Thousands of toxic US sites are at flood risk, says study

New research by the University of California, Los Angeles, finds that thousands of toxic sites in the US risk flooding in the coming decades due to rising sea levels.

Published in Nature, the study draws on a database of nearly 50,000 industrial and contaminated sites across 23 coastal states and Puerto Rico.

Under a high-emissions scenario, more than 5,500 hazardous facilities—including sewage plants, toxic-waste sites, oil and gas infrastructure, and former defense sites—could face flood risk by 2100.

Florida, New Jersey, California, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts and Texas account for nearly 80% of the sites. About 3,800 of these at-risk areas could flood by 2050.

Researchers warn that flooding at these facilities could release dangerous pollutants, with low-income neighborhoods and communities facing the impacts.

Climate scientists point out that the major drivers of flooding are human-driven climate change and sea level rise.

Scientists emphasize the need for mitigation, stronger emergency preparedness, and updated cleanup standards to reduce health and environmental risks.