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Coastal Virginia Rises to the Challenge of Climate Change

VCU CNS | January 3, 2020

Topics: Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Climate change, Department of Public Works, Federal Emergency Management Authority, General Assembly, Hampton Roads, Joseph Lindsey, Sea Level Rise, Virginia Coastal Protection Act, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Institute for Marine Science, Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund, Vision 2100, Yorktown Watermen Museum

With sea level rise becoming a growing threat to Virginia’s coastal communities, activists want to see greater action — and more funding — for programs intended to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“Animals have three choices when habitat changes: they can move, adapt or die,” said Yorktown Watermen’s Museum Director of Education Mike Steen. Steen said humans can adapt much easier than animals; they don’t have to wait for evolution. Humans have the option to change their homes and fortify their environments in response to the effects of climate change. 

The Watermen’s Museum brings history to life; Steen dresses as a pirate for camps and events, there is a boat’s deck and windmill to explore, and plenty of artifacts rest inside the historic building. However, many of Steen’s educational programs bring the focus out of the waterfront’s past and into its future. The museum’s section of beach along the York River boasts a natural shoreline, abundant with grasses to protect the museum from flooding. Depending on the time of year, field trippers and summer camp kids can be found gathered around the back of the museum learning about sea level rise, measuring tides, and projecting how floods will affect the waterfront. 

No General Assembly funding for Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund, yet

As the sea level rises and land sinks in Virginia, residents along the coast are at risk of flooding. Localities along the coast have created or implemented mitigation strategies to help coastal residents and businesses fortify their properties against high water. The General Assembly passed a bill in 2016 establishing the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund to provide localities with low-interest loans to help residents and businesses with flood mitigation expenses. However, no money has been allocated to the fund since its creation. The legislature has made efforts to change the fund’s function in the past, and in 2020 there will be another attempt at restructuring the bill. 

“Localities and planning districts and residents are certainly interested in resilience to flooding,” said Rear Adm. Ann Phillips, special assistant to the governor for coastal adaptation and protection.

Areas prone to flooding such as the Watermen’s Museum are feeling pressure to mitigate the effects of flooding on their property.

“You have to plan,” Steen said. “We just can’t up and move, and adapting costs large amounts of money.” 

Sections of the Yorktown waterfront owned by the Watermen’s Museum feature natural shorelines to help mitigate sea level rise. (Photo via Capital News Service)

According to A TruBuilders Inc., it takes anywhere from four to eight weeks to raise a home. Since hurricanes and nor’easters don’t schedule their appearances a month ahead of time, homeowners have to make the decision to raise their homes without knowing when the next flood will be and how high the water will rise.

“It’s going to cost you money to get that loan to raise your house. You’re not going to even look at doing that unless you’re forced to,” Steen said. Waiting for a disaster to strike, even with flood insurance, can be an even steeper wager. 

“The National Building Council has shown that $1 invested in pre-disaster mitigation saves $6 post-disaster, depending on the kind of resilience intended,” Phillips said. 

Virginia has a donation-based disaster relief fund that provides grants for organizations that focus on providing aid to victims of natural disasters. The Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund is designed to loan money to localities before a flooding disaster. 

“They would have an opportunity to borrow money to help their communities and in particular, the language is written, localities could borrow so that they would be helping residential and business property owners,” Phillips said. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides mitigation ideas for different types of disasters. For flooding, FEMA suggests improving stormwater drainage and moving, elevating, and floodproofing structures in flood prone areas. 

The governor is responsible for proposing money for the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund, and the General Assembly is responsible for the final decision to allocate money in their annual budget, which hasn’t been done since its introduction in 2016, according to Phillips. 

“When a budget gets written, there’s thousands of things that money needs to go to and this is one that just hasn’t been pushed hard enough,” said Virginia Conservation Network Communications Manager David Oglethorpe. 

The VCN is calling for $50 million to be allocated to the fund annually. 

“By putting more money or putting $50 million into the Shoreline Resiliency Fund, Virginia can start to make those moves to adapt to the impending sea level rise,” Oglethorpe said. 

Del. Joseph Lindsey, D-Norfolk, prefiled a bill this month for the 2020 Virginia General Assembly to change the fund from a low-interest loan to a grant system. Similar to the loan system, the money would be distributed to localities to help residents and businesses subject to recurrent flooding. With a grant system in place the money given to property owners would never have to be repaid. Lindsey did not respond to multiple requests to discuss the fund or the new bill. 

During the 2019 General Assembly session there were bills introduced in both the House and Senate to recast the fund as the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. This act would be funded by money from the sale of carbon emissions allowances. The protection act would be used not only for the mitigation of flooding hazards, but also to support energy efficiency programs and revitalize areas of Southwest Virginia impacted by the decline of the fossil fuel industry. The House bill was left in the Commerce and Labor Committee and the Senate bill died after being passed by indefinitely. 

The Newpoint area of Mathews County is bordered by the Mobjack Bay. This area is categorized as a category 1 flood zone by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. (Photo via Capital News Service)

Virginia Localities Work Independently to Combat Sea Level Rise 

Since 1950, coastal Virginia has seen its sea level rise more than 14 inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This rate is one of the highest on the U.S. East Coast, according to the World Resources Institute, a global research organization based in Washington D.C. that collects and analyzes data. The Hampton Roads region is among the largest population centers, second to New Orleans, facing sea level rise. The area also has the world’s largest Naval base and the second largest concentration of military activity in the U.S., outside of the Pentagon. Sewell’s Point, a peninsula at the mouth of the port in Norfolk, is expected to see sea levels rise six additional inches by 2030, a rate twice as fast as the most recent measured six-inch increase. 

“Areas that are very flat, very low elevation are going to be the areas that are experiencing the most increase in flooding,” said Molly Mitchell, a Virginia Institute for Marine Science researcher. “They’re going to see the biggest impact in the near future.”

Facing these realities, localities in the coastal Virginia region are already creating action plans to address the issue. 

Hampton has received $11 million from the federal and state government to aid in elevating homes at risk for future flooding. The voluntary program is available to homeowners that meet the cost-to-benefit ratio set by FEMA. However, the cost of raising each home is $250,000, and homeowners could be on the hook for up to 25 percent of the total cost of house raising, plus the cost of temporary relocation, according to the city of Hampton’s website. 

“Hampton officials acknowledge that it is a flawed program,” the city’s website says. “However, at the moment, it’s the only federal or state program that offers assistance to homeowners facing frequent flooding damages.”

Norfolk, meanwhile, made a comprehensive plan, Vision 2100, that addresses sea level rise in residential and commercial areas of the city. The city faces an expected sea level rise between 1.6 and 2.6 feet by 2100, meaning about 3-5 percent of the city’s dry land would be underwater daily.

Norfolk’s Vision 2100 plan divides neighborhoods into high risk and low risk areas based on sea level rise projections, and creates plans based on the risk and expected composition of the neighborhood. 

Norfolk plans to become a model for resilience by expanding the flood protection system, improving transportation and building a housing market with buildings expected to last a century. 

Grasses protect the Lynnhaven River from sea level rise. This area of the river is used by local environmental groups, with their “Save The Bay” boat located in the background. Photo by Jason Boleman | Capital News Service

In Virginia Beach, the Department of Public Works is studying sea level rise and flood vulnerability across the city’s major watersheds. They are working to implement plans, including a review of the storm drain system in the city. 

Virginia Beach, the most populous city in the commonwealth, has started blocking development in areas where sea level rise is expected to create more flooding in decades to come. Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer did not respond to requests to comment on this story. However, Dyer cited a recent New York Times article discussing this initiative.

With Democrats holding a majority in the General Assembly for the first time in a generation, Wallace is optimistic that more will be done to address sea level rise and climate change in the commonwealth.

“I expect to work with the General Assembly to pass bold climate legislation,” Wallace said. “This new majority will really like what we are doing. They recognize the urgency of the issue and know that it requires immediate action.”

Written by Emma North and Jason Boleman, Capital News Service. Top Photo: Flooding in the The Lakes neighborhood of Virginia Beach from the remnants of Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 9, 2016. This was the most significant flood in this neighborhood in decades. Photo by Jason Boleman | Capital News Service

Correction, 1/10/20: Capital News Service has updated the original version of this article that contained quotes from an interview in which the details of Norfolk projects were conflated. That interview has been removed from this article. 

Review: RVA Environmental Film Festival

Malik Hall | February 12, 2018

Topics: Bangladesh, Climate change, global warming, Hampton Roads, national security, naval base, RVA Environmental Film Festival, Sea Level Rise, Tidewater

Rising sea levels are a threat and its detrimental effects can be seen both abroad in our own backyard. Two short documentaries screened in Richmond over the weekend captured this very issue. 

EPA director Scott Pruitt recently said that the rapidly occurring climate warming “may not be a bad thing”  should probably have watched Adaptation Bangladesh: Sea Level Rise, before commenting on the subject. The film, which premiered this weekend at the annual RVA Environmental Film Film Festival, gives a glimpse into how people are adjusting and experimenting with new methods to deal with environmental change. Specifically, how the people of Bangladesh are coping with the tremendous impact of rising sea levels. 

The 8th Annual Environmental Film Festival, which featured local and national films at several venues around town this past week and weekend, aimed to educate and raise awareness on a variety of environmental issues from the Dakota pipeline protests, to rapidly disappearing coral reefs, to the Flint water crisis.

Directed by Anne Phillips, Adaptation Bangladesh: Sea Level Rise highlights how Bengalis farmers are improvising by building organic floating gardens and other buoyant infrastructure. Most notable were the floating gardens that are at least these 20 feet long structures that is a mishmash of several things including manure that the Bengalis use to grow their crops. Life must be difficult for those in the in the flooding zones of Bangladesh, but they have found a way to adapt and survive. Adaptation Bangladesh: Sea Level Rise is just one part of a three-part series by Phillips. 

Closer to home, rising sea levels are also impacting Hampton Roads with flooding occurring at an abnormal rate as shown in the screening of Tidewater. The documentary, directed by Roger Sorkin, takes a look at the home of the world’s largest naval base, and the looming impact the rising sea levels and sinking land could have on national security.

It delved into how difficult the lives of those in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Newport News, and Virginia Beach can be on days of extreme flooding. B-roll and drone footage displayed of people kayaking through the streets and cars with water reaching as high as the cars’ windshields. 

Hampton Roads needs $1 billion in critical infrastructure repairs with 900 miles of the area’s roads threatened by the flooding.Tackling the issue will mean stakeholders, citizens, the U.S. Navy and local businesses coming together. This film showcases local leaders pioneering whole-of-government problem-solving model.

Though economics shouldn’t be the sole purpose for us to take action and reduce our carbon footprint, it is a great selling point to those who are lackadaisical about the issue. A lot of interviews were conducted throughout the film, but one that really had an emotional pull was a middle-aged woman who had to commute to take care of her elderly mother. On some days the roads were too flooded for her to visit so she went out to buy her a life vest in case of an emergency, as the elderly woman is years past her being mobile.

Even though the science isn’t as clear-cut as most environmentalists stress, it is pretty obvious that two things are occurring: human activities have a direct result in increasing the average global temperature, and higher temperatures will result in sea rise, especially in most coastal areas. 

I am biased when it comes to this issue, but both of these films have shown what climate change has done and will do and the film festival did a great job of showcasing pressing issues facing us around the world.

Photo By: Mountain Film  

RVA Mag Exclusive: Q&A with Democratic Candidate for Governor, Ralph Northam

Landon Shroder | August 29, 2017

Topics: Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Charlottesville, Climate change, Governor Elections, LGBTQ, Millennials, Ralph Northam, Sea Level Rise, virginia

2017 has been a pinnacle year for politics in Virginia. Not only has the Commonwealth entered into the national conversation because of this year’s gubernatorial election, but also because of the tragic events in Charlottesville. How this comes to define the future remains to be seen. Yet one thing is for certain, Virginia is changing and entering into a new phase of national prominence that is set against a political landscape where uncertainty is the only real certainty.

Because of this, all eyes are now on Dr. Ralph Northam.

Northam, the current Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate for Governor, has been a bedrock of Virginia politics since running for Senate in 2007. He has been a solider, doctor, seasoned legislator, and the progressive voice in an election where national politics are connecting locally and challenging the Commonwealth’s otherwise-genteel status quo.

RVA Mag’s political director, Landon Shroder, chatted with Northam to get a feel for how the campaign season was shaping up post-Charlottesville and how his platform of job creation, support for the LGBTQ community, and fighting climate change is resonating with young people in Virginia.

Shroder: Dr. Northam, it is a pleasure to speak with you again. I know you are busy so we’ll just hop right into it. Because of the Unite the Right rally, Virginia is now in the national conversation. How do we move forward after a domestic terrorist attack, like the one which happened in Charlottesville? 

Northam: I think your point is well taken. These individuals, these white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazis that marched into a beautiful city, Charlottesville, [and] our wonderful University of Virginia. [They] brought in torches and shields and flags and semi-automatic weapons, spewing hatred, bigotry, and violence. You know, I commend Governor McAuliffe’s leadership and also Attorney General Mark Herring’s. And I spent a lot of time in Charlottesville, giving the message to these folks that they are not wanted and we don’t condone that kind of behavior–hatred, and bigotry in Virginia. That’s not what we’re about, and to please go to wherever you came from or go home and don’t come back. I think that’s good leadership to give that message.

We’ve also started the healing process. We’ve been to three funerals: Heather Heyer, and two of our state troopers which lost their lives. Again, I think it is important for our leaders to step up and call it what it is: just as you said, domestic terrorism. This one individual weaponized his vehicle and ran over 19 people, killed one person, and that’s just not what this Commonwealth is about. We need to make sure to send that message out there loudly and clearly.

Shroder: You’ve now signaled support for removing Confederate monuments in Virginia, yet polling for them to remain is split almost evenly. That doesn’t really provide a solid basis for reconciliation on both sides. Where is the balance in this argument?

Northam: I think we have to look at the principle of it. Certainly if a statue in Charlottesville, Virginia gave these white supremacists an excuse to come in and spew their hatred and bigotry and left three people dead, then that has to lead to a discussion. Personally, I think that these monuments should be placed in a museum. If people want to go look at them and put that history in context, then that is their prerogative. If people chose not to, then that is also their prerogative.

I think that needs to be at a local level, and I think there needs to be legislation to give localities the ability to make those kinds of decisions. And I think also, Landon, we need to tell the rest of the story. A lot of civil rights leaders that come to mind are Barbara Johns and Oliver Hill. We need to do a better job of telling their story. We as society need to look at these statues. And when they are symbols of hatred and bigotry and an excuse for these folks to cause this kind of violence and loss of life, then this is certainly a discussion that needs to take place.

I have recommended that this be dealt with the localities.

Shroder: The general feeling on the campaign trail, does the incident in Charlottesville now become the central issue in which voters make their decision in the remaining two months of the election?

Northam: I think there has really been an awakening. Not only in Virginia, but in this country regarding race relationships, and again, it is a discussion we need to have moving forward. I would also say there are other monuments, Landon, that are not built out of bronze that need to be dealt with and those are inequities in income, inequities in access to education, access to healthcare, and voting rights. These are all issues that we need to discuss in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Also, we need to talk about other things that we are focused on such as work force development, such as jobs and the economy, access to healthcare, clean environments. All of these things are important. A lot of things will be talked about regarding this campaign for governor between now and November.

Shroder: That leads me into my next question. You have spoken extensively on rural economics and have proposed a plan for accelerating jobs and economy in these spaces. You’ve talked about “new collar” jobs. Can you explain what those jobs are?

Northam: Absolutely. First of all, our unemployment rate in Virginia, we’re very proud, has gone from 5.4 to 3.7 percent, the lowest that its been in nine years. We’ve brought in over 200, 000 new jobs. If one goes though to the Eastern Shore, where I’m from, or the Southwest, the unemployment rate is nowhere near 3.7. So we still have a lot of work to do. I have a plan on the table to restore and really bring back rural Virginia and we need to talk about the jobs of the 21st Century, which are STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics] related jobs. There are some very good high paying jobs in areas like cyber-security, unmanned aerial systems, bio-technology, artificial intelligence, data collection and data analysis.

These are the jobs of the 21st Century so we have to really think outside of the box on how we’re educating our youth and preparing them for these 21st Century jobs. So when I refer to jobs not as white or blue collar, but ‘new’ collar jobs, these are jobs that you don’t necessarily need a four year college or university education. And that’s why we’re promoting the G3 program: get skilled, get a job, and give back, which allows Virginians to go to community college for two years without incurring any debt, with the understanding that once they become certified they will give back a year of public service, with pay, or will work in a high demand area or high demand job in the Commonwealth. This allows people to continue their education, to prepare for new collar jobs, while not incurring any debt.

Shroder: Just a follow-on question from that, a lot of our readers understand that there is innovation happening in urban spaces. How do we connect that innovation with the growth potential of rural spaces?

Northam: There are a couple other things, Landon. Obviously there are still pockets throughout Virginia that don’t have access to broadband, this is something that I find unacceptable. Some still don’t have access to cell coverage, this is very important to rural Virginia. And one of the things that is part of my plan is to expand University of Virginia. Why? To bring talent into that area. When out of state students come to Virginia this is a great opportunity for them. When you bring talent to an area like that, talent attracts talent, and businesses will start up. And that will hopefully rejuvenate or jump start the economy in rural Virginia.

Shroder: Speaking about young people, I think it is fair to say that a lot of young people now feel estranged from traditional party politics. How do you, as the most senior progressive voice in this election, reach them? What are you offering to get them re-engaged?

Northam: That is a great question. Pam and I have two children, they are both millennials. One went to University of Virginia one went to William and Mary. And so I am very much in tune with our millennials. You know, there are several things we need to talk about: one is college affordability. We need to make sure that everyone can achieve the American dream. We also need to talk about the importance of a job, and prepare our youth for 21st Century jobs. So when our youth graduate from high school or college, they have a skill and that they are able to enter the work force.

Again, things like healthcare should be important to all of us, but especially millennials. They need to know that they have access to affordable quality healthcare. Millennials are also very in-tune with our environmental issues and we’ve made a lot of progress in Virginia promoting renewable energy. And we’re planning by 2030 that 30 percent of our energy that is generated in Virginia is from renewable energy. Millennials also care very strongly about living in safe communities, where there are not guns on every street corner. These are a lot of the things I talk about with millennials, our children. I am certainly going to make a tremendous effort to get around to our colleges and universities and listen and hear with what’s going on with millennials and make sure we can attract them. We want them to they stay in Virginia, work and raise a family – that is very important to us.

Shroder: As you know Dr. Northam, we also run GayRVA, and as I am sure you are very aware as of yesterday the president has issued guidelines on transgender soldiers. You were also a soldier, and one of those requirements will be removing them from the military altogether. I know this is a national  issue, but how do we protect our transgender service members in Virginia?

Northam: It starts with leadership. As you said, I served in the US Army for eight years, I fought beside folks from the LGBTQ community. I am very proud to have served with them, they have served their country just like everybody else and I think it is very short-sighted for our president to pick and choose who should be in the military. I will do everything I can, and I have in the past, to support our LGBTQ community. We understand that we live in a diverse society. That means we need to be inclusive, and as long as we continue to elect Democrats in Virginia, our lights will be on and our doors will be open, and we will welcome people to the Commonwealth.

Shroder: You are taking a bit of heat for not coming out against the proposed Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines. There does seem to be a myriad of issues surrounding these pipelines: property rights, how they impact on low income communities, in addition to the Commonwealth subsidizing methods of energy that are becoming obsolete. Doesn’t Virginia have a responsibility to lead nationally by opposing this planning?

Northam: I appreciate the question, and I hope that people will look at my environmental record. I think I was the first elected official statewide to be outspoken against off-shore drilling. I have been opposed to fracking, opposed to uranium mining, I have done so much to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and taking phosphorous out of fertilizer.

I hope people look at my environmental record and compare that to my opponents. I want to do everything I can to make sure I am a good steward of our environment. I have written a letter to the DEQ [Department of Environmental Quality] regarding the permitting process. We need to work with our DEQ and corps of engineers and I want to make sure it is done with transparency with public input, with science, and with environmental responsibility. Also taking into account people’s property rights. That’s what I want to do as the next governor. I will do everything I can to make sure that as the process moves forward it will be done with transparency and responsibility.

I have said that all along and I will stand by my word.

Shroder: Just one more on climate: the rate of sea level rise in Virginia is at three to one vs the national average. Not only is that an environmental crisis, but an economic crisis. Naval Station Norfolk has already signaled they might have to re-deploy the fleet. We’re all aware of what’s happening to Tangier Island–what practical things can we do?

Northam: I took the lead on this Landon, several years ago when I was in the Senate. I put in legislation to study sea-level rise, especially in Hampton Roads. And because of that we’ve been able to apply for federal grants, which we have received, and we have a resiliency plan in place. I have been very involved with sea-level rise and will continue to be. As you said, it is not only a national security issue, but an economic issue for Virginia, and we need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to deal with this. So we need to have a resiliency plan and look at ways to decrease the amount of carbon we are putting into the atmosphere.

As I said earlier, I have a plan to move 30 percent of our energy to renewable energy by 2030. And I think if we make that a priority, that is something we can make happen in Virginia.

Shroder: That’s all from my side. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us and always a pleasure to speak with you.

Northam: I appreciate everything your doing and keep up the good work!

 

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