It Figures

$4 Million

The estimated cost to build a tsunami evacuation building, or TEB, on the Oregon coast. It would sit about 15 feet above the water on pilings, allowing water to flow under it. Proponents says such a building would not only save lives but would allow city government to function after a disaster. Japan has about a dozen such buildings.

7.6%

The proposed hike in workers’ compensation rates in Washington’s state fund for 2010. In June, the state’s Department of Labor and Industries said that an average increase of 15-20 percent might be necessary next year. But that figure has been reduced. While companies pay the majority of the insurance premiums, workers also pay a portion. If the proposed increase is adopted, the worker contribution would increase to just over 28 percent.

500

The number of years since the last major earthquake hit along Utah’s Wasatch Front. The Utah Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey say in a new study that an earthquake about 500 years ago tore a deep gash along a 35-mile segment of the Wasatch Fault between North Salt Lake and North Ogden. The quake was likely a magnitude 6.5 or 7 — large enough to cause major damage if it occurred today. Previous research had indicated the last major quake in the area was 800 to 1,500 years ago.

20%

The percentage of U.S. drivers who admit they have read or sent a text message while behind the wheel, even though nearly all of the respondents considered such action unacceptable, according to an AAA survey.

$9,500

The amount California officials say Larry Butler collected by filing fraudulent claims against razor manufacturers for the same alleged injury. According to officials, Butler claimed that razors, manufactured by Phillips, Proctor & Gamble, Eveready/Energizer and Panasonic, during a five-month period, caused him to have ingrown hairs, which scarred his face. In support of his claims, Butler submitted the identical photographs of the alleged injury and the same receipt and price quote for dermatological treatment to all companies. He was sentenced on Sept. 15 to serve 14 years and four months in state prison.