EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: Assessing Community Vulnerabilities to Potential Contaminant Releases from Extreme Events
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Extreme events, including excessive heat, prolonged droughts, floods, and wildfires, are projected to become more frequent and intense under future climate scenarios. When extreme events happen, contaminated sites and waste management facilities that are either actively or have a history of managing or storing hazardous substances, wastes, or potential contamination (henceforth referred to as “sites/waste facilities”) have the potential to accidentally release contaminants possibly impacting nearby communities. Understanding the risks to communities from potential exposures to water- and airborne contaminants underlies preparedness, emergency response, and mitigation planning.
To better understand and communicate what is known and unknown about such risks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed indicators of environmental, public health, socioeconomic, or other conditions to assess community vulnerabilities to potential contaminant releases from extreme events. The Handbook on Indicators of Community Vulnerability to Extreme Events: Considering Sites and Waste Management Facilities (EPA, 2023) provides the conceptual framework and indicators approach. Example applications of this research include:
Identifying areas that are potentially vulnerable and the sources of their vulnerabilities.
Communicating how extreme events may impact such sites/waste facilities and the surrounding community.
Developing targeted strategies (e.g., adaptation, mitigation, resilience, response) to prepare for and prevent potential health and environmental impacts.