Extreme events (e.g., excessive heat, droughts, floods, wildfires) are projected to be more frequent and intense under future climate scenarios. During extreme events, contaminated sites and waste management facilities have the potential to release contaminants and impact 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, EPA ORD 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 provides the conceptual framework and indicators approach. Example applications of this research include:
This webinar will present methods that teams of planners, decision-makers, and technical advisors, scientific researchers, environmental advocates, and community organizations may apply to screen for vulnerabilities and to communicate and focus resources effectively. The indicators were developed using publicly available datasets and in close collaboration with EPA and regional, state, and local partners. Collections of these indicators will be presented, as developed with partners including North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona, and the Office of Land and Emergency Management.