Extreme Weather, Chemical Facilities, and Vulnerable Communities in the U.S. Gulf Coast: A Disastrous Combination
Susan C. Anenberg Casey Kalman
First published: 16 April 2019
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GH000197open access
Abstract
Many chemical facilities are located in low‐lying coastal areas and vulnerable to damage from hurricanes, flooding, and erosion, which are increasing with climate change. Extreme weather can trigger industrial disasters, including explosions, fires, and major chemical releases, as well as chronic chemical leakage into air, water, and soil. We identified 872 highly hazardous chemical facilities within 50 miles of the hurricane‐prone U.S. Gulf Coast. Approximately 4,374,000 people, 1,717 schools, and 98 medical facilities were within 1.5 miles of these facilities. Public health risks from colocated extreme weather, chemical facilities, and vulnerable populations are potentially disastrous and growing under climate change.
Public health impacts from these natural hazard‐triggered industrial disasters range from acute explosions, fires, and large chemical releases to longer‐term, more chronic exposure to chemicals leaking slowly into the air, water, and soil. Facility damage may also cause extended shutdowns or closures, often leading to job losses and economic damages. Thus, the potential impacts of these types of events can be disastrous for individuals, families, and communities. Following Hurricane Harvey, the New York Times found that 1,400 chemical sites across the United States are in areas at highest risk of flooding (Tabuchi et al., 2018, February 6). However, there is limited public information available about where the facilities are, the chemicals stored there, the number of people and community buildings nearby, and the degree of changing risks from extreme weather.
We identified 2,545 facilities located within 50 miles of the coast throughout Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas (Figure 2). Of these, 872 facilities had a RSEI score ≥ 415; for comparison, the Arkema Crosby plant had a score of 16. Approximately 14% (4,374,000 people) of the coastal population of these states, 1,717 educational facilities, and 98 medical facilities are located within 1.5 miles of these facilities
Category
Subcategory
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Alabama
Mississippi
All five states
Highly hazardous chemical facilities
No. facilities within 50 miles of coast
949
1,045
388
106
57
2,545
No. coastal facilities with RSEI ≥415
432
200
166
45
29
872
Percent of state coastal facilities with RSEI ≥415
46%
19%
43%
42%
51%
34%
Population
Population within 50 miles of coast
8,468,000
19,492,000
3,187,200
693,700
511,900
32,352,400
Coastal population within 1.5 mile buffer region
2,181,000
1,626,000
417,000
84,600
64,500
4,373,800
Percent of state coastal population that is within 1.5 mile buffer region
26%
8%
13%
12%
13%
14%
Population density within 1.5 mile buffer region of individual highly hazardous chemical facilities in people per mi2 [mean (min‐max)]
1,483 (3–9,656)
1,619 (6–6,865)
539 (5–4,495)
444 (16–2,361)
528 (15–1,551)
1,250 (3–9,656)
Educational facilities
No. within 50 miles of coast
2,839
5,804
1,382
287
224
10,536
No. within 1.5 mile buffer region
731
672
217
57
40
1,717
Percent of state coastal facilities that are within 1.5 mile buffer region
26%
12%
16%
20%
18%
17%
Medical facilities
No. within 50 miles of coast
160
285
119
17
15
596
No. within 1.5 mile buffer region
43
27
21
3
4
98
Percent of state coastal facilities that are within 1.5 mile buffer region
Locations of highly hazardous chemical facilities (Risk Screening Environmental Indicator score ≥ 415) within 50 miles of the U.S. Gulf Coast overlaid on census block group population size for 2016.
