Climate change puts hundreds of toxic Superfund sites at risk

Extensive floodwaters submerged farms and towns all across the Midwest in 2019. They also inundated four Superfund sites contaminated with radioactive waste and toxic chemicals, according to the Associated Press. The Environmental Protections Agency had to respond quickly to prevent the pollution from spreading.

The agency was successful, but it wasn’t so lucky in 2017, when Hurricane Harvey caused flooding that breached a Superfund site in Houston and washed dangerous toxins downriver, according to Inside Climate News.

Last year, a federal report warned such scenarios could become more common as the sea level rises and climate change increases extreme weather. It listed 945 Superfund sites that are vulnerable to such effects of global warming, including 14 in Minnesota.

So how is the state managing its Superfund sites with climate change in mind? Frank Kohlasch, climate director of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, talked about it on Climate Cast.

Click play on the audio player above to hear the episode, or subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts.