Washington — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog has found that nearly 100 of the nation’s most polluted toxic waste sites are in areas prone to flooding and wildfires, posing a potential public health threat to millions of Americans in nearby communities.
EPA’s Office of Inspector General released trio of reports Last week an assessment of the weather-related vulnerabilities of 157 federal Superfund sites prioritized for cleanup due to serious threats to public health and the environment was conducted. Approximately 3 million Americans live within one mile of a Superfund site, while 13 million people live within 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).
Some Superfund sites were found to be threatened by multiple natural-disaster hazards. Study finds 49 at risk in coastal areas sea level rise or storm surges generated by hurricanes, many of which are located near highly populated areas and critical ecological niches such as the Chesapeake Bay. Another 47 are in low-lying areas where there is a risk of inland flooding, especially due to heavy rain. The review also found 31 sites in high-risk areas Forest fire.
Despite these risks, five-year plans governing costly and time-consuming cleanups at sites often failed to account for flood damage from sea level rise and more frequent storms And wildfire, IG’s review found.
“This is a big problem because it means site managers are not planning mitigation measures,” said Betsy Southerland, former director of the agency’s water conservation division, who spent more than 30 years at the EPA.
“Communities living near those sites need to be made aware of this planning failure and push for stronger plans,” he said.
The review found that in places where there is little or no planning for flooding, contaminants can be released into surrounding communities and taxpayer money already invested in remediation can be wasted.
EPA said it is reviewing the IG’s findings and that the Superfund program “takes into account the impacts of extreme weather events and other hazards as a standard operating practice in the development and implementation of cleanup projects.”
Last year, President Donald Trump fired EPA Inspector General Sean O’Donnell at the start of Trump’s second term, and the new review of the office makes no mention of climate change, the word from the Republican administration. Cleaned up from federal websites. But the new report issued by the IG’s remaining staff still shows the risks posed by a warming planet to the nation’s most hazardous toxic waste sites.
Professor Lara J. at the University of California, Los Angeles. Cushing, who has studied the effects of a changing climate on the nation’s toxic waste sites, petrochemical plants and other hazardous areas, called the new reports “remarkable and important.”
Cushing said, “Although President Trump may want to ignore it, the fact is that the climate is changing and we need to be proactive in responding to rising seas and more extreme weather or face the consequences of ever-increasing natural-technological disasters that poison communities and local ecosystems.”
The inspector general’s findings echo a 2017 investigation by the Associated Press that found 327 Superfund sites Vulnerable to floods due to climate change. The AP review was commissioned after Hurricane Harvey, which caused widespread flooding in parts of Houston Seven Superfund sites and started Leaks from tanks containing cancer-causing toxic waste.
The new EPA report says that during Harvey, dioxin chemicals were washed away by flooding into neighboring streets, yards and homes close to the San Jacinto River, an area highlighted in AP reporting.
At the time, the EPA, previously under the Trump administration, had criticized the AP’s reporting as fear-mongering “yellow journalism.” Trump has called the climate change hoax, blocked renewable energy projects and sought to boost the burning of fossil fuels that warm the planet.
“This series highlights potential threats to federal facility Superfund sites and the important role of five-year reviews in addressing them,” said Kim Wheeler, spokeswoman for the Office of Inspector General. “By identifying sites at risk from these weather events, we aim to raise awareness and encourage forward-looking planning.”
___
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from several private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. find api standards A list of philanthropies to work with, supporters and funded coverage areas ap.org.
