Rising sea levels threaten to flood hundreds of toxic sites along the California coast, putting the state’s most vulnerable populations at risk, according to a new study published today by researchers at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Climate Central.
The analysis identified 736 facilities at danger of coastal flooding and an additional 173 with anticipated groundwater intrusion under California’s high-risk aversion scenario, which estimates that sea levels might rise by more than 6 feet by the end of the century.
Residents residing within one kilometer of at-risk places were more likely to be people of color, to be poor, to be jobless, or to experience another type of social disadvantage, such as language isolation, than others.
The researchers also launched a new interactive online tool in English and Spanish that allows users to map toxic sites that are at risk of coastal flooding by county or by specific facility as part of the study.
Users can additionally overlay signs of neighboring inhabitants’ social vulnerability, such as the percentage of persons living below the poverty line, unemployed, or without a high school diploma.
“Sea level rise is like a slow-moving storm that we can anticipate and prepare for,” said Rachel Morello-Frosch, senior author of the research and a professor of public health and environmental science, policy, and management at UC Berkeley.
“As California invests in community resilience to climate change, it is critical that environmental justice considerations are prioritized.”
Low-income and minority areas are already disproportionately exposed to a variety of environmental contaminants, and the danger of additional exposure from sea-level rise would compound these imbalances.
When compared to their neighbors, socially disadvantaged residents may face more difficulties evacuating during a flood and may endure social stressors that make them more prone to the health effects of pollutant exposure.
By 2050, San Mateo and Alameda counties are expected to have the most at-risk hazardous sites, but by 2100, Orange County is expected to surpass both as oil and gas wells in both counties confront increased coastal flood threats.
“Again, climate change amplifies inequality,” said lead author Lara Cushing, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. “Sea level rise will present additional risks of contaminant releases to communities that are already living with pollution sources in their backyards.”
Source:Berkeley University of California
