Date : Mon, 2 Feb 2015 11:16:55 -0500
For Immediate Release
February 2, 2014
Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
The Obama Administration has issued an Executive Order for all government agencies providing federal aid to include stricter building requirements, which take sea level rise into account. These requirements are for new structures that are being built. The requirements include elevating to at least 2 feet above the current FEMA requirements, building to the more restrictive 500-year flood elevation or use another method "informed by best-available, actionable climate science." These requirements will help to protect people and property, while saving tax payers money.
"We applaud President Obama for issuing this Executive Order since it is critical in helping to rebuild our coast in a more resilient way. Unless we start recognizing the affects of sea level rise, we will continue to put more people and property in harm's way. The Obama administration has addressed this issue before, but now it is mandated so there should be no confusion to what level people should rebuild. This is something that we have been asking for, for a long time. The state of New Jersey has ignored climate change and sea level rise. This announcement will force New Jersey to do what they should have been doing all along, protecting people and property from future sea level rise and storm surges," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
The FEMA maps being used for rebuilding do not contain the latest flood information from Hurricane Sandy and do not include sea level rise or storm surges. New Jersey rushed to rebuild before the science and planning was in place puts people, infrastructure, and investments at risk. New Jersey's Flood Hazard Area rules allow for building one foot above the 100 year flood line where FEMA recommends 2 feet above free board. FEMA fell to political pressure and removed areas damaged by Sandy from v zones, but now they will have to look at climate change. In the past FEMA only looked at the last storm. The maps we currently have do not even have Sandy data in it. The problem is that FEMA looks at the last storm, not the next storm. Now they are required to look at sea level rise, climate change, and best available science when doing their mapping.
"The President has signed an executive order on climate change and EPA has a rules going forward to reduce greenhouse gases. The federal government is working to deal with climate change and sea level rise. The Christie administration is ignoring those rules and the science because of the governor's national political ambitions. The Christie Administration has recently come out opposing the EPA Clean Power Plan, which is why it is important for the federal government to require these stricter building requirements. Instead of looking at climate science, the governor is only looking at political science. This is why the President signing this executive order is so important. Governor Christie now cannot continue to bury his head in the sand, even though that sand is being washed out by the next storm," said Jeff Tittel.
There has been no planning involved for infrastructure or rebuilding. We should have been setting up programs and mapping to deal with sea level rise, climate change, and adaptation and mitigation for those impacts. We should be looking at elevating, hardening or moving vital infrastructure to help protect it and tie it to fixing other problems like combined sewer overflows and renewable energy and green infrastructure.
"Sandy was a wake call that shows climate change is real. The state of New Jersey has failed to lead when it comes to the climate change. The Governor has called the problem esoteric' and refused to address it. Unless we take action to reduce greenhouse gases and adapt and mitigate to climate change, we will waste money rebuilding while continuing to put people and property in harm's way," said Jeff Tittel.
Instead of implementing adaptation and mitigation planning and reducing carbon pollution, the Governor continues to back policies that reduce climate change pollution and promote clean energy alternatives. Governor Christie has diverted a billion dollars from different clean energy funding and his revised Energy Master Plan reduces our renewable energy goals from 30% to 22.5% in favor of more fossil fuels, contributing to climate change pollution. Federal flood insurance gives a 50% reduction on insurance if homeownrers go two feet above floor board. New Jersey only requires 1 foot. Not only are people not building to the right elevations they are not saving money on flood insurance costing homeworners thousands a year. This will not only protect property, but will save residents a lot of money.
"The Governor has denied climate science and said it is esoteric. We have been concerned that those positions could jeopardize federal funding. This new Executive Order will ensure New Jersey takes into consideration climate change and sea level rise so we do not continue to waste millions of dollars, which can be washed out to sea in the next storm. Not only will people and property be safer, but homeowners will save money on their flood insurance by reducing their rate in half saving thousands of dollars a year," said Jeff Tittel
For More information: