I think we have a pretty good idea of what it would cost to decommission a wind farm. It would be much like decommissioning a small ship. The main components are a big electric motor, a fiberglass propellor, a lot of wires, a steel framed building and a concrete foundation.

Much of the material and equipment have residual value. They can be recycled or even reused. Costs of demolishing the steel and concrete structure are no different than any other building. The fiberglass might have some environmental hazard components but not more than, say, the shell of a boat. The wires include plastics that may require special handling, but that would be the case for any power generation facility.

Indeed, this is in the pre-rule stage. The NHTSA will soon publish a report and submit it for public comment. We won't know if they have the authority under existing law until they publish their proposed rule. They may have to go to Congress and request additional authority. It will be years before any regulations actually change.

Here is is an overview of how the regulatory process works in US federal agencies.

Here's an excerpt from the NHTSA announcement:

NHTSA is currently finalizing its analysis of the data gathered as part of its year-long pilot program and will publish a research report on V2V communication technology for public comment in the coming weeks. The report will include analysis of the Department's research findings in several key areas including technical feasibility, privacy and security, and preliminary estimates on costs and safety benefits. NHTSA will then begin working on a regulatory proposal that would require V2V devices in new vehicles in a future year, consistent with applicable legal requirements, Executive Orders, and guidance. DOT believes that the signal this announcement sends to the market will significantly enhance development of this technology and pave the way for market penetration of V2V safety applications.

Somehow I lost my rating points between loading the page and reading your post. Sorry I couldn't mod you up.

In the future we're going to have locked down devices running proprietary drivers, with proprietary apps and DRM'd content. But it'll run on open-source software. And the community is happy because "we finally got the manufacturers to write drivers for Linux".

And the free game was nice too.

The HIPAA defines three categories of "covered entities". They are health care providers, health plans and health care clearinghouses. Because the site is government run it is not classified as a clearinghouse. Some people claim that it wouldn't be defined as a clearinghouse anyway. After reading the relevant section of the law I wasn't so sure, but the question is moot. The project is government run and the contractors enjoy sovereign immunity.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy...

The "Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act of 2014" would at least require notification. That bill passed the House with bipartisan support on January 10. I've not seen any reports on how or if the bill is proceding in the Senate.

http://docs.house.gov/billsthi...

The HHS is a public agency and as such it is not covered by the HIPAA. In any case, considering HHS is tasked with enforcing the HIPAA....

I expect there are other laws that do apply. There are lots of laws governing how federal agencies and their contractors handle sensitive information.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy...

From page 19 of the report:

What is the difference between a vendor and a partner vendor?

Partner vendors contribute financially to the test in return for a preview of the results, an opportunity to challenge results before publication and the right to use award logos in marketing material. Other participants first see the results on the day of publication and may not use award logos for any purpose.

Do you share samples with the vendors?

Partner vendors are able to download all samples from us after the test is complete. Other vendors may request a subset of the threats that compromised their products in order for them to verify our results. The same applies to client-side logs, including the network capture files. There is a small administration fee for the provision of this service.

It's 45 feet deep at this, the first section. It'll reach 200 feet below surface at the deepest point.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/About/FollowBertha

They will have to dig below the water line, which may be more expensive and dangerous with a trench. Besides having to move or work around tall buildings they would also have to remove more dirt. It would certainly be more disruptive to dig a trench. The more reasonable alternative would be to build an elevated highway rather than tunnel below the ground.

It can range from almost zero to very deep depending on the soil and the building. Heavy buildings require deeper foundations. Soft soils need to be deeper than solid rock.

I don't know how deep the foundations are in Seattle but I do know that the Columbia Center, which is the tallest building in WA state, has seven stories below ground. That's about 84 feet deep but the footings could be deeper. At it's deepest the tunnel will be about 200 feet below the surface. That should be deep enough to go under the Columbia Center if that's their route.

Right now the tunnel is in zone 1 of ten zones. It's hardly even started. That's probably good if they have to dig it out. But if it can't even get through this zone the project is in deep trouble.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/About/FollowBertha

They are concerned and not just about a cave-in. Vibration could cause lot's of damage. According to the WSDOT the machine is not actually stuck yet. They stopped it because they encountered resistance. The walls behind the machine are already built so there's not much risk of a cave-in. But there is a risk that nearby infrastructure could be damaged if they move forward. They can reinforce the infrastructure above but if they actually get stuck it could have enormous consequences. The machine would have to be dug out and replaced (at $80 million per borer). Add in the cost of reinforcements and digging a big hole, then consider that the $3.1 billion project is only bonded up to $500 million.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/what-could-possibly-go-wrong/Content?oid=4399657

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2013/12/10_SR99tunnelingstatement.htm

No can do. As the machine moves forward the tunnel walls are built behind it. TBM's have no reverse.

Actually the machine isn't stuck, yet. They stopped the machine because it encountered resistance. If it actually does get stuck the machine can't be dismantled underground and removed. They would have to dig it out from above, remove the TBM and install a new one. If it does get stuck let's just hope it's not under a skyscraper.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2013/12/10_SR99tunnelingstatement.htm

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/what-could-possibly-go-wrong/Content?oid=4399657

The Washington Times article credits Fox News. It quotes but does not credit the Reading Eagle, which appears to have first reported on this incident:

http://readingeagle.com/article/20131218/NEWS/312189945/1052

The Reading Eagle quotes but does not credit CNN. CNN last reported on the issue in June when this happened in Alabama.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/us/drug-survey-roadblocks/index.html?iref=allsearch

As noted by others, USB 3 supports up to 100 watts. It's reasonable to expect lightweight devices to charge at less than 100 watts, especially if you're willing to charge longer.

http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/

Better approach: Put a box of saltines where the Oreo's are supposed to be. Hold a bag of potatoes while standing on the weight sensor. Take stuff off the shelf, walk around the store and then put it back.

Bad data is worse than no data.