Sea Level Rise

Contra Costa Health Services, Hazardous Materials Programs (CCHSHMP) continues to be engaged in projects that address possibilities of climate change related to sea level rise and flooding in our communities in Contra Costa County. CCHSHMP participates in Adapting to Rising Tides, a program of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which specifically has looked at Contra Costa County coastal communities for the possibility of sea level rise and its impacts. Our staff works diligently to make sure the concerns of the hazardous materials community are heard during these and other ongoing projects. These studies, as well as other reputable scientific analysis, have concluded that, although uncertain, projected sea level rise and extreme weather will be impacting our communities. It is important to obtain knowledge regarding these predictions to improve our ability to shape resilience and direct appropriate planning for the future. CCHSHMP serves our communities in order to protect public health and to protect the environment. In accordance with our mission, it is in all of our best interests to be educated in this topic.

Hazardous materials facility compliance with applicable environmental regulation plays a large role in the prevention of hazardous materials release that can impact public health and the environment. Understanding flood risk can help a facility to support resiliency and will help support planning the future of industry. CCHSHMP will continue to be committed, along with our Hazardous Materials Commission, Board of Supervisors, and Industry Stakeholders, in helping to create a safe community for all Contra Costa residents. Hazardous Materials is an important subject of discussion when it comes to these environmental impacts and we will continue to be engaged in developing solutions that support our industries and community.

For more information about Adapting to Rising Tides please visit their website: adaptingtorisingtides.org

Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Study with Special Focus on Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

CCHSHMP conducted a hazardous materials commodity flow study in which the results were utilized to prepare a Community Risk Assessment for hazardous materials transported within Contra Costa County. The project focused on coastal areas which are affected by flooding and rising sea levels. The objective of the study was to determine the potential impacts of hazardous materials accidents/incidents to the most vulnerable populations and critical facilities within the hazardous materials transportation corridors in Contra Costa County. This report was completed in September 2019.

Western and Central Contra Costa County

The Adapting to Rising Tides Program teamed up with local stakeholders to identify critical issues and build resilience in Contra Costa County.

The Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) Program conducted a climate adaptation planning effort in Contra Costa County, building understanding and planning for the diverse challenges and opportunities presented by adapting to sea level rise in the County.

Focusing on the risks to the county from current and future flooding, as well as other challenges and opportunities, ART staff and local agencies worked with other stakeholders to improve the resilience of the County’s coastal communities. The ART Contra Costa project area extended from Richmond to Bay Point. The project area, with its varying local topographies (from bluff to wetland to creek mouth), different types of land uses, diverse communities, and the presence of extensive rail and energy infrastructure, offered an excellent opportunity to better understand the diversity of vulnerabilities and consequences from current and future flooding. This project, along with others around the region, will increase local and regional capacity to address the challenges posed by current and future flooding.

Project Status

The Contra Costa ART Project began in late 2014 and concluded in the fall of 2016. ART staff continue to work with the communities and asset managers to advance the findings and recommendations in the study.

Eastern Contra Costa County

Understanding and adapting to the threats from current and future flooding in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta.

The Adapting to Rising Tides team has partnered with Contra Costa County and the Delta Stewardship Council to conduct a vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning project to help Eastern Contra Costa County become more resilient in the face of current and future flooding.

Building on the previous work in western and central Contra Costa County, existing county and local plans, and other ART projects around the Bay, ART staff will work collaboratively with local jurisdictions, agencies, communities and organizations in Contra Costa County to understand the vulnerabilities and consequences they may face, including the disproportionate impact to certain community members, the disruption of transportation and utility infrastructure, the loss of employment sites, and limitations on access to goods and services. The project will identify shared and individual actions that will help improve resilience to sea level rise and other climate change impacts. Implementing the findings of the project will be an ongoing process of continued engagement and partnership building, but the goal is for this project to result in a clear roadmap for adaptation in Eastern Contra Costa.

The project area runs along the Contra Costa County shoreline from Pittsburg to the Contra Costa-Alameda County border at Clifton Court. This ART project—the first that will take place in the Delta—will help improve local capacity to address the threats from sea level rise and current flooding. It will also serve as a pilot project for understanding and adapting to the impacts of sea-level rise in the Delta.

Project Status

The Eastern Contra Costa County Project began in 2018 and concludes in winter 2019/2020.

ART Bay Area

There is an immediate need to improve regional understanding of the challenges from climate change and sea level rise in the Bay Area.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) partnered with the Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) Program and the Bay Area Regional Collaborative (BARC) to write a proposal for a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and was awarded $800,000 to develop a regional adaptation planning process aimed at increasing the resilience of the region’s transportation and community assets. The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) is contributing $400,000 in matching funds, resulting in a $1.2 million grant for this work, which will be conducted over the next two and a half years, from the spring of 2017 to the winter of 2019.

Documents

• Hazardous Materials and Adapting to Rising Tides Letter 2018
• Contra Costa Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Study with Special Focus on Sea Level Rise and Flood Risk (September 2019)

Links

• Adapting to Rising Tides - San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
• Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer