A small city along the Chesapeake Bay threatened by sea-level rise and hurricanes is trying to chart its own course to reduce chronic flooding as its partnership with EPA’s research office comes to an end.
Scientists in the EPA Office of Research and Development spent 2 ½ years working with local leaders in Crisfield, Maryland, to develop strategies to protect the low-lying city, where recurring floods can make streets inaccessible. The solutions identified could benefit other coastal communities facing similar issues as climate change worsens.
Now, as the Trump administration moves to eliminate the research office and reassign hundreds of scientists to other divisions, the self-proclaimed “crab capital of the world” is seeking funding to implement the projects. The office’s demise, coupled with funding cuts at other agencies, raises questions about to what extent other cash-strapped communities and states can count on federal support to address local environmental problems.
“It can take a lot of effort, resources and know-how to help reduce the vulnerabilities of communities to extreme events,” said Ben Grumbles, executive director of the Environmental Council of the States. “That’s why a lot of states are very concerned that EPA, FEMA or Army Corps support be a steady presence.”
