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44 Feet: Vulnerabilities, Opportunities, and Strategies for Managing Risk from Sea-Level Rise to Humboldt Bay’s Spent Nuclear Fuel Site

The 44 Feet research team recently conducted a series of workshops with representatives from north coast Tribes, state and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, scientific experts, the nuclear industry, Pacific Gas & Electric, elected officials, community advisory board members, academia, and the general public. The goals of these workshops were (a) to facilitate a common understanding of climatic and environmental risks to the spent nuclear fuel site on Humboldt Bay and (b) share strategies for managing foreseen and unforeseen hazards to public health and safety, in ways that also aim to protect ecological and cultural values prioritized by Humboldt Bay communities and Tribes.

In deliberating over scenarios that explore a range of probable, unlikely but possible, and desired futures, participants illuminated socially and scientifically relevant action plans that embrace the deep uncertainties underscoring spent nuclear fuel management in the United States. The 44 Feet research team looks forward to sharing the outcomes of these focus groups — many of which highlight optimal pathways for guiding the transition toward a safer and more climate-resilient coastline.

Jennifer Marlow is Assistant Professor of Environmental Law in the Environmental Science and Management Department at Cal Poly Humboldt and founded the 44 Feet Project. Alexander Brown is a Graduate Research Assistant and Master’s Candidate in the Department of Natural Resources Environmental Science and Management Program at Cal Poly Humboldt. 44 Feet is supported by funding from California Sea Grant and CSU COAST.

The Climate and Clean Energy Series is sponsored by the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt. All events are free and open to the public. Learn more at http://schatzcenter.org/events

Captioning is provided for all talks. To request additional support, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.

Feb 23, 2023 05:30 PM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)