Toxic sludge threatens at least 7 states — and the risk is already locked in

Seven states are just one flood away from toxic sludge sites spilling contaminants into nearby communities.

Mother Jones reported Friday that Florida, New Jersey, California, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas make up 80 percent of the sites at risk. Most of this risk is already unavoidable.

More than 5,500 toxic sites across the U.S. could face coastal flooding by 2100, putting surrounding neighborhoods in danger of exposure within the lifetimes of Generation Alpha and Generation Beta, new research shows.

Scientists at the University of California found that many types of hazardous facilities are vulnerable, including those handling sewage, toxic waste, oil, gas, and other pollutants that are not fully protected from sea level rise and severe flooding.

After analyzing 23 coastal states and Puerto Rico, researchers concluded that flood risk is not evenly spread. Florida, New Jersey, California, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas account for nearly 80 percent of hazardous sites expected to be at risk by 2100, the report said.

The project examined 47,600 coastal facilities nationwide and found that about 5,500 face frequent flooding that could send toxic materials into nearby communities.

Current environmental safeguards only delay the danger. Future generations will have to either build stronger containment systems that can endure flooding or face the consequences.

Scientists noted that limiting greenhouse gas emissions to a low-emissions scenario makes little difference in the number of at-risk sites in the near term (2050). However, it would reduce the number of vulnerable sites from 5,500 to 5,138 by 2100 — a decrease of 362 sites, or about 7 percent.