Floods+are+getting+worse+and+2,500+chemical+sites+lie+in+the+water's+path

Floods Are Getting Worse, and 2,500 Chemical Sites Lie in the Water’s Path, a New York Times Article written by [|Hiroko]Tabuchi, Nadja Popovich, Blacki Migliozzi and Andrew W. Lehren
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Summary: This article depicts the environmental issue of potential flooding near sites that contain toxic chemicals. The increase risk of flooding is being seen in response to the intensification of rainfall as well as their prominent frequencies throughout the United States. The rise in sea levels near coastal areas magnify this specific issue as well. According to the federal Toxic Release Inventory, more than 1,400 chemical facilities are in high risk of flooding out of the 21,600 held in the country. An additional 1,100 sites are in moderate risk of flooding. Federal law does not require sites in floodplain to take extra precautions when handling toxic chemicals, but former President Barack Obama signed an executive order that required planners of federally funded buildings, roads and other infrastructures to account for possible risks in the assigned site. However, President Trump rescinded that order last year. (Tabuchi, Popovich, Migliozzi and Lehren.) The analysis surrounding this issue monitors facilities that could harm our environment if their chemicals were released. This data, unfortunately, allows one to see the horrors that could happen if we are not careful.

Relation to APES: This relates to our class in response to our previous study of harmful and toxic chemicals and its impacts in our environment as well as our individual bodies as organisms. First quart er, we also learned about fertile floodplains and their quick ability to filled with water. The effects of toxic chemicals in various floodplains would be a financial and environmental nightmare.

Opinion: I believe that this issue should be emphasized more heavily in response to the profound effects that could devastate our waters with its corresponding community, if the chemicals were released due to flooding. This class has given me the opportunity to learn about our world and how we should protect it, thus I think we should take it more seriously.

Law: This issue of potential flooding that could release chemicals relates to the Federal Flood Disaster Act of 1973. This law would force faculties to follow specific regulations if built upon floodplains and/or prohibit the construction of federal sites in high risk areas of flooding. This law must be followed to be ensured flood insurance, thus forcing companies to follow certain rules.