States Lag In Climate Change Planning

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DALLAS -- Nearly half the states are moving ahead with plans to lessen the potential impact of climate change on public infrastructure but others lag behind, the Georgetown Climate Center said in a report on resiliency efforts.

Fourteen states have climate adaption plans in place, with some level of planning moving ahead in nine others, according to the report, which was released on Thursday. The climate center is part of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Vicki Arroyo, the climate center's executive director, said a number of innovative efforts are underway across the country to minimize and avoid the impacts on transportation and water infrastructure of rising sea levels, severe droughts, more intense and destructive storms, and other aspects of climate change.

"A number of states have started implementing changes that will actually make their communities more resilient," she said. "Nearly half of all U.S. states also have at least some planning underway to prepare for climate change."

That's the good news in the report, Arroyo said, noting that the bad news is that a majority of the states are not planning for climate change.

"Unfortunately, the research also shows that many states are still not treating this issue with the urgency that is called for," she said.

The center has a new online tool that tracks state-by-state progress of local climate change initiatives, Arroyo said.

"People want to know what their leaders are doing to prepare for climate change impacts, such as storms and rising seas," she said.

States with climate adaption plans already completed include Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

Those still in the development stage include Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Examples of progress cited by the report include the $50 million climate initiative in Massachusetts that includes $40 million to harden municipal electrical systems against storm damage. Gov. Duval Patrick's initiative also requires the state highway department to assess the vulnerability of its infrastructure inventory and develop plans for dealing with flooding and sea level rise.

In Washington State, large state-funded transportation infrastructure projects must be planned to accommodate climate change impacts over the project's lifespan. A recent ferry terminal project was designed with an elevated site and some related facilities were relocated to higher elevations to avoid flooding if the sea level rises.

The Georgetown center released a list of 100 recommended changes in federal programs and policies in September that it said would enable better planning for and recovery from natural disasters such as storms, floods, and rising seas.

"The federal government sends billions of dollars to states and communities every year, some of which could be used more effectively to adapt to climate change," the report said.

Recommendations included a requirement that roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects that receive federal funding be built to withstand future impacts from climate change.

The Federal Transit Administration awarded $3.6 billion to 40 transit projects along the East Coast in September to upgrade and protect rail and bus systems damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the resiliency grants will fund infrastructure systems that can better withstand natural disasters.

"We've made great progress rebuilding critical transit connections since Hurricane Sandy, and we want to make sure no one pays for these repairs twice," he said.

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