Integrating Climate Information into Site Decision Making

In the last few years, the number of articles addressing the importance of vulnerability and resilience has increased as much as bar graphs showing climate change impacts. But there’s less information showing us how to integrate climate information into decision making at the site level. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Adaptation Profiles do just that. A recent profile highlights a remedy at a 15-acre landfill located within a 100-year floodplain along Allen Harbor near North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Allen Harbor is on the western shore of Narragansett Bay, and sea level along North Kingstown is expected to rise 7 feet within 75 to 100 years. To account for these vulnerabilities, the landfill capping system was designed to reach an elevation higher than the feasibility study criteria. A stone revetment and breakwater structure were constructed along the shoreline to protect the landfill cover surface from erosion during tidal rise and storm surges. In between the revetment and breakwater structure, a two-acre strip of intertidal wetland was restored for more erosion protection. For more detailed information about this site or to view other profiles, click here. 

Dive Into EPA’s Treasure Trove of Publications

Ever heard of the National Service Center for Environmental Publications? You can search, retrieve, and download EPA technical, scientific, and educational materials from their website here. A quick search generated a list with these recently published gems:

• Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Restoration Effectiveness Monitoring & Assessment: Frameworks, Tools, and Examples 
• A Review of Compensatory Mitigation in Estuarine and Marine Habitats 
• Draft Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2021
• Tribal, State, and Territory Wetlands Program Core Element Framework
• Understanding the Environmental Trade-Offs of Wastewater Treatment Options: An Introduction to The Life Cycle Assessment Approach 

Did You Know? EPA Offices Publish Plans to Increase Resilience

In October 2022, 20 EPA offices, including its National Program Offices, Regional Offices, and the Office of Policy, published their own Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan. The plans were developed in response to the EPA’s Climate Adaptation Action Plan, which required the offices to provide detail of the specific actions being taken to increase resilience in preparation for climate change impacts. The plans follow a common structure, including a section for priority actions. For a list of the plans or to access a specific plan, click here.