Grantee Research Project Results
Toxic Tides: Risks and Resilience to Coastal Flooding of Contaminated Sites
EPA Grant Number: R840039Title: Toxic Tides: Risks and Resilience to Coastal Flooding of Contaminated Sites
Investigators: Cushing, Lara
Institution: University of California - Los Angeles
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: August 1, 2020 through May 13, 2025
Project Amount: $799,999
RFA: Contaminated Sites, Natural Disasters, Changing Environmental Conditions and Vulnerable Communities: Research to Build Resilience (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Safer Chemicals , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Description:
Flooding events leading to unintentional releases of toxic substances are becoming more frequent, posing potential health risks to residents living near sites that store or use hazardous materials. For example, 166 releases of hazardous substances, including 10 onshore oil spills totaling 8 million gallons, were reported in the aftermath of flooding due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Across the country, households living near hazardous waste and industrial facilities are disproportionately low-income people of color who face additional challenges such as poor housing conditions, food insecurity, or pre-existing health conditions that exacerbate the health effects of pollutant exposures. As a result, contaminant releases due to flooding of hazardous sites are likely to disproportionately impact disadvantaged populations with heightened biological susceptibility and social vulnerability. However, no studies have systematically characterized the implications of coastal flooding of contaminated sites – including the additional threat posed by rising sea levels – for disadvantaged populations.
This project will integrate data on:
1) excess contaminant releases to air, soil and water during flooding after Hurricane Harvey;
2) nationwide probabilistic projections of coastal flooding associated with rising sea levels;
3) the location of cleanup and hazardous waste sites, industrial and wastewater treatment facilities, and other sites that store or emit hazardous materials; and
4) area-level indicators of biological susceptibility and social vulnerability related to age, sex, disability status, income, education, housing, and other factors, to characterize the environmental health threats associated with flooding of contaminated sites in U.S. coastal counties. The multidisciplinary team includes environmental health, climate, and computational scientists as well as community-based organizations.
Objective:
The overarching goal is to spatially analyze and widely communicate the health risks of coastal flooding of contaminated sites in disadvantaged communities to inform land use and disaster planning efforts.
Objectives:
1. Evaluate the extent and toxicity of excess releases and spills due to flooding of hazardous sites in the Texas Gulf Coast from Hurricane Harvey and characterize potential exposures to vulnerable populations. The research team hypothesizes that a subset of site types will be responsible for the greatest quantity of releases, and that communities living near these sites will have greater vulnerability to pollutant exposures than communities living farther away.
2. Characterize the environmental health risks posed by coastal flooding of hazardous sites nationwide. The research team hypothesizes that rising sea levels will substantially increase the number of contaminated sites at risk of inundation, and that these sites are more likely to be located in disadvantaged communities with greater vulnerability to pollutant exposures.
3. Broadly disseminate findings through a customizable, bilingual online mapping interface, and in-person roundtables in three at-risk coastal communities on the East, West and Gulf Coasts. The localized projections and engagement with communities that are likely to be impacted can inform efforts to improve resilience to sea level rise.
Approach:
Researchers will combine secondary data on reported excess emissions and spills during Hurricane Harvey, the location of industrial and hazardous waste sites from the Facility Registry Service, and indicators of community vulnerability derived from the American Community Survey and other sources with high-resolution probabilistic estimates of flood risk under future projections of sea level rise and use spatial statistical modelling to test the hypotheses.
Expected Results:
The project will result in new knowledge and publicly accessible, customizable online tools to understand health threats posed by coastal flooding of contaminated sites. The results can inform local communities, businesses, and decision-makers wishing to reduce unintentional contaminant releases due to extreme weather and rising seas.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 10 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 5 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
water, sea level rise, flooding, GIS, cumulative effects, environmental justiceProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.