Thousands of hazardous sites along the U.S. coast are at risk of flooding in the coming decades as climate change drives sea-level rise worldwide, scientists have found.
The threatened sites include hazardous waste facilities, sewage plants, oil and gas wells and other industrial facilities — all with the potential to release toxic materials if damaged.
Researchers reported the findings Thursday in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The science nonprofit Climate Central, which participated in the study, also has published a set of interactive maps to explore the threatened facilities and the neighborhoods in their shadows.
Advertisement
Some populations are more vulnerable than others, the study finds.
