DEP Secretary Discusses Climate Change With Floodplain Managers

The PA Association of Floodplain Managers held its annual fall meeting in Harrisburg on Sept. 16. DEP Secretary Quigley delivered the keynote address.

“Floodplain managers will be on the front lines of climate disruption,” he said before a group of more than 60 flood and stormwater professionals. “Science is showing us that not only are the changes and disruptions to our state’s climate significant, but they are occurring alarmingly fast.”

Quigley explained that, according to the Climate Impacts Assessment Update published by the Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia can expect to have a climate similar to present-day Richmond, Virginia by 2050.

He also noted that with that warming has come disruption in the water cycle, and as such a higher flood potential.

Quigley discussed the need for smart updates to Pennsylvania’s water plan, as well as DEP’s partnership with DCNR to commit to riparian buffers, to combat the impacts of climate change.

“We have to partner and collaborate to address the implications of climate change, the largest uncontrolled chemistry experiment in history,” he said.

DEP is accepting comments on the Climate Impacts Assessment Update until November 4.
(Reprinted from the Sept. 17 DEP News. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

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