https://socialistaction.org/2018/10/02/the-environmental-consequences-of-hurricane-florence-in-north-carolina/
The environmental consequences of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
/ 19 hours ago
Oct. 2018 Hurrican damage 2 (AP)
Hurricane damage in New Bern, North Carolina (AP)
By JOHN LESLIE
Hurricane Florence hit the Carolina coast on Sept. 14 with major
flooding, leaving hundreds stranded, more than 500,000 without power,
and at least 45 dead. Many residents of the region had not anticipated
the extent of the flooding from the slow-moving storm, and hundreds
required emergency evacuation.
Florence had risen to the level of a Category 4 as it approached
landfall, but was quickly downgraded to a Category 1 as it hit the
coast, inundating parts of North and South Carolina with as much as 40
inches of rain. It was the worst rainstorm to hit the East Coast of the
United States in recorded history.
The intensity and strength of Florence is, in part, due to climate
change. As the Atlantic Ocean warms, hurricanes have increased in
frequency and intensity. The journal Science concluded, from a study of
2017 tropical storms and hurricanes, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma,
and Maria, that “the increase in 2017 major hurricanes was not primarily
caused by La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, but mainly by
pronounced warm sea surface conditions in the tropical North Atlantic.”
The study noted that they anticipate an increase in the number of
hurricanes as surface temperatures rise.Oct. 2018 Hurricane boat
Additionally, as sea levels rise, coastal communities will be adversely
affected. In 2012, the North Carolina state legislature banned the use
of a study on sea level change, which predicted a rise in sea level on
the North Carolina coastline of 39 inches by 2100, until after 2016. A
subsequent study predicted a six-inch in sea level over a 30-year
period. Many waterfront communities already experience street flooding
at high tide, something that was unheard of in earlier years. Many of
North Carolina’s fragile barrier islands have been over-developed by
powerful real estate interests, hastening erosion, and damaging the
ability of these islands to protect the mainland from ocean surges.
Toxic sludge
The destruction from Florence making landfall extends beyond wind and
flood damage to communities. Flooding has endangered waterways and
fisheries, as pollutants make their way into rivers and streams. A coal
ash containment dam at Duke Energy’s L.V. Sutton plant, outside of
Wilmington, N.C., breached during flooding, releasing a slick of coal
waste into the Cape Fear River. The coal ash landfill at the Sutton
plant holds more than 400,000 cubic yards of the contaminant, which
contains mercury, arsenic, and lead as well as other toxic substances.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “without proper
management, these contaminants can pollute waterways, groundwater,
drinking water, and the air.” The sludge can settle to the bottom of a
lake or river and remain there for years. In the aftermath of the storm,
Duke Energy security personnel blocked public access to the area around
Sutton Lake, citing safety concerns.
Days earlier, another Duke Energy coal ash landfill had released an
estimated 2000 cubic yards of coal ash sludge into the Cape Fear River.
Additionally, environmentalists reported that a coal ash landfill at
Goldsboro, N.C., was under water during flooding and releasing waste
into the Neuse River. This is a threat to both commercial and
recreational fishing in the region.
Animal waste
In addition to the coal ash spills, waste from factory farming
operations threatens waterways. An estimated 5500 pigs and 3.4 million
chickens were killed in post-Florence flooding. North Carolina, the
second-largest pork producer in the U.S., has more than 4000 open-air
hog waste “lagoons.” These are ponds filled with a mix of water and hog
manure and urine—plus the remains of animal carcasses, blood, and
chemicals from pesticides. These waste pits receive more than 9.5
million tons of waste annually from more than 9 million hogs.
Oct. 2018 Hog waste lagoon
A hog-waste lagoon. (photo: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
At least 13 of these hog lagoons have leaked into surrounding areas
during flooding. At least two of these waste pits have sustained
structural damage. This exposes communities to E.coli, salmonella, and
antibiotic-resistant MRSA.
Despite claims to the contrary, waste-polluted water may also leach into
groundwater, affecting people dependent on wells for drinking water.
Additionally, release of nitrogen-rich manure into waterways encourages
algae growth, robbing the water of oxygen and contributing to the death
of fish and other wildlife.
Following Hurricane Matthew, in 2016, there were increased levels of
bacteria in waterways for months afterwards. Similar effects were seen
with Hurricane Floyd in 1999, when 2 million chickens and 110,000 hogs
were killed, but virtually nothing was done to alleviate the problem.
Corporate factory-farm polluters, like Smithfield, operate without
supervision by the EPA or compliance with the Clean Water Act, thanks to
a 2011 U.S. District Court decision in favor of a number of associations
that represent big agri-business. Currently, there are no treatment
requirements at the federal level for disposing of animal waste.
Pollution from factory hog-farming operations appear to have an effect
on human health, with life expectancy lower in southeastern North
Carolina than other regions of the state. A study in the North Carolina
Journal of Medicine notes increased infant mortality, anemia, kidney
disease, and low birth weight associated with areas near hog farms. This
is true for both higher and lower income groups, but availability of
health care for poor people is limited.
The study points out that the number of farms in southeastern North
Carolina is higher than other states (Minnesota and Iowa) with large
numbers of hog farms, while the population of the region is much denser
than in those Midwestern states.
Reconstruction Needed
Only a democratic reconstruction of the economy, under the control of
working people, can address the threat posed by extreme weather,
irresponsible waste disposal, and factory farming. We have to radically
restructure how we generate energy and raise our food to put an end to
these environmental disasters.
A public works program on the level of the post-World War II “Marshall
Plan” is necessary to remediate the coal ash and hog waste problems. A
national health-care system is necessary to address the problems in
communities experiencing exposure to these toxic industries.
As sea levels rise and weather gets more extreme, coastal areas are
endangered. Major investment in infrastructure is necessary to safeguard
and retrofit coastal communities. Programs to assist in the relocation
of endangered populations are necessary.
An emergency plan must be put into effect to limit the catastrophic
effects of climate change. The United States should lead the world in an
effort to create a economy that values conservation and is based on 100
percent renewable fuels. This will require nationalizing the energy
industry under workers control, and retraining workers involved with
fossil fuels for new jobs at top union wages.
The capitalist class has proven itself incapable and unwilling to
address the dangers that come from climate change. Their willingness to
sacrifice both nature and humanity on the altar of profits shows clearly
that the social system run by their parasitic class needs to be replaced
by a revolutionary system run by and for working people.
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October 2, 2018 in Environment. Tags: climate, hurricane
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