Sea Level Rise
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Transcript of Sea Level Rise
Sea Level Rise
and Los AngelesBeth Jines, Director of Sustainability
Office of the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa
2
more than 4 million people
470 square milesThe footprint of the City of
Los Angeles can accommodate 7
7 major American cities and Manhattan
CONTEXT: CITY OF LOS ANGELES
Areas Affected by SLRPorts of Los Angeles and Long BeachCoastal Wastewater Treatment and Energy
Generation FacilitiesCoastal InfrastructureTourism
Ports
Coastal Treatment Plants
Energy Generation Facilities
Infrastructure
Tourism
Needs• Collaboration among Researchers on SLR Planning Range
• Form your own version of the IPCC – Consensus is important
• Community Design Standards • Short and long term, that can be used by Planning Agencies
• Armament Design and Engineering• We are not going to be able to move everything
• Damage and Cost Estimates • Include cost of doing nothing
• Retreat and Abandonment• If areas are abandoned, how to abandon to minimize environ degradation
• Effects on Water Supply• What is affect of SLR on Salt water intrusion barrier interface?
• Create a sense of Urgency
PortsISSUE:SLR and bridges – will ships be able to access the PortsInnundation during stom surges or high tideHave not focused on SLR for design until this yearDamage to ground-level facilities and toxic-waste storage sites
ACTION:RAND study to examine SLR scenarios Have begun raising the height of some docksVulnerability Assessment done by end of 2010Then Adaptation planning
Coastal PlantsISSUE:Facility flooding due to elevation and SLRStorm surges may overwhelm systems/facilities
leading to discharges of untreated waste Facilities and pits and ponds may be underwaterOutfall maybe affected – tidal gates may need to be
redesigned and relocated
ACTION:Adaptation Modeling
Wastewater Treatment PlantsTwo Coastal Waste Water Treatment Plants – Hyperion and Terminal Island Water Reclamation
Plant • Serve 4 million people; Average Flow: 450 - 500
MGD; 5 Mile outfall to Santa Monica Bay at Hyperion
Energy Generation FacilitiesScattergood Energy Plant and Harbor
Generating StationNext to HyperionScattergood Elevation 14 ft.Sumps and basement area elevations at 4ft.,
already flood during high tides and storm surges.
InfrastructurePacific Coast Highway undermined or floodedCoastal Sewers innundatedStorm Drains and stormwater collection systems
innundatedPipelines undermined Salt Water Intrusion Barrier failureSalinity increase in Water Supply
Tourism
Tourism and beach use is very important to the regionSignificant Financial DamageSand LossLoss of beach front properties and businessesStorm SurgesSurfing – better or worse?Pier DestructionWetland lossCooling Areas