Sinking in Saltwater: #Maine’s #coastal #marshes at risk as sea levels rise

Between 28 and 57 percent of the state’s coastal marshes could disappear by the end of the century, victims of a rising sea, coastal #development and #PollutedRunoff.

By
Kate Cough
July 28, 2024

PORTLAND — "It takes hundreds of years for a #SaltMarsh to form, for fine sediment brought in on the tides to settle in sections of shoreline sheltered from the worst of the wind and waves. As salt-tolerant plants — smooth #cordgrass, #SaltmarshHay, #saltgrass, #BlackRush — begin to grow, their dense stems and roots trap more sediment, and the marsh builds more rapidly, up and out.

"#Crabs, #shrimp and #worms arrive, drawn to the rich food of dying marsh grasses, followed by a variety of #fish — #alewives, #StripedBass, #smelt and Sea-run #BrookTrout among them — many of which eventually migrate between the marsh and the sea.
logo for the sinking in saltwater series

"Acre by acre, a healthy salt marsh anchors a #FoodWeb 'more productive than most midwestern #farmland,' according to a 2003 paper published by the University of Maine.

"The same dense grasses that are so good at trapping silt also excel at ensnaring pollutants, pulling out nitrogen and nutrients that cause #AlgalBlooms, and burying #toxic #contaminants in the peat.

"Once established, plants in salt marshes grow quickly, fed by the rich soil, and pull #carbon from the atmosphere. Salt marshes are ten times more effective at storing carbon than tropical forests, and, left undisturbed, can trap the gas in the ground for centuries, a phenomenon scientists refer to as 'blue carbon.'

"Maine has some of the most extensive blue carbon reservoirs in the northeast — second only to Massachusetts, according to a study published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2023.

"But as sea levels rise and development presses in, these reservoirs, and the habitats they create, are at risk of disappearing.

"An analysis by the University of Maine suggests that a significant portion of the Maine’s salt marshes — between 28 and 57 percent, depending on the sea level rise scenario — could be gone by the end of the century. They are also threatened by polluted runoff from #pesticides, #septic systems and #AgriculturalWaste.

"'The decisions Mainers make over the next 10 years are going to determine whether these important ecosystems persist,' said Bates professor Beverly Johnson, who has been studying blue carbon for years, speaking to The #MaineClimateCouncil in December.

"Over the past 25 years, nearly 300 acres of Maine’s wetlands — both fresh and saltwater — have been impacted by or lost to development, according to a Press Herald/Maine Monitor analysis of data from the state’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program. The program allows developers to fill or convert certain #wetlands if they pay a fee, money that is used for conservation projects elsewhere."

Read more:
https://themainemonitor.org/sinking-in-saltwater/

Historic #Hanford #Contamination is Worse Than Expected: #Oregon Experts Weigh In

July 7, 2023

"In late June, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that radioactive contamination beneath a building at the #HanfordNuclearSite is worse than originally thought.

"The Hanford 324 Building is located on the south end of Hanford – in what’s known as the 300 Area – just 1,000 feet from the #ColumbiaRiver. The US DOE has known about one spill under the building for over a decade, and has been working on a plan for cleanup of the area while also making progress in other areas of Hanford since production turned to cleanup at the site in the 1980s.

"The agency knew the contamination in the soil was serious, but sampling this spring found unexpected contamination deeper in the soil and outside the previously known spill area. So what does that mean? Oregon Department of Energy Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness Maxwell Woods and Hanford Hydrogeologist Tom Sicilia weigh in.

"Q: Is the #groundwater or the Columbia River at risk of exposure to the contaminated soil?

"A: Based on data from monitoring wells, the US DOE reports that the spill has not migrated to groundwater, so at this time the groundwater that flows to the river poses a minimal risk. But it will be important moving forward that the area remain covered and protected and for monitoring to continue while a cleanup plan is identified.

"We hear US DOE may also be considering adding additional groundwater monitoring in the area to capture more data, which we support.

[...]

"Q: What are the risks with the new plan?

"A: If US DOE decides to construct the big metal shell, a next question will be whether work should continue with robots or remotely operated equipment to resume the digging, or if the agency should wait a few more decades to allow the #radioactive materials in the soil to decay further.

"Depending on how “hot” the soil really is – it could be hundreds of years before it would be safe enough for humans to manually excavate it. Remotely operated equipment is used across the Hanford site for safe cleanup activities.

"While the risk to groundwater and the river are low, there is a balance between the inevitable migration of #contaminants over time and the ability to safely complete the cleanup. In the near-term, US DOE seems to be doing the right thing, and is 'measuring twice' to avoid having to go back out and re-dig this complicated and dangerous soil. This pause will allow a more efficient and protective remedy to be developed for review by stakeholders, Tribal nations, the public, and site regulators."

https://energyinfo.oregon.gov/blog/2023/7/7/historic-hanford-contamination-is-worse-than-expected-oregon-experts-weigh-in

#WaterIsLife #Oregon #WashingtonState #HanfordNuclearFacility #NoNukes #NoDumping
#FutureGenerations
#NoWar #NoNuclearWeapons #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearWaste #NuclearWeaponsDump