completion. The cracks appeared after a tunnel collapsed on 20 June beneath the 200-metre-high Campos Novos dam in southern Brazil, and the reservoir rapidly emptied. At one point, 4000 cubic metres of water (more than enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool) were rushing downstream every second towards a second dam on the river Canoas.

"If this had happened during the rainy season, and the two reservoirs had been full, water would likely have poured over the lower dam and it might have been destroyed. That would have been a major disaster, with perhaps hundreds killed," says Patrick McCully of the International Rivers Network, a California-based group that campaigns against large dams. Between them, the two dams can hold more than 2 cubic kilometres of water.

The dam's owner, Enercan, a consortium of Brazilian power companies, has revealed little about the accident. It is reported to have been trying to patch holes in a leaking tunnel since October, before the second tunnel failed catastrophically last month.

[aruanan]

The dam's owner, Enercan, a consortium of Brazilian power companies, has revealed little about the accident.

"You mean we shouldn't have contracted with my brother-in-law's samba school for steel reinforcements?"

[restornu]

That is shody work some contractors made off with a bundle!

[BurbankKarl]

Members of the flat earth society.

[SierraWasp]

"Looks like a do-over if I've ever seen one."

Wull... It's never gonna be a "gimme!" Were you thinkin of a "Mulligan?"

[mathurine]

They should have had Americans from North America do the job.

[JennysCool]

Enormous New Dam Fails In Brazil

New, more optimistic headline:

Brazil Unveils World's Largest Skate Park

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I heard the concrete was supplied by Ricardo Ramirez.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Holy frijole! I knew we should have paid for the soils engineering!

[ArrogantBustard]

Brazilians speak Portugese.

[Monterrosa-24]

"...if I'm not mistaken, French is Brazil's official language!!! No wonder!!!"

Try Portuguese..... Brazil is almost half of South America in population and almost half of South America in land area so think big.

[ThomasThomas]

Life copies "The Simpson" again.

[SierraWasp]

You're right, of course. I was cornfused! I knew it was one of them southern EU cuntries!!!

[dalereed]

The pictures look like it's an earthen dam with a cement cap over it for erosion.

Don't they know they have to exterminate those wild earth boaring creatures before they build a dam.

[mathurine]

How much duct could a duct tape duct if de duct duct tape could duct duct.

[SierraWasp]

Oh MAN!!! That's the funniest yet!!! Which is the correct spelling of "dike?" I don't wanna make a mistake here, ya know...

[aruanan]

On top of that, if I'm not mistaken, French is Brazil's official language!!! No wonder!!!

I think the only (sorta) French-speaking (sorta) countries in the Americas are Haiti and French Guyana. Brazil speaks Portuguese, which is more voluptuous than the bony, clicky Spanish, but considerably more structured sounding than the gooey, jellyfish that is French.

[SierraWasp]

"Members of the flat earth society"

AKA "Luddites!" (see also Reply# 15, above)

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, I too was looking for that post to link it. Think that stuff only happens in the third world? Just wait, California.

[KellyAdmirer]

Why, that's a job for ... Superman!

[calcowgirl]

Well, I'll be dammed! I figured it'd be "Fiends of the River," (no, wait... Friends of the River, Inc.) instead of this little known bunch trying to get support from the big corporate developers of whitewater rafting in CA!!!

Dang! You nailed it. They have the same founder.

Mark Dubois
Bainbridge Island, WA

Mark is the co-founder and board member emeritus of Friends of the River, California's statewide organization working for the protection of rivers, their flora and fauna and for sustainable water development. Mark also co-founded International Rivers Network. He organized the first international dam-fighters conference - a five-day conference and tour with 70 NGO leaders from 25 countries. Mark served as International Coordinator for Earth Day 1990 and Earth Day 2000; Mark coordinated global outreach and developed the seven-person international staff plus the International Council and International Strategic Partners. Mark also is the founder and director of WorldWise. Before his career as an environmental organizer and activist, Mark co-founded and operated "etc", the Environmental Traveling Companions where he organized and guided inner-city youth and disabled, down whitewater rivers.
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